Terms and conditions for a kitchen retailer selling online

An online kitchen retailer sells a room's worth of goods, some from stock and some made to a plan the customer drew, delivered on a pallet to the kerb. The terms have to say whose measurements the order is built on, which units are bespoke and cannot be cancelled, how the deposit and balance work, what happens at the kerb, and that fitting is a separate contract. I draft those terms for a fixed fee of £995, delivered in five working days.

Who this is for

Online kitchen retailers, kitchen unit manufacturers selling direct and worktop and appliance sellers in England and Wales supplying consumers and trade customers with fitted kitchens, worktops and appliances by delivery, without installation.

What matters in online kitchen retail terms

The plan, the measurements and whose risk they are

Where the customer supplies measurements or a plan, the terms should say that the order is manufactured to them, that the retailer does not survey and takes no responsibility for fit, and that a design service, where offered, produces a plan the customer approves and is responsible for checking against the room. Appliances are chosen by the customer for compatibility with the units and services in the room, and the terms should say so.

Stock items, made-to-order units and cancellation

The terms should distinguish stock items, which a consumer may cancel within fourteen days of delivery under regulation 30 of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 and return at their cost if told so, from units, doors and worktops made to the customer's sizes, which regulation 28 excludes from the cancellation right once manufacture starts and which the checkout must identify before the order is placed. Cancellation of a made-to-order item before production starts should be dealt with by a stated charge or a full refund.

Deposits, stages and payment

Kitchen orders are high value, and the terms should take a deposit at order, the balance before despatch, and say that manufacture starts on receipt of the deposit and the customer's final confirmation of the order. Against a consumer, a deposit that would be kept regardless of the reason for cancellation is the kind of term the Consumer Rights Act 2015 treats as unfair, so the terms should tie the deposit to costs incurred. Card payments carry no surcharge under the Consumer Rights (Payment Surcharges) Regulations 2012.

Delivery to the kerb and checking the goods

Delivery is to the kerbside on a pallet unless a stated service is bought, and the terms should say that the customer must be present, provide access for a large vehicle, check the delivery against the note and report visible damage or shortages within a stated period, and that goods are at the retailer's risk until handed over. Delivery dates are estimates from confirmation of the order and depend on the customer's readiness to receive.

Damage, faults, installation and information

Goods must be of satisfactory quality and as described under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, with the thirty-day right to reject under section 22 and then repair or replacement, and the terms should say that damage reported after fitting is assessed on its merits, that fitting is not part of the sale and the fitter's work is the fitter's, and that the retailer is not liable for a fitter's errors or for units cut on site. The Electronic Commerce (EC Directive) Regulations 2002 ordering information, the registered company details required by the Company, Limited Liability Partnership and Business (Names and Trading Disclosures) Regulations 2015 and the privacy notice should be referred to.

What it costs

Customer or supplier terms and conditions, £995. One set of terms, customer-facing or supplier-facing, drafted for your business. Five working days.

Review of your existing terms, £495. You already have terms and want them checked and brought up to date. Returned marked up with my amendments and an explanation of the changes. Three working days.

Email me at geoffrey@caesar.co.uk with what you need and any documents, and I will confirm the scope and the fee in writing, usually the same working day. If you would rather pay straight away, buying online forms the engagement on payment: the scope is what the terms and conditions drafting page describes, you accept the Terms of Service at checkout, and I will be in touch promptly to get started.

What you get

• A full set of bespoke terms drafted for your business, reflecting the legal requirements that apply to your business and sector
• A note in plain English explaining the terms I have drafted for you
• Liability, payment, termination and IP provisions that protect your position and are drafted to withstand scrutiny from the other side
• Guidance on how to incorporate the terms properly
• Your questions and comments answered by email or phone
• One round of amendments to finalise the terms ready for use

What is not included

• Negotiating your terms with individual customers (I am happy to quote for this as an additional service if required)
• Sector-specific regulatory compliance beyond the contract terms themselves
• Website privacy notice and cookie compliance, which I quote separately
• Terms governed by the law of another country
• Tax advice

Questions I am often asked

The units do not fit because the customer measured wrongly. What are they entitled to?

Nothing as of right, if the terms say the order is made to the customer's measurements and the retailer does not survey. Replacement units at a price is the commercial answer.

A customer wants to cancel a made-to-order worktop that is being cut. Can they?

Not under the cancellation right, once manufacture has started on an item made to their sizes and the checkout told them so. The terms should say what, if anything, is refunded.

The fitter damaged a door and the customer says it was our fault. Is it?

If the terms say fitting is a separate contract and the retailer is not liable for the fitter's work, no. Ask for photographs of the delivery condition, which is why the terms require checking at the kerb.

Related guidance and services

• Terms and conditions drafting, £995, the service this page describes
• Contract review, £495
• Terms and conditions for a kitchen and bathroom fitter
• Terms and conditions for a tile and flooring retailer selling online

This page is general guidance for businesses in England and Wales, not advice on your own circumstances. Last reviewed: September 2026. Email geoffrey@caesar.co.uk.