Can webshop refuse orders?

What can we do if we do not want to cancel our order already confirmed by a webshop? What if we stick to the product advertised at a good price and do not want to cancel the purchase due to a shortage of stock indicated afterwards?
After all, the webshop can check the stock or order another shipment before confirming the order. This does not seem to be a legitimate reason to refuse performance.

What could be behind this? In the case of products advertised at a discounted price, we can often experience an “oversupply”, i.e. the webshop accepts more orders at the advertised price than it can actually fulfil, and then refuses to fulfil the order on the grounds of lack of stock or other reasons.

All this is made possible by the uncertainty surrounding digital contracts, as it is not always clear when the contract was actually concluded.

In our article in Hungarian, we explore the legal background to this practice. We present clearly

• the steps of the contracting process, what option’s the webshop has and its legal obligations,
• the Civil Code on breach of contract,
• and the legal consequences of the delay including the buyer's rights.

On the other hand, webshop owners should be aware that the conduct described above as an unfair commercial practice may result in an investigation by the consumer protection authority.
For more information in English please contact us.