Checked October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. Rules differ by province and change, so use the links to each regulator's own page.

You found a car online and it is on its way. That is exciting, and it is normal to wonder what happens if you get it home and it is wrong. Can you send it back? The honest answer has two halves: what the law gives you, and what a company's policy adds, on its terms.

The short answer

In most of the provinces whose official pages we read, there is no legal right to cancel a vehicle purchase just because you changed your mind, and signing usually makes the deal binding. What the law does protect is a car that was misrepresented, not properly disclosed or defective, and those rights vary by province. A "money-back" or "love it or return it" period is a separate, voluntary promise from the seller, with conditions you need to read before you buy.

Does Canadian law give you a cooling-off period on a car?

A cooling-off period is a set number of days when you can cancel without giving a reason. Here is what each official page says, as of October 2026.

We did not find an official statement for Nova Scotia or Prince Edward Island on vehicle returns, so check with their consumer offices rather than assume.

Quebec is different in one case. The Office de la protection du consommateur (OPC) says that if a used car from a dealer is financed through the merchant (an instalment sale), you have 2 days to cancel once you both hold a copy of the contract, or 10 days for a high-cost credit contract. You lose that right if you cannot return the car in the state it was delivered. If you pay cash or use your own bank loan, cancelling is hard, and the dealer may charge a penalty of up to the greater of $400 or 2% of the price, if the contract says so.

If you have not signed, Ontario's OMVIC says the dealer must return your deposit on request. Once you sign, OMVIC and Alberta's AMVIC both warn that a dealer who agrees to cancel may keep some or all of it.

Does buying online change your rights?

Mostly it adds disclosure and delivery rules, not a right to change your mind.

In Alberta, the Internet Sales Contract Regulation covers a vehicle bought remotely from a licensed business. AMVIC says it allows cancelling in specific circumstances, such as the vehicle not being as represented or disclosure or delivery rules not being met, but not because you dislike the car or cannot afford the payments. It does not apply to private sellers.

Ontario's online shopping page says an online purchase over $50 is an Internet agreement, and the business must tell you any cancellation, return, exchange and refund rights it agrees to give you beyond the Act. That page is general, not about cars, so ask OMVIC how it applies to your purchase. Nova Scotia's consumer rights page is also general: it says you may cancel an online purchase if no contract is provided or goods are not delivered within 30 days of the delivery date.

What if the car is not what you were told?

Here the law is stronger.

• Ontario: OMVIC says dealers must disclose in writing past use as a taxi, police or rental vehicle, the make, model and year, branded status (salvage, rebuilt or irreparable), the actual distance travelled and damage over $3,000. If a dealer fails to disclose past use, make, model and year, branding or actual distance, you can cancel within 90 days of delivery. The $3,000 damage disclosure is not on OMVIC's list of 90-day triggers. OMVIC also says a victim of an unfair practice has up to one year from signing to ask for cancellation under the Consumer Protection Act.

• British Columbia: the VSA says a vehicle may be returnable if it did not meet minimum road-safety standards when sold, or if there was a material misrepresentation.

• Alberta: Alberta.ca says used vehicles are sold "as is" unless otherwise stated, and also that claiming goods are of a quality or standard they are not is an unfair practice.

• Quebec: a used car from a dealer carries legal warranties, including against important hidden defects. A separate warranty of good working order covers cars up to 7 years old and 120,000 km (contracts from April 5, 2024), from 6 months or 10,000 km down to 1 month or 1,700 km.

• Saskatchewan: the FCAA says licensed dealers must disclose important facts about a vehicle. If they do not, you may be able to recover your losses, or trade in or return the vehicle.

• Manitoba: licensed dealers must tell you the facts about the vehicle's history and condition before you buy.

Is a private sale different?

Very.

• Ontario's page says the Motor Vehicle Dealers Compensation Fund protects deposits or payments up to $45,000 if a registered dealer fails to deliver, but you cannot claim if you buy privately or from outside the province.

• Alberta's AMVIC says private sellers are not held to the same standards as licensed businesses, and you cannot apply to its Compensation Fund after a private sale.

• Saskatchewan's FCAA says a private buyer is not protected by the dealer disclosure requirement. Manitoba says people selling their own cars do not have to give you the facts on its history.

• Quebec's OPC says its Consumer Protection Act does not regulate deals between two individuals. It also warns about "false private vendors", merchants posing as individuals.

• In British Columbia, Consumer Protection BC says your options after a private sale may be limited to going to court.

What do company return policies add?

A "7-day" or "10-day money-back" promise is not a legal requirement. AMVIC and the VSA both say return rights can come from a seller's own stated policy. Two examples:

Clutch. Its 10-Day Money-Back Guarantee terms, effective November 7, 2025, give you ten days from delivery or 750 km, whichever comes first, if the car is in the same condition as delivered, with no damage or alteration (including smoke or pet odours), original items present and no new liens. The refund does not include shipping charges and may take up to 10 business days. For the details, see Clutch's money-back policy explained.

Canada Drives. In March 2023 it announced it would stop online car-buying and focus on selling cars online and online finance approval. Its current How It Works page describes pre-approval and being connected with a local dealership, with no return period. An older, undated blog post mentions a 7-day "Love it or Return it" policy, but we do not treat that as a current policy. Any return period would come from the dealership, so get it in writing.

How do you read a return policy?

Reading each province's rules and each company's terms is slow, and it is the kind of legwork Uobo does by text for you. Before you commit, check:

1. Days, and when the clock starts. From delivery, or from signing?

2. Kilometre limit. Many policies end at a distance, whichever comes first.

3. Condition. What counts as damage? Are odours or alterations included?

4. Deposit and money. What is refunded, what is kept, and how fast?

5. Fees. Delivery or shipping charges, accessories you added, and your trade-in.

6. Limits. Repeat returns, who must attend the inspection, paperwork to sign back.

7. Is it in your contract? OMVIC says to get all promises and conditions in writing, and AMVIC says the only way to cancel is if the seller has a policy that permits it. Keep a copy of the policy as it read on the day you bought.

Use the Car purchase contract checklist to review the price, fees, add-ons and every promise before you sign.

What should you do if something goes wrong?

1. Check on delivery. Use the Car delivery day checklist to verify the VIN, odometer, damage and paperwork, and photograph everything. For a used car, the Used car inspection checklist helps you notice problems early.

2. Write to the seller. Quebec's OPC advises telling the merchant in writing; Alberta.ca says contact the business first.

3. Contact the regulator. Ontario: OMVIC. British Columbia: the Vehicle Sales Authority. Alberta: AMVIC, or Service Alberta's Consumer Investigations Unit. Quebec: the OPC. Saskatchewan: the FCAA. Manitoba: the Consumer Protection Office. Newfoundland and Labrador: Consumer and Financial Services. In New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, start with the provincial consumer office. Check that the dealer is registered first.

For wider context, see Is it safe to buy a car online in Canada?.

None of this is a reason to hold back from buying online. It is a reason to take your time, ask every question and get each promise in writing, so the excitement lasts after delivery.

Try these free tools

• Car purchase contract checklist: review the price, fees, add-ons and promises in writing before you sign.

• Car delivery day checklist: check the VIN, odometer, damage, keys and paperwork on arrival.

• Used car inspection checklist: look over rust, tires, under the hood and paperwork.

Want someone to check the terms and the car with you? Text Uobo, a personal car agent that does the research, checks and dealer legwork by text, and is free for shoppers. Start here.