The right to cancel

In many places a consumer can cancel a contract made at their home, or at a distance, within a set time: 3 business days in most of the US, 14 days in the UK and Ireland, 10 days in Quebec for a sale at the home, 10 business days for an unsolicited sale in Australia, 5 working days for an uninvited sale in New Zealand. Quotebird works out which applies from the job.

On the quote

The cancellation notice and its form print on the quote as the law words them. In the UK and Ireland, the customer can also cancel from their page with Cancel contract here until the period ends. You’re both emailed, and the quote shows Cancelled.

In the US, the accepted quote shows the last day to cancel under Right to cancel: the date on the cancellation notice the customer signed.

Starting the work early (UK and Ireland)

The customer can tick a box asking you to start before the 14 days end. If they cancel after you’ve started, they pay for the work done until then. The sent quote shows the first day you can start, or The customer asked you to start now.

Payments that wait

Some places forbid taking payment while the customer can still cancel, or before the work is done. Quotebird holds online payment for those jobs:

• Until the period ends. The payment opens by itself on the day, and the customer gets an email with the link.
• Until the work is done. It opens when you send the final invoice.

You see the date under Payments. You can still record a payment the customer makes another way.

In Australia and New Zealand, the accepted quote also shows the day you can ask for payment, under Cooling-off period (Australia, where the work waits too) or Time to cancel (New Zealand). A deposit in the payment plan says the same: Paid once the customer’s time to cancel is over. Invoice the deposit still works in that time, and says the day you can ask for it.

If the customer cancels

Give back what they paid in time: in the UK and Ireland, within 14 days of the cancellation. The quote shows Refund the customer with the date. See Refunds.

Signing on your phone

A quote signed on your phone counts as made at the customer’s home. Where these rules cover a deal made there, they apply to it. See Your customer signs on your phone.