Cooling-off rule notices
FTC · checked 2026-10-04
The app uses the figures and rules named on that page. It does not replace the page.
household · official figure · reviewed 2026-10-04
Count the FTC Cooling-Off Deadline
A covered door-to-door sale can be canceled until midnight of the third business day. Saturday counts. Sunday does not.
What this guide helps you do
Count three FTC business days after a covered sale and apply the $25 or $130 floor.
The figure that changes the result
Saturday is a business day under this rule unless it is one of the named holidays.
A phone calendar that skips Saturday gives the wrong third day. Reading the rule takes about 25 minutes.
Who this is for
A buyer who signed a contract at home, or at a fair or hotel salesroom, and needs the federal cancellation date.
Steps
Step 1
Use the date you signed, not the delivery date.
Step 2
A home sale of $25 or more can be covered. A transient-site sale uses $130.
Step 3
Start the next day. Count three business days.
Step 4
Skip Sunday and the holidays named in the rule. Do not skip Saturday.
Step 5
Cancel in writing before midnight on that third day.
Worked example
A home sale on Monday, October 5, 2026, has business days on October 6, 7, and 8. The deadline is midnight on October 8. A Friday, October 2 sale counts Saturday as day one.
Cancel by midnight on 2026-10-08.
- Sale date: 2026-10-05.
- Location floor: $25.00. Price is covered.
- Third business day: 2026-10-08.
The buyer has until midnight of the third business day after the sale date.
Where this goes wrong
A sale under the dollar floor is outside the federal rule. A sale at the seller's store is not a door-to-door sale. State law may give more time. This tool does not add that time.
What the source says
Limits
The holiday list is the list in the rule text. Juneteenth is not in that named list.
The seller has 10 business days after notice to refund.
Confirm the contract is the kind of sale the rule covers.
This tool gives general information. It is not legal advice. Laws differ by state and change. Check the result with a licensed attorney or a legal aid office before you act.
Use the current instruction from the agency named above. This guide is a planning aid, not an official decision.
Free companion app
Count three FTC business days after a covered sale and apply the $25 or $130 floor.
Open Count Three Cooling-Off Business Days
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This guide uses short, direct instructions as an ASD-STE100-style writing target. It is not a formal certification.