{"id":27773,"date":"2025-08-11T12:10:08","date_gmt":"2025-08-11T10:10:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kpw.law\/themen\/what-does-distance-selling-mean\/"},"modified":"2026-05-18T17:09:21","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T15:09:21","slug":"what-does-distance-selling-mean","status":"publish","type":"topic","link":"https:\/\/kpw.law\/en\/topics\/what-does-distance-selling-mean\/","title":{"rendered":"What does distance selling mean?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\"Fernabsatz,<\/span>
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Background knowledge<\/p>\n\n\n\r\n

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What <\/p>\n\n\n\n

means<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Distance selling?<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/div> \r\n<\/h1><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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E-Commerce<\/h2>\n\n

Online retail has been experiencing an unprecedented boom for years. Every day, millions of consumers shop online without meeting the seller in person or holding the goods in their hands beforehand. This type of trade is legally referred to as distance selling and is subject to special legal regulations that ensure consumer protection and clear obligations for retailers. <\/p>\n\n

What is a distance contract?<\/h2>\n\n

A distance contract <\/strong>is a contract between an entrepreneur and a consumer that is concluded exclusively using means of distance communication. This can take place via a web store, an app, email, telephone or messenger, for example. The contract is concluded within a sales system organized for distance selling, such as a traditional online store, platforms or subscription channels. The decisive factor is that no personal contact is possible on site from the offer to the order. Everything takes place “at a distance”. <\/p>\n\n

Typical examples of this are Purchase in the webshop, digital subscriptions, conclusion of a contract by telephone with subsequent e-mail confirmation. Click & collect remains distance selling if ordered online and only collected in-store. <\/p>\n\n

There is no distance selling if the contract is not concluded within the framework of a system geared towards distance selling (e.g. a one-off e-mail exchange with a tradesman without an “online sales system”) or if the contract is not concluded exclusively using means of distance communication, but at least in part through personal contact.<\/p>\n\n

Important exceptions to distance selling law<\/h2>\n\n

The law recognizes contracts to which the distance selling rules do not apply. These include, for example, certain financial and insurance services, notarial contracts or special delivery constellations. In practice, it is crucial to check whether the specific type of contract falls under the distance selling regulations. <\/p>\n\n

Obligations of the retailer in e-commerce (distance selling)<\/h2>\n\n

Retailers must provide the consumer with comprehensive information before and when the contract is concluded online. This includes, among other things: <\/p>\n\n