• President of UOKiK Tomasz Chróstny obliged Jeronimo Martins Polska to organize an educational campaign for consumers, as a result of which they can receive shopping vouchers – the total value of vouchers will be PLN 7.5 million.
• The owner of Biedronka stores published the terms of promotion with delay and, if he did not respond to related complaints within the deadline, he would fail to accept the consumers’ claims.

The investigation against Jeronimo Martins Polska, owner of Biedronka stores, was initiated in March 2020. The action was based on consumer complaints about promotional campaigns in which one could receive a discount shopping voucher in exchange for spending a certain amount of money. The charges of the President of UOKiK concerned the negative handling of complaints related to nationwide promotional campaigns after 30 days from their submission and delays in the publication of regulations in relation to the dates of commencement of individual campaigns. 

President of UOKiK Tomasz Chróstny analysed the incoming reports, the methods of handling complaints by Jeronimo Martins, as well as the access of customers to the regulations of nationwide promotional campaigns. The Office's doubts concerned the potential misleading of consumers about the availability of the regulations. Sometimes it would happen that the entrepreneur informed in advertisements and promotional materials that the details of the promotional campaign were available on the website, but in fact the regulations were not there or were published with a delay - sometimes even as late as on the last day of the campaign.

“Information about the rules of promotion is of great importance to the consumer and directly affects the consumer's purchasing decisions. It is in the regulations that they can find, for example, numerous exclusions of products not covered by the promotion. Inability to verify the actual scope of promotion in the regulations may contribute to consumers’ purchasing mistakes. I have obliged Jeronimo Martins Polska, the owner of Biedronka's retail chain, to organize an educational campaign for consumers devoted to their rights, in which they will be able to receive shopping vouchers of a total value of PLN 7.5 million,” Tomasz Chróstny, the President of UOKiK, assesses.

Objections were also raised by the way complaints were handled. A complaint filed in connection with a promotion should be addressed within 30 days. The President of UOKiK found out that in some cases consumers had to wait much longer. Under the law, if a company exceeds this time limit, it is presumed to have recognised the customer's claim. However, there have been situations in which Jeronimo Martins Polska would reject complaints after 30 days from their submission.

In his decision, President of UOKiK Tomasz Chróstny obliged Jeronimo Martins Polska to organize an educational campaign and a trivia quiz for customers. The entrepreneur will announce its launch date. After learning about customers' rights while shopping, consumers will be able to do the test and win a shopping voucher of PLN 15 in the Biedronka chain. The company will distribute 500 thousand vouchers totalling PLN 7.5 million. The discount code will be sent to the consumer's mobile phone number - it will be assigned only once for a given number.

Details of the commitment are described in the decision published on the website of the Office.

Consumer support:

Phone: +48 801 440 220 or +48 22 290 89 16 – consumer helpline
e-mail: porady@dlakonsumentow.pl
Consumer advocates – in your town or district
Provincial Trade Inspection Authority Offices

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