Guide
Pre-ordering tech: deposits, refunds and your rights
New gadgets are often sold before they exist: as a pre-order, a refundable deposit or a crowdfunding pledge. They sound alike but give you very different rights.
In short. A pre-order buys something that is not available yet; a refundable deposit holds a place without buying; a crowdfunding pledge backs a project that may not deliver at all. In the EU, goods bought online from a business come with a 14-day right to cancel, counted from delivery. In the US, the FTC’s mail order rule asks sellers for a reasonable basis for the shipping time they state and, if they cannot keep it, to offer you the choice to cancel with a prompt refund. Before you pay, check what you are buying, when you can get your money back, and what happens if the product does not ship.
Three things that look alike
- A pre-order. You buy now and the product ships later, usually at the full price.
- A refundable deposit. You pay a small amount to hold your place, and decide whether to buy once the price and the date are known. What you can get back, and when, is set by its terms.
- A crowdfunding pledge. You support a project in return for a promised reward. Crowdfunding sites generally present this as backing a project, not buying from a shop: a project can fail, and refunds depend on its creator.
In the EU
When you buy goods online from a business, EU rules let you cancel within 14 days without giving a reason, the cooling-off period, counted from the day of delivery. If the last day falls on a non-working day, it moves to the next working day. You may have to pay to send the goods back. Some purchases are excluded, such as goods made to order or personalised, food that spoils quickly, and tickets or bookings for a set date, and goods bought from a private person are not covered.
In the US
The Federal Trade Commission’s mail, internet or telephone order rule sets three duties for a seller:
- A reasonable basis. When it asks for your order, it must have a reasonable basis to expect it can ship within the time it states, or within 30 days if it states no time.
- A choice when it is late. If it cannot ship in time, it must offer you, clearly and without your asking, the choice to accept the delay or cancel and receive a prompt refund.
- In good time. That offer must come before the original shipping deadline has passed.
Devices with a radio add one more rule: before FCC authorization, they may be sold only on conditional terms that say delivery depends on it, and they may not be delivered until then: what an FCC ID is.
Before you pay
- What are you paying for? A purchase, a deposit or a pledge.
- How do you get your money back? Until when, how fast, and by asking whom.
- Is there a delivery date? And what happens if it slips.
- Who is the seller? A company name, an address and a country, not only a brand.
- Does it have the marks it needs where you live? Such as CE in Europe or an FCC ID in the US, and what happens if it does not get them: what CE marking means.
How our pre-order will work
Lychnos Ring pre-orders are not open yet. When they open, a pre-order will be a refundable deposit, not a purchase, credited to the price and refundable in full at any time until you choose to buy. We will tell you the final price, the plan and the delivery window first, and you decide then. In the US, the ring will be delivered only once the FCC has authorized it; if it is not authorized, we will refund the deposit in full. Our terms are a draft until a lawyer has read them, and they say so: the pre-order terms.
Sources, read 4 November 2026: Your Europe, returns and the right of withdrawal; the FTC’s rule in the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 16 CFR 435.2; the FCC’s rule on marketing before authorization, 47 CFR 2.803. General information, not legal advice.
Questions
Can I cancel an online pre-order in the EU?
For goods bought online from a business, EU rules give you 14 days to cancel without a reason, counted from delivery, with some exceptions such as goods made to your specifications. A refundable deposit may give you more: read its terms.
What happens if a US online order is delayed?
Under the FTC’s mail, internet or telephone order rule, a seller needs a reasonable basis for the shipping time it states, or 30 days if it states none. If it cannot ship in time, it must offer you the choice to accept the delay or cancel and get a prompt refund.