Information on warranty coverage on KIA cars provided on the official website of the automotive company mislead the consumers – it is one of the prohibited practices challenged by the President of UOKiK

In the opinion of the President of UOKiK the information about the coverage available on the official KIA website mislead the consumers. According to the law, the company is obliged to provide full, unambiguous and reliable information about the service offered

Kia Motors Poland deals with, among others, production, sales, repair and maintenance of cars. The Authority’s doubts were raised by false information about the warranty coverage on the website www.kiagwarancja.pl and abusive contract terms in the warranty books of the vehicles.

Proceedings of the Authority revealed that on its the website www.kiagwarancja.pl the undertaking informed the consumers that the seven-year warranty with a limit of 150 thousand km covers every new KIA car model and includes suspension with shock absorbers and springs. Meanwhile, the provisions in the warranty book for 2011 indicated that one of the models (K2900 CRDi) was covered by only three-year warranty with a limit of up to 100 thousand km, and the suspension system components such as shock absorbers had a two-year warranty with a limit of up to 40 thousand km.

In the opinion of the President of UOKiK the information about the coverage available on the official KIA website mislead the consumers. According to the law, the company is obliged to provide full, unambiguous and reliable information about the service offered.

The Authority also questioned the use by Kia Motors Poland in the warranty books of abusive contract terms, according to which free warranty services do not cover normal wear and tear. According to the law, the warranty document must define the scope of free protection must in a clear, understandable and non-misleading way

The Authority also questioned the use by Kia Motors Poland in the warranty books of abusive contract terms, according to which free warranty services do not cover normal wear and tear. No precise definition of the situation in which repair is performed free of charge – provided the company with the opportunity of free deciding what defects are covered by the warranty. According to the law, the warranty document must define the scope of free protection must in a clear, understandable and non-misleading way.

President of UOKiK obliged KIA Motors Polska to place on the website www.kiagwarancja.pl a true information about the warranty coverage, to remove abusive contract terms from the warranty books, and provide information about the same on websites www.kia.pl and www.kiagwarancja.pl. The fact that the company has cooperated with the Authority, thus was able to avoid financial penalty, is very optimistic.

For more information on claims and warranty see the service of UOKiK in the section questions and answers. Free assistance in pursuing their rights, the consumers will receive from Poviat or municipal ombudsmen or at the phone number 0800 007 707 available from Monday to Friday at 9:00 to 17:00.

Additional information for media:
UOKiK Branch in Krakow
Tel.: 12 422 96 16
E-mail: krakow@uokik.gov.pl

Małgorzata Cieloch, Spokesperson for UOKiK
Department of International Relations and Communication
Pl. Powstańców Warszawy 1, 00-950 Warszawa
Tel. 22 827 28 92, 55 60 314
faks 22 826 11 86
E-mail:  malgorzata.cieloch@uokik.gov.pl