Frequently Asked Questions.

Cancellation of purchase of furniture, home and garden equipment, electrical/electronic appliances (including peripherals), packaged goods, cancellation of an order for goods that have not yet been delivered, watches, musical instruments, water purifiers, and mineral water dispensers.

Cancellation is permitted within 14 days of receipt of the goods and is subject to a cancellation fee.

Cancellation conditions (Regulation 2/Appendix to the Cancellation Regulations):

• Value exceeding 50 ₪
• The product has been returned to the merchant
• The product has not been damaged and has not been used. In this regard: (1) Opening the packaging shall not be considered use or damage to the product unless proven otherwise. (2) Connecting to electricity, gas, or water shall be considered use or damage to the product. Clause 2 is relevant to home and garden equipment; electrical/electronic appliances; water purifiers; and mineral water dispensers.
• The product has not been assembled at the consumer’s home
• The manufacturing or ordering is not according to the consumer’s special requirements. Note: A standard product displayed to the consumer from the catalog and manufactured specifically only because it is out of stock shall not be considered an order according to special requirements.
• If the product was installed by a technician on behalf of the merchant, installation fees shall be paid in an amount not exceeding 100 ₪

Please note! It is possible to cancel a transaction for goods (furniture/goods cancellation) that were ordered but not yet delivered, even if only because they are out of stock and need to be manufactured or ordered.

The following conditions apply to the cancellation of clothing purchases, subject to a cancellation fee:

• The transaction value exceeds 50 NIS (for jewelry – the amount paid did not exceed 3,000 NIS);
• Cancellation must be made within two business days of purchase;
• The goods have been returned to the merchant;
• The product is unused and undamaged;
• For clothing and footwear: the price tag, if any, has not been removed.

Transactions involving the purchase of lingerie, including swimwear, are not cancellable.

Only private individuals (not corporations) may file a small claims action (e.g., a sole proprietor may, but a limited company may not). However, should a corporation be sued in a small claims court, it may file a counterclaim in the same court, up to the jurisdictional limit (ILS 38,900, current as of January 2023).

MIUT (Information, Acquaintance, and Coordination) units have been implemented in recent years to alleviate the burden on courts and minimize litigation costs, particularly in small claims (especially in small claims). These units assess the suitability of referring cases to mediation.

Often, after pleadings (claim and defense) are submitted, MIUT units send the parties an invitation to an MIUT meeting at a specified date, time, and location.

This meeting, conducted before a mediator selected by the MIUT unit, is mandatory (and incurs no cost). Its sole purpose is to assess the parties’ willingness to refer the case to mediation (to be conducted before the mediator rather than the court).

The referral of a case to mediation requires the consent of all parties.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, such meetings may be held remotely (via ZOOM), subject to the agreement of all parties and the mediator.

Spare parts are supplied for 7 years, including the warranty period (cookers, washing machines, dishwashers, freezers, microwaves, tumble dryers).

In short, no. A counterclaim may be filed in a Small Claims Court up to the jurisdictional limit (NIS 38,900, as of January 2023), with any excess claimed in a separate action in a Small Claims Court or another court.

Note: Since a corporation cannot file an independent claim in a Small Claims Court (only a counterclaim), any excess claim must be pursued in a separate action in a regular court, not a Small Claims Court.

Yes, it is possible to withdraw a small claims lawsuit that has been filed. To do so, a written request must be submitted, detailing the reasons for withdrawal. Note that the more advanced the proceedings, the more substantial the justifications must be, and they must strongly favor the cancellation of the lawsuit.

The following are the conditions for cancellation, subject to a cancellation fee:

• Transaction value exceeds 50 ₪;
• Cancellation is made at least 14 business days prior to the service commencement date;
• For accommodation, travel, leisure and entertainment services: services are performed entirely within Israel;
• For workshops and courses: no cancellation is permitted for psychometric tests.

Addressing the Judge: The judge should be addressed as “Your Honor” or “Mr./Madam Justice” in the third person. For example, if referencing a prior order, instead of saying “You ordered…”, one should say “Your Honor ordered…”. When addressed by the judge, or addressing the judge directly, stand, speak respectfully and courteously (formal language is not required).

Generally, no. It is the court clerk’s responsibility to effect service of the writ and summons on the defendant (and also on the plaintiff). However, the plaintiff may not remain passive: if the court clerk has not served the defendant with the writ within 60 days of the scheduled hearing, the plaintiff must serve the defendant with the writ at least 40 days before the scheduled hearing.