Short answer. Yes. Article 1593 provides that rescission of a sale of movables takes place of right in the vendor's favor if the buyer, having appeared to receive the thing, does not tender the price at the same time, unless a longer payment period was stipulated. Since the buyer refused to pay, rescission takes place as of right.
What the law says
With respect to movable property, the rescission of the sale shall of right take place in the interest of the vendor, if the vendee, upon the expiration of the period fixed for the delivery of the thing, should not have appeared to receive it, or, having appeared, he should not have tendered the price at the same time, unless a longer period has been stipulated for its payment.
Civil Code, Article 1593 — Sale of Movables: Automatic Rescission. Read the full provision →
Appearing without paying triggers rescission just as much as not appearing at all
Article 1593 covers two distinct failures on the buyer's part, and your situation falls under the second: the rescission of the sale shall of right take place in the interest of the vendor, if the vendee, upon the expiration of the period fixed for the delivery of the thing, should not have appeared to receive it, or, having appeared, he should not have tendered the price at the same time. The buyer showing up to collect the goods does not satisfy the sale's terms if he refuses to hand over payment at that same moment, since the article treats appearing without tendering the price the same way it treats not appearing at all.
Why rescission happens 'of right' rather than needing a separate action
The phrase shall of right take place is significant: rescission under this article operates automatically upon the buyer's failure, in your favor as the vendor, rather than requiring you to first file a case and obtain a judgment before the sale is considered rescinded. This gives a vendor of movable property a more immediate remedy than would be available for many other kinds of contractual breaches, reflecting how movable goods can lose value or opportunity quickly if a sale is left in limbo.
The one exception that could change the outcome
The article carves out a specific exception: this automatic rescission does not apply unless a longer period has been stipulated for its payment. If you and the buyer had agreed that payment could come later than the delivery itself, refusing to pay at the moment of pickup would not trigger automatic rescission, since the parties themselves extended the payment timeline. Checking whether any such stipulation exists in your agreement is an important step before relying on this rule.
What this means for you as the vendor
Assuming no longer payment period was agreed upon, the buyer's refusal to tender the price when he appeared to collect the goods gives you the right to treat the sale as rescinded without further formality. You are not obligated to hand over the goods on credit or wait indefinitely for payment, and you can proceed as though the sale did not go through, though it remains good practice to document clearly that the buyer appeared and declined to pay, in case the rescission is later disputed.