If furniture ordered online does not arrive by the promised delivery date, you do not have to simply wait for the seller's instructions or immediately agree to a cancellation fee. Cancellation due to delayed delivery and returns based on a change of mind are subject to different legal standards, and a seller's no-refund policy or flat cancellation penalty is not automatically valid in every situation. The original agreed delivery date, any notice of changes, and the timing of your cancellation request are all important.
The Korea Consumer Agency received a total of 1,052 requests for consumer damage relief related to online furniture delivery between 2021 and 2025. In 2025 alone, delivery delays and non-delivery accounted for 63 of 239 cases (26.4%), making them the most common complaint category. Excessive cancellation penalties and return shipping charges accounted for another 53 cases (22.2%).
Can You Cancel Your Order After the Promised Delivery Date Has Passed?
If the seller has failed to meet the promised delivery date, you should distinguish the situation from a simple change of mind and consider whether the delay constitutes grounds for terminating the contract due to non-performance. However, the fact that delivery is one day late does not automatically terminate every contract. You should also review the supply conditions stated in the agreement, the reason for the delay, and whether you requested that the seller fulfill its obligations.
Start by checking these three things:
The original delivery date provided by the seller when you placed the order.
Whether the seller notified you in advance when changing the delivery date.
Whether the seller also failed to supply the product by the revised delivery date.
If the seller changed the delivery date several times after you placed the order, keep a separate record of the original promise and every subsequent change.
This is particularly important if you purchased furniture to coincide with a move or a scheduled move-in date. You should determine whether the delivery date was an essential condition of the transaction. The outcome may differ depending on whether the seller specifically promised delivery on a particular date or merely provided an estimated delivery date.
Can You Cancel Online Furniture Orders After Seven Days from Payment?
Yes, cancellation may still be possible. Under South Korea's Act on the Consumer Protection in Electronic Commerce, Etc., the general withdrawal period for an online purchase is seven days from the date the consumer receives the contract details. If the product is supplied later, the seven-day period generally begins on the date the consumer actually receives the product. Therefore, a seller cannot automatically refuse cancellation simply because the furniture has not yet arrived.
There are two different legal rights to distinguish here.
A withdrawal of subscription (cheongyakcheolhoe) allows a consumer who purchased a product online to withdraw from the purchase under the periods and conditions established by law. By contrast, contract termination refers to ending an agreement when grounds for termination arise, such as the seller's failure to fulfill its contractual supply obligations.
If you have been waiting for an extended period after the promised delivery date, the issue is not simply whether seven days have passed. You should also examine whether the seller has properly fulfilled its contractual obligation to supply the product.
Article 544 of South Korea's Civil Act provides that when one party fails to perform a contractual obligation, the other party may set a reasonable period for performance and terminate the contract if the obligation remains unfulfilled after that period. However, a separate assessment under Article 545 may be necessary when the contract is a time-specific obligation, meaning that its purpose cannot be achieved if performance does not occur at the agreed time, depending on the nature of the contract or the parties' intentions.
For example, if a bed was specifically promised for delivery on the date you move into your new home but arrives afterward, the situation may need to be assessed differently from an ordinary delivery delay. The key question is how important that specific date was under the original agreement.
Are Custom-Made Furniture Orders Non-Refundable Even When Delivery Is Delayed?
A seller cannot refuse every refund simply by claiming that an item was custom-made. Products individually manufactured according to a consumer's specifications and difficult to resell may be exempt from statutory withdrawal rights if the legal requirements are satisfied. However, these products cannot automatically be treated in the same way as standard, ready-made furniture.
If a seller claims that an order qualifies for the custom-made product exception, check the following:
Whether the product is individually manufactured according to the consumer's order.
Whether allowing withdrawal would be expected to cause the seller substantial damage that would be difficult to recover.
Whether the seller separately disclosed the restriction on withdrawal before the purchase.
Whether the consumer separately agreed to the restriction in writing or through an electronic document.
Simply stating "Custom-made products are non-refundable" on a product details page does not automatically satisfy all the legal requirements.
The same principle applies to furniture manufactured overseas. The fact that an item is custom-made overseas and whether it actually qualifies for the legal exception to withdrawal are two separate issues.
Furthermore, if the seller repeatedly fails to meet the promised delivery schedule, the custom-made product exception must be considered separately from the question of whether the contract can be terminated because of delayed contractual performance.
Are a 30% Furniture Cancellation Penalty and a KRW 160,000 Return Fee Justified?
You do not necessarily have to pay whatever amount the seller demands. In an investigation published by the Korea Consumer Agency, cases were identified in which businesses charged cancellation penalties equivalent to 30% of the product price and demanded return shipping fees after consumers requested withdrawal, even though the sellers had dispatched the products on their own initiative.
The following are examples of cases that were reported.
Case 1. A sofa shipped after the cancellation request
Sofa purchase details:
Payment date: January 1
Consumer: Requested withdrawal on the same day as payment.
Seller: Shipped the product the following day.
Return fee demanded by the seller: KRW 160,000.
The KRW 160,000 return fee was the amount demanded in this particular case. It is not a statutory return fee that applies to all furniture purchases.
Case 2. An overseas custom-made table
Table purchase details:
The seller explained that manufacturing and delivery would take a considerable amount of time.
The delivery schedule was subsequently delayed repeatedly.
When the consumer requested a refund, the seller stated that 30% of the product price would be deducted.
Calculation provided in the report: KRW 2,527,700 × 30%
This is a calculation based on the deduction rate proposed by the seller. It does not represent a confirmed deduction or an actual refund amount.
The important factor in these cases is not the amount demanded by the seller, but the reason for cancellation and when the cancellation request was made.
In particular, the assessment of who bears the costs depends on whether the consumer exercised a statutory right of withdrawal, requested contract termination due to delayed delivery, or simply returned the product because of a change of mind.
Article 18 of South Korea's Act on the Consumer Protection in Electronic Commerce, Etc. restricts businesses from arbitrarily demanding cancellation penalties or compensation for damages when consumers exercise their statutory withdrawal rights. However, when a consumer returns a product already received because of a change of mind, the statutory rules governing return shipping costs must also be considered.
Therefore, the legality of a cancellation penalty cannot be determined simply by looking at figures such as KRW 160,000 or 30%.
What Should You Do If the Seller Ships the Furniture After You Request Cancellation?
If you communicated your intention to cancel before the seller dispatched the furniture, compare the time of your cancellation request with the actual dispatch time. The fact that the seller subsequently shipped the product does not automatically invalidate a previously communicated withdrawal request.
It is advisable to collect the following records:
1. The product details page and promised delivery date at the time of ordering.
2. Your payment confirmation and order number.
3. The date and time you submitted your cancellation request.
4. Records showing when the seller acknowledged or responded to your cancellation request.
5. The time the shipping label was created and the actual time the product was handed over to the courier.
6. A breakdown of the return shipping fees and cancellation penalties demanded by the seller.
In particular, the time a tracking number is generated may differ from the time the product is physically handed over to the delivery company. Do not assume that the product has actually been dispatched simply because its status says that it is being prepared for shipment.
If the seller independently dispatched the product after receiving your cancellation request, first determine whether your request was properly communicated and whether the applicable requirements for statutory withdrawal or contract termination were satisfied at that time.
How Should You Request a Refund for Delayed Furniture Delivery?
Rather than relying exclusively on telephone conversations, communicate with the seller through channels that preserve a written record, such as your order history, text messages, or email.
The following steps can help you handle the situation.
First, establish the original agreed delivery date.
Check the original estimated delivery date in your order confirmation, product details page, and payment notification messages. Save any subsequently revised dates separately.
Second, request a final delivery schedule from the seller in writing.
Ask the seller to explain the reason for the delay and specify the actual date on which the product can be supplied. If the seller repeatedly responds that the item will be shipped soon, request a response that includes a specific date.
Third, clearly state your reason for cancellation and your intention to terminate the contract.
Specify whether you are requesting contract termination because of delayed delivery or exercising your statutory right of withdrawal. If you are demanding contractual performance, you may consider setting a reasonable period for the seller to fulfill its obligations and communicating your intention to terminate the contract if the product is still not supplied within that period.
Fourth, request the legal and calculation basis for any cancellation penalties or return fees.
If the seller intends to deduct an amount from your refund, request a written explanation identifying the relevant contractual clause, the costs incurred, and the actual calculation used.
Fifth, apply for consumer damage relief if the dispute remains unresolved.
If the seller refuses to issue a refund or demands excessive charges, you can use the Korea Consumer Agency's consultation and consumer damage relief procedures. For disputes involving online transactions, you may also consider seeking assistance from the Electronic Document and Electronic Transaction Dispute Mediation Committee in South Korea.
For consumer consultations, call 1372 (without an area code).
The following is a message you can send to the seller.
How Long Does a Seller Have to Issue a Refund?
Under Article 18 of South Korea's Act on the Consumer Protection in Electronic Commerce, Etc., when a consumer exercises a statutory withdrawal right but has not yet received the product, the seller must issue the refund within three business days from the date the seller receives the withdrawal notice. If the consumer has already received the product, the deadline is generally three business days from the date the seller receives the returned product.
There are also a few things to check depending on the payment method.
Credit card payment: Check whether the cancellation request for the card transaction has been processed.
Bank transfer: Check whether the seller has actually initiated the refund.
Digital payment services: Check the cancellation and refund status through the relevant payment service.
However, the three-business-day rule applies to refunds resulting from statutory withdrawal. Contract termination under the Civil Act because of delayed delivery requires a separate assessment of the termination requirements and the parties' obligations to restore what they received under the agreement.
If the seller delays the refund or arbitrarily deducts part of the payment, request written confirmation of the expected refund date and the reasons for any deductions.
Final Checks If Your Online Furniture Delivery Is Delayed
Handling a furniture delivery dispute becomes much easier when you distinguish and document the following points.
Did the seller explicitly confirm the promised delivery date?
Are there records of delivery date changes made after the original promised date?
If the product was custom-made, were the legal requirements for restricting withdrawal actually satisfied?
When did you communicate your intention to cancel to the seller?
Was the product actually dispatched before or after your cancellation request?
What legal or contractual basis did the seller use to calculate the cancellation penalty and return shipping fee?
If you have not yet received your furniture and the seller unilaterally declares that refunds are impossible or demands excessive charges, it is generally better not to agree to those terms immediately.
On the other hand, a consumer's change of mind, a valid exception for custom-made products, and actual return costs already incurred must be assessed separately. Not every delivery delay automatically entitles a consumer to a refund, just as not every custom-made furniture order is non-refundable.
The most important steps are to preserve evidence of the original delivery promise and your cancellation request, and to verify the legal basis for any penalty claimed by the seller.
