- Usually two years from delivery. This is the general complaint period in section 83.
- Complain promptly when you find the fault. Under section 81, a complaint made within two months of discovering the fault is always in time.
- Write to the seller. Describe the fault and keep proof of purchase and your messages.
As a general rule, the defect or its cause must have been present at delivery. Not every type of damage is covered.
No account needed. You edit and send the letter yourself. Refunded is also run by Lucas Savel.
Sources: Forbrug.dk on the Danish Sale of Goods Act and sections 77 a, 81 and 83 of the Danish Sale of Goods Act.
The shop is not replying?
Make your next step specific so your complaint does not get left behind.
- Keep your first message, proof of purchase and any replies.
- Follow up in writing: ask for an update and the next step.
- Set a date in your calendar to review the matter again.
An automatic reply usually confirms receipt. It does not necessarily explain what the shop will do.
The tool produces a Danish letter. You edit and send it yourself. Your follow-up date is your own plan, not a statutory deadline for the shop to reply.
Based on: Forbrug.dk on written complaints and documentation. See also our short follow-up template.
Which section covers complaints about faulty goods?
Section 78 sets out your options when goods are defective. The complaint deadlines are in sections 81 and 83. Several provisions therefore work together:
- Sections 75 a–e
- Requirements for the goods: your agreement, normal characteristics, installation and digital elements.
- Section 76
- Misleading or missing information from the seller may make goods defective.
- Section 77 a
- When the defect must have existed and the presumption in the first year.
- Sections 78–78 e
- The options when goods are defective and the conditions for each remedy.
- Section 81
- Complain within a reasonable time after discovering the defect.
- Section 83
- The general complaint period and specific exceptions.
You do not need to cite sections of the Act in your first message. A clear description of the fault and your preferred solution is a good starting point.
Read the Danish Sale of Goods Act together with the amendment in Act 723/2026, section 19.
Two years — and within a reasonable time
The general period is two years from the day the goods are delivered to you. You must also notify the seller within a reasonable time after discovering the defect. For goods, a complaint made within two months of discovery is always in time.
Write as soon as you notice the problem. Keep the message, the date and the seller’s reply. Do not wait for a future service if your deadline is approaching.
Special rules apply to digital supplies, building materials and after repair or replacement, among other situations. Two years is also not a promise that every item must last two years regardless of its expected life or use.
Sources: sections 81 and 83 and Forbrug.dk on statutory rights for faulty goods.
What do the first 12 months mean?
For ordinary goods bought under the rules in force from 2022, a defect that appears in the first year is generally presumed to have been present at delivery. The seller can rebut that presumption. You must still be able to show or describe that the goods have a problem.
After the first year, you generally need to establish that the defect or its cause was present at delivery. A receipt, photos and correspondence may help. Special rules apply to live animals and ongoing digital content.
Source: Forbrug.dk on the burden of proof.
Example: a fault after six months
A phone is delivered on 1 February 2026. On 1 August, it stops charging. The customer describes the fault and keeps the proof of purchase. Because the fault appears within the first year, the presumption is relevant; the seller can still rebut it, for example by documenting damage after delivery.
This is a hypothetical example of the evidence rule, not a decision on whether a particular phone must be repaired free of charge.
Based on: Forbrug.dk on the burden of proof.
What does section 78 of the Act say?
There are four possible remedies for defective goods: repair, replacement with another item, a proportionate price reduction or cancellation of the purchase. Section 78 brings these options together; the conditions in sections 78 a–e determine which remedy you can require.
For ordinary goods, you can generally choose between repair and replacement. The seller may refuse your choice if it is impossible or disproportionately expensive under the rules. The remedy must be provided free of charge, within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience.
A price reduction or cancellation may become relevant when the conditions are met. There is no fixed sequence of three repair attempts. The number of attempts, the time taken and the inconvenience are assessed in the circumstances.
Sources: sections 78–78 e of the Danish Sale of Goods Act and Forbrug.dk on repair and replacement and repair attempts.
What do sections 78 a–e each cover?
- Section 78 a
- The choice between repair and replacement and the requirements for carrying it out.
- Section 78 b
- The conditions for a price reduction or cancellation.
- Section 78 c
- Calculating a price reduction, refunds and returning goods on cancellation.
- Section 78 d
- Specific consequences of cancellation for digital content and digital services.
- Section 78 e
- The condition of goods when returned and exceptions to the requirement.
This is a brief guide. Read the sections together before demanding a particular remedy.
Source: the Act, sections 78 a–e.
The repair is taking too long — what should I write?
Describe what has happened: “I handed in the item on [date]. I have not yet received it back. Please tell me the current status and the expected completion date.” Keep the reply with the hand-in receipt.
Sending this message does not automatically entitle you to a refund. Any further remedy depends on the rules and the course of events.
Read Forbrug.dk on repair attempts and our short answers about repairs.
What changed in September 2026?
A separate right to repair also applies to certain product groups beyond the seller’s ordinary liability for defects. That repair may cost a reasonable price. The rules do not provide free repairs for all goods or a common ten-year spare-parts period.
Sources: Act 723/2026, sections 19–20 and Forbrug.dk on the right to repair.
Does the Act give a two-year guarantee?
You usually have two years of statutory rights for faulty goods — a guarantee is an extra promise. Statutory rights come from the law and cover defects for which the seller is responsible. A commercial guarantee is a voluntary additional promise from the seller or manufacturer, with its own terms. It may give extra rights but must not restrict your statutory rights.
An expired guarantee is therefore not, on its own, a reason to reject your complaint. Write to the seller and ask for the fault to be assessed under the Danish Sale of Goods Act.
Source: Forbrug.dk on guarantees and statutory rights. See also our overview of your rights.
Example: the guarantee expired after one year
A phone is bought from a business with a one-year guarantee. A fault develops after 18 months. The guarantee has expired, but the ordinary complaint period has not. Whether the fault is covered still depends on its cause and the evidence rules after the first year.
A hypothetical example, not a decision on an individual case.
Second-hand goods and online purchases
Second-hand goods: You also have statutory rights when buying from a business. The age, condition and information given at purchase affect what you can reasonably expect. Different rules apply to private sales, where limitations can be agreed.
Online purchases: You normally have a 14-day right to cancel when buying from a business online, with exceptions. Cancellation concerns changing your mind; a complaint about faulty goods concerns a defect.
Read about second-hand goods and the right to cancel.
Write your complaint
Fill in the details here, or create a free Danish letter step by step at Refunded. Edit anything that does not fit and send the message to the seller yourself.
Open the free template
Subject: Complaint about [item] — [order number] Hello [seller], I bought [item] from you on [purchase date] and received it on [delivery date]. I noticed the following problem on [date]: [describe the problem and when it occurs]. I would like to make a complaint and request [your preferred solution, e.g. repair or replacement]. I have attached [receipt, photos or other documentation]. [Describe any earlier contact or repair]. Please confirm receipt and let me know how we should proceed, including how the item should be handed in or sent back, if necessary. Kind regards, [name and contact details]
If the seller rejects your complaint
Ask for a written explanation and keep the documents relating to your complaint. The appropriate complaints body depends on the goods and the seller. At Nævnenes Hus, mediation and consideration by the Consumer Complaints Board are separate stages, each with its own eligibility requirements and fees.
Request a review based on your own information. The tool produces a Danish letter. You edit and send it yourself. The letter does not assess your legal rights. Refunded is also run by Lucas Savel.
See Nævnenes Hus: information for buyers.
About this guide
This guide provides general information on consumer purchases of goods in Denmark, not an assessment of an individual case. The publisher is Lucas Savel. The primary sources are Retsinformation, Forbrug.dk and Nævnenes Hus; links appear alongside the relevant sections.