Unsolicited goods and services are those provided without request or order. Laws vary by country, but generally people don’t have to pay for them and can dispose of them as they see fit. Shippers cannot demand payment or use acceptance to imply a contract. Unsolicited services must be requested or approved, except in life-saving situations. Goods sent in error may be treated as unwanted, and shippers cannot require people to return them at their own expense. Unsolicited goods can be rejected and returned to the sender.
Unsolicited goods are products or services provided to someone who did not specifically request or order them. Examples include things like sample magazines sent out to attract potential subscribers, along with other sample products or professional services provided without request; If someone takes a dog to the groomer for the bathroom and the groomer also trims the dog’s toenails, that’s an unsolicited service. Laws regarding unsolicited goods vary from country to country, but people generally don’t have to pay for them, and the shipper can’t demand payment or threaten legal action.
Unsolicited goods laws usually mean that people can dispose of goods as they see fit, without needing to notify the shipper or take any other action. Shippers may not collect the goods, demand payment or use acceptance of the goods to imply acceptance of a contract. Someone who accepts a sample of the magazine, for example, doesn’t become a paid subscriber by taking the sample. In essence, these goods are treated as a gift.
In some countries, the law may distinguish between unsolicited goods and goods sent in error. This can include accidental multiplication of orders, goods packed and sent to the wrong person, and so on. In some countries, they are treated as unwanted goods and people can keep and use them. In others, people may be required to report receipt of the goods, allowing the sender to decide whether to collect them. Shippers cannot require people to return incorrect orders at their own expense; if the sender wants them back, the sender has to pay for it.
Unsolicited services can also be a problem. Individuals who receive professional services from people such as mechanics, vets, and hairdressers must request or affirmatively approve of additional services. If a service provider provides a service that has not been requested without first checking, the customer can dispute and can refuse to pay. The exception to this rule is in the medical and veterinary professions when a service is lifesaving; a surgeon doesn’t need to call to ask permission to do a vascular repair to prevent a patient from bleeding, for example.
It is also possible to simply reject unsolicited goods. If someone doesn’t want to accept something from a postman or courier, it can be rejected with a return to sender request. In the case of materials delivered when there is no one around to affirmatively accept the shipment, people can write “rejected” on the package and ask someone to pick it up, or take it to the post office or parcel processing center. The courier will return it to the sender.
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