Someone knocked on my door selling solar. Can I cancel?
Researched by the LokalMatch editorial team1 answer
We signed on the doorstep on a Saturday evening and I regretted it by Sunday morning.
Answers (1)
LokalMatch EditorialLokalMatch editorial
You have ten business days, and the Saturday evening may itself be a problem for them. An unsolicited consumer agreement carries a cooling-off period of ten business days from the day after you signed or received the agreement.
The visiting hours are set by law, and they are tighter than most people realise. Weekdays between 9am and 6pm, Saturdays between 9am and 5pm, and never on a Sunday or a public holiday. A doorstep signing after 5pm on a Saturday is outside the window entirely.
During the cooling-off period the seller must not supply the service and must not take payment for it, with electricity, gas and emergency repairs carved out, and goods under 500 dollars able to be supplied.
Breaking those rules extends your right rather than ending it. The period becomes three months where the salesperson ignores the timing or identification rules, and six months where they fail to give you the required cooling-off information or written agreement, or supply something they were not allowed to supply. The rules do not apply at all to agreements under 100 dollars, which a solar contract will never be.
Answers come from pros and are reviewed by LokalMatch before they’re published. They’re general information — for regulated or safety-critical work, have a licensed professional assess your situation.
Sources
Where the facts on this page come from.
Telemarketing and door-to-door sales — Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (accessed 24 September 2026)