• Consumer, beware of companies that offer leasing instead of selling electronic equipment.
• UOKiK receives complaints about stores that may not provide sufficient information about the nature of the contract concluded with the consumer - whether it is a purchase or leasing of electronic equipment.

The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection receives signals from consumers concerning the operations of two entities offering consumer electronics: bestcena.pl and dragonist.pl. They highlight the use of abusive contractual clauses and the possibility of misleading clients as to the nature of the contract concluded - that is, leasing instead of selling electronic equipment.

In the aforementioned cases, sellers are entities based in the United Kingdom and the United States. They offer, among others, leasing of phones. - Beware of entities that lease equipment instead of concluding a sale contract with us. UOKiK will examine the regulations and rules of operation of the online stores mentioned above - says Tomasz Chróstny, President of UOKiK.

In the case of leasing, the consumer will become the phone owner only when they decide to buy it. Problems can arise from the fact that it is not known, for example, how the leasing company will behave when the device is damaged or stolen. The Authority advises that consumers read the regulations carefully before placing an order and pay special attention to the information displayed during purchase. We should be alert to the information that, for example, the consumer becomes a "lessee" of the phone or pays the "rent charge" instead of the purchase price.

We remind that consumer support is provided free of charge by consumer ombudsmen, consumer organisations and the Trade Inspection Authority. Go to pomoc.php to find out where you will get legal assistance in your city.

Consumer support:

Phone: +48 801 440 220 or +48 22 290 89 16 – consumer helpline
e-mail: porady@dlakonsumentow.pl
Consumer ombudsmen – in your town or district
Regional Consumer Centres: Phone: +48 22 299 60 90 – Dlakonsumenta.pl

Additional information for the media:

UOKiK Press Office
Pl. Powstańców Warszawy 1, 00-950 Warszawa, Poland
Phone +48 695 902 088, +48 22 55 60 246
E-mail: biuroprasowe@uokik.gov.pl
Twitter: @UOKiKgovPL