• Consumers in Poland have a wide choice of entities to which they can turn for free legal advice.
• On the occasion of World Consumer Rights Day, it is advisable to give yourself a present and find out where to look for help in case of shopping problems.
• The President of UOKiK recommends learning about the possibility of free legal assistance.

Are you buying food or clothes? Are you using different banking and financial services? Are you travelling? Are you looking to rent a flat or thinking about buying one? Are you changing your phone subscription? ? You are a consumer. Check what rights you are entitled to.

First steps - call us

Contact the consumer hotline for simple advice. You can also obtain information on who to contact for more advanced assistance with a consumer problem.

• Contact us by phone at 801 440 220 and 22 290 89 16 (connection fee at the operator's rates) from Monday to Friday from 8.00 am to 4.00 pm
• Cost: free of charge

For those who prefer online counselling

If you need to analyse your documentation, you can turn to the e-advice centre for simple matters.

• Contact: porady@dlakonsumentow.pl

• Cost: free of charge

Nearby - local assistance

You also have the option of contacting municipal and district consumer ombudsmen, who provide advice, speak to businesses on your behalf and help you prepare pleadings. In addition, they are entitled to participate in legal proceedings. How to choose the right ombudsman? Use the search engine for institutions providing consumer assistance and check which ombudsman is closest to your place of residence.

• Contact: by phone, letter or e-mail
• Cost: free of charge

Amicably with the Trade Inspection

You can use the Permanent Arbitration Courts functioning at the Voivodeship Inspectorates of Trade Inspection. You can file a case here regarding a dispute over the purchase of goods and services (mainly: development services, tourism, renovation and construction, or education - non-public).

Remember, the consent of both parties (consumer and entrepreneur) is required for a case to be heard before a permanent arbitration court. The value of the subject matter of the dispute may not exceed PLN 10,000, with the exception of the Permanent Arbitration Court functioning at the Voivodeship Inspectorates of Trade Inspection in Warsaw. The competent court to hear the case shall be the one having jurisdiction over the entrepreneur's registered office.

• Contact: depending on the Trade Inspection (usually) - in person, by post, via ePUAP: https://uokik.gov.pl/stale_sady_polubowne.php
• Cost: legal costs shall be borne by the losing party. The President may also waive them.

Expert advice - cross-border assistance in the EU

Having a problem with an airline, hotel or car rental company, or perhaps an item you bought from a seller in another EU country turned out to be faulty? If the entrepreneur is registered in another EU country, Norway, Iceland or the UK - contact the European Consumer Centre for assistance.

• Contact: by phone at 22 55 60 600 – the on-call lawyers are available from Monday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• by e-mail at ECCNET-PL@ec.europa.eu, in person at the office of the ECC in Warsaw at Plac Powstańców Warszawy 1, by post.
• Cost: free of charge

In addition to the ECC, you will also find free legal assistance at specialised institutions that deal on a daily basis with topics such as telecommunications, energy or finance. Detailed information is available on a special subpage that we have prepared for you on the occasion of the World Consumer Rights Day.

Consumer assistance:

Phone: 801 440 220 or 22 290 89 16 – consumer hotline
E-mail: porady@dlakonsumentow.pl
 Consumer Ombudsmen – in your town or district