Ordering 18+ items online: sealing, returns, discretion and guarantee
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by Verpakkingdeals.nl
6 min reading time
Can a sealed hygiene product be returned? What does discreet packaging look like and what should you do if something breaks? The practical rules surrounding ordering 18+ items online, summarised.
With most online purchases, you don't think long about the terms and conditions. If it doesn't fit, it goes back. With 18+ items, it's different: some of them fall under hygiene regulations, which means returns don't work as you're used to. That's not a trick from the store, but an exception stated in the law. Knowing this beforehand helps you buy more purposefully and avoids ending up with a product you can't use.
Below are the four things that most often cause questions in practice: the seal, the right of return, how the package looks, and what happens if something breaks.
1. Why there's a seal on it
Many 18+ items are delivered sealed: a film around the box, a sticker over the opening, or a sealed inner packaging. This seal has two functions. It shows the buyer that the product is new and unused, and it marks the moment the purchase becomes final.
As long as the seal is intact, there's little to worry about. If you break it, the product can no longer be sold as new from a hygienic point of view – and that affects your cooling-off period.
2. What your cooling-off period does and doesn't cover
For online purchases in the Netherlands, you generally have a 14-day cooling-off period. There are exceptions to this. ACM ConsuWijzer explicitly mentions among these exceptions the situation where you have 'removed hygienic products from their packaging, for example, a toothbrush or an electric shaver'. The same logic applies to sealed intimate products.
Practically, it boils down to this:
Seal intact, box unopened — you can usually invoke your cooling-off period.
Seal broken — for hygiene products, the right to return usually lapses.
Product defective or different from ordered — this is not a matter of cooling-off period but of warranty and conformity, where you are in a strong position.
A webshop must clearly state such exceptions before your order. If you don't find them anywhere, that in itself is a signal. If you want to know exactly what the rules are, check consuwijzer.nl; we provide general information here, not legal advice.
The practical conclusion: only open the seal when you are sure you will keep the item. Upon receipt, first check if the correct product has been delivered, if the box is undamaged, and if the size and material indication match what you ordered. All of this can be done with the seal still on.
3. Choosing well saves returns
Because returning often isn't an option, the emphasis shifts to making the right choice beforehand. Four things you want to find in the product information before you check out:
Material. Silicone, TPE, ABS, glass, and metal each require different maintenance and do not tolerate the same cleaning agents. If the material is not listed, ask.
Dimensions in centimeters. Photos don't give scale. Compare the stated size to something familiar on your table before ordering.
Power supply. Separate batteries, built-in rechargeable battery, or USB rechargeable — this determines whether you can use it immediately and how the item travels.
Cleaning. Can it go under the tap, is it waterproof, and what cleaning agent is recommended?
Order maintenance products at the same time; that saves a second shipment. These items are available:
Lubricant is the second item you'd better order directly, and pay attention to the base: water-based is compatible with most materials, silicone-based not with all silicone products.
You recognize a neutral shipment by what is not on it. No product image, no brand name that reveals the contents, no description on the packing slip window. What is usually on it is a neutral sender name and address.
What you can influence yourself:
Size. If the shipment fits through the letterbox, no one needs to be home. Larger items become parcels and require a signature or a pick-up point.
Delivery address. A pick-up point or parcel locker is often more discreet than delivery to a shared address.
Bank statement. Check if the store mentions under what name the debit appears, if that's important to you.
If you want to be sure that a package has not been opened during transit, look for a security seal. Want to send something yourself and arrange that? You can with security seal stickers VOID, 60 pieces — € 9.95. A broken VOID seal leaves visible traces.
5. Warranty: when you are in a strong position
Cooling-off period and warranty are often confused. Cooling-off period is about regret; warranty is about quality. Even if the seal is broken and returning is no longer possible, you can expect a product to do what can reasonably be expected of it. If a motor breaks after two weeks, that's a warranty issue, not a cooling-off period issue.
What helps with such a report: your order confirmation, a brief description of what is going wrong, and if possible, a photo or video. Keep the box and the manual until you are sure that everything is working properly. For items with separate batteries, it pays to try a fresh set first before reporting something as defective.
Source for the cooling-off period and the exception for hygienic products: ACM ConsuWijzer, 'Bedenktijd' (consuwijzer.nl). This article provides general information and is not legal advice; for your own situation, consult the store's terms and conditions and information from ACM ConsuWijzer.
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