• On March 15^th, we celebrated the Global Consumer Rights Day – it’s a holiday for all of us.
• In the current emergency situation caused by the coronavirus, consumer rights gain a new dimension.
• I appeal for calmness and solidarity – said President of the Office for Competition and Consumer Protection, Tomasz Chróstny.

The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection monitors the market on an on-going basis, checking whether the rights of consumers are being safeguarded, especially now during the threat of an epidemic. The Office checks whether the sellers are using the fear of illness and misleading consumers as to the intended use of products, their properties or price. After our intervention, many offers of this kind were removed from the Internet.

“We are investigating each signal and checking whether it falls within our competence to intervene against unfair enterprises exploiting these exceptional circumstances. We have noticed many offers on Allegro where sellers falsely attributed properties providing protection against coronavirus to products. Many of those products were offered at supposedly promotional prices. By establishing a fast communication channel with the website operator, we were able to request that the said offers be removed. Thanks to this action, offers of unfair sellers quickly disappeared from the Internet. As we have just celebrated the Global Consumer Rights Day, I would like to remind you that competition for clients must always be carried out in accordance with the principles of fair play,” said Tomasz Chrzóstny, President of the Office for Competition and Consumer Protection.

The COVID-19 epidemic also contributes to the change in many consumer behaviors. We are more often deciding do shop online and have packages delivered to our door out of fear of infection and lines at physical stores. When making purchasing decisions, we need to remember about the right to information, check the “best by” date in the case of food products and reasonably approach information included in descriptions, e.g. properties of goods.

“Above all, I appeal that you remain calm. Many unfair enterprises may want to exploit the sense of fear that prevails in a situation in which we currently find ourselves. I would like to ask you to express solidarity with other market participants. Losses are borne by consumer and enterprises alike. We must also remember about people living alone and seniors who might need assistance, e.g. in ordering food or other products, added Tomasz Chróstny, President of the Office for Competition and Consumer Protection.

Our decisions as to what and where we buy are an expression of solidarity and market responsibility of consumers for enterprises and other consumers. We must remember that the current situation is unusual, but also temporary. We should limit the number of trips to the store and should not excessively stock up on groceries, so as not to prevent other consumer from buying basic groceries. The way in which we are exercising our rights affects what the situation of businesses will be like in the upcoming months.

This year, as we celebrate the Global Consumer Rights Day, the Office would like to remind you about the right to free legal aid: Consumer! Please remember that you always have the right to free legal aid and the right of access to safe products. If you have witnessed a breach of law, you are not alone – make use of free legal advice. Call the consumer hotline at 801 440 220 or 22 290 89 16. You can also send an e-mail to porady@dlakonsumentow.pl.

Consumer support:

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