Returning goods in Poland in 2026: 14 days, complaints and guarantees

First decide why you want to return the item: have you changed your mind, or does it fail to conform to the contract? An ordinary distance purchase from a business carries a right to withdraw without giving a reason. There is no equivalent general right for a fault-free item bought in a physical shop. If it is faulty, the route is different: a reklamacja to the seller or an available commercial guarantee, gwarancja.

These distinctions matter more than the buyer's nationality or the platform's name. Allegro has business and private sellers; shops in the same shopping centre can have different voluntary returns policies. A “sale” label does not remove statutory liability for non-conformity.

Checked on 22.10.2026. This guide concerns a consumer buying goods from a business; a private sale and a purchase for professional purposes need separate assessment. Our shorter instructions on sending back an online purchase and complaining about a faulty item complement the detailed explanation below.

Find evidence of who contracted with you: the seller's details in the order, invoice, correspondence and terms. The payment intermediary, parcel-locker operator and marketplace are not necessarily the seller. A statutory non-conformity complaint goes to the business that sold the goods, even if it sourced them from an overseas manufacturer.

The word rękojmia still appears in conversation and older templates. For consumer goods-sale contracts concluded from the beginning of 2023, the principal system is non-conformity under the Consumer Rights Act. Do not apply an old form and hierarchy of remedies to every modern purchase. For an older contract, establish the applicable law first.

These rights do not depend on having a Polish passport. However, establish the consumer purpose, a business seller and applicable law. An invoice bearing business details should not automatically be treated as either complete loss of protection or proof that all protection survives: separate rules may cover an individual entrepreneur making a purchase outside their professional specialism.

If you selected and bought a fault-free item in a shop, the law generally does not require the seller to accept it back because you dislike the colour or the size does not fit. A shop can voluntarily offer a return period, require labels, specify a return location or offer exchange. Read the policy before paying rather than relying on the practice of the next shop.

Keep the promise: a photograph of the notice, website terms or an email. A policy offering only exchange or a voucher is different from a card refund. Clarify restrictions before handing over the item. If the shop promised a monetary refund and you met the conditions, the dispute concerns performance of that promise.

An online order collected in a shop does not necessarily become an ordinary offline purchase. Where the contract was concluded matters. Reserving online and contracting at the till after inspection differs from an already accepted distance order. Check the confirmation and terms, not just the delivery method.

Under the Consumer Rights Act, the ordinary distance-contract withdrawal period is 14 days. For goods, it is linked to receipt by you or your nominated third person, rather than the carrier. For several items delivered separately under one order, the last matters; for regular deliveries, the first. Do not always count from payment or ordering.

The receipt day is excluded: if delivery is on Monday, the next day is the first. Send an unambiguous withdrawal statement before the period ends; you need not wait for the shop to “approve” it. An end date falling on a Saturday or statutory non-working day moves under the applicable time-calculation rules. Retain evidence of sending.

A special 30-day period applies to certain off-premises contracts during an unsolicited home visit or organised excursion. This is not the period for every online purchase. If the trader failed to inform you of the withdrawal right, the law extends it: the right ends 12 months after the ordinary period; if the information arrives earlier, the relevant period runs from that notification.

A letter, message through the official order account or prescribed form must clearly communicate your decision to withdraw. Merely asking “can I return this?” may not do so. Simply refusing delivery should not be treated as a proper statement either. Keep electronic submission confirmation and the wording sent.

After withdrawing, return the goods promptly, no later than 14 days, unless the seller offered to collect them. Sending before the deadline is enough to meet this period. Verify the return address: a returns warehouse may differ from the parcel locker, sender's address or head office.

The seller refunds payments, including the delivery amount required by law, promptly and no later than 14 days after receiving the statement. For goods, it can withhold reimbursement until receipt of the goods or proof of sending, whichever occurs first, unless it offered collection. Two separate fourteen-day periods therefore do not mean money must arrive before you send the goods.

Refunds use the original payment method unless you expressly agree to another without additional costs. A voucher must not silently replace money when exercising statutory withdrawal. If you selected delivery more expensive than the shop's cheapest ordinary option, the difference need not be reimbursed.

The buyer normally pays direct return-postage costs if properly informed beforehand and the seller did not agree to bear them. Missing required information changes the rule in the consumer's favour. Do not confuse this with returning non-conforming goods: the seller bears the necessary costs of a statutory complaint.

Withdrawal has exceptions. They include goods made to individual specifications, perishable goods and certain sealed items unsuitable for return on health or hygiene grounds once opened. Not every opened box or garment automatically falls within the hygiene exception. There must be an applicable ground, not merely a convenient shop label.

Some digital products and fully performed services have additional consent and information requirements. A ticket for a specific event, personalised furniture and an ordinary jacket have different legal treatment. If the seller invokes an exception, ask for the particular ground and why it covers your item.

At home, you can inspect characteristics and operation as necessary to establish the goods' nature and functioning. Excessive use can make you liable for reduced value. Trying shoes indoors differs from walking through muddy streets. This does not always mean losing withdrawal altogether: the dispute may concern a justified deduction from the refund.

Photograph condition, accessories and packaging before sending. Do not dismantle an electrical appliance to create impressive evidence. Missing original packaging does not itself remove every statutory complaint right, but safe packing is needed to avoid causing new damage in return transport.

Niezgodność towaru z umową means non-conformity with the contract. It covers more than breakdown: agreed characteristics, completeness, suitability for ordinary purposes or promised properties may be missing. Goods with digital elements also raise necessary-update obligations. Compare what arrived with the description and retain a copy.

The seller is responsible for non-conformity existing on delivery and becoming apparent within 2 years, unless a longer useful-life period was specified. Non-conformity appearing during that period is presumed to have existed at delivery, except where incompatible with the nature of the goods or non-conformity. This is different from promising that a shop pays for all damage, whatever its cause, for two years.

The UOKiK explanation says repair or replacement is normally requested first. The seller can change the chosen remedy if it is impossible or disproportionately costly compared with the other. If both are impossible or excessively costly, the seller may refuse to bring the goods into conformity, triggering assessment of further remedies.

Price reduction or withdrawal can apply where, for example, the seller refused repair/replacement, failed to perform properly, the problem remained after an attempt, or the non-conformity is serious enough for an immediate claim. Minor non-conformity does not justify withdrawal; the law presumes significance, but the actual dispute still matters. Do not expect an automatic full refund for every scratch.

A trader should answer a consumer complaint within 14 days of receipt unless a specific provision says otherwise. Failure to answer within the prescribed time means the complaint is accepted. “Received and sent to service” should not automatically be treated as substantive acceptance or refusal: keep every message and assess what was actually communicated.

Repair or replacement must occur within a reasonable time, without excessive inconvenience, considering the goods and their intended use. There is no general promise that every repair takes exactly fourteen days. Explain significant usage circumstances in your letter; if delayed, request concrete progress information and make the appropriate further claim.

The seller bears necessary postage, transport, labour and material costs. Where required, already installed goods are removed and reinstalled under the prescribed rules. Do not accept unexplained “mandatory diagnostics” charges as a condition of receiving a statutory complaint. Ask for a written basis for payment instead of paying on a telephone promise.

Gwarancja is a voluntary undertaking by a guarantor, such as a manufacturer, set out in a guarantee statement or advertising. Check those terms for who is responsible, where to send the goods, what is covered and for how long. If duration is unspecified, the general default is 2 years from delivery.

A guarantee may be more useful if it explicitly promises swift replacement or longer protection. It does not let the seller prohibit a statutory claim against it. A guarantor's refusal does not automatically remove non-conformity claims, and vice versa: identify these separate grounds clearly.

The official guarantee guidance explains that a guarantor performs within its stated time; without one, promptly and no later than 14 days after the goods are made available. Do not transfer this deadline to every statutory seller repair. Following replacement or substantial repair, the guarantee can restart under Civil Code rules; for a replaced component, the rule concerns that component.

On Allegro, OLX or another platform, establish whether the seller is a business or a private individual. A platform logo does not create a universal consumer withdrawal right. Equally, regular professional selling does not cease being business activity merely because a profile says “private seller”.

A private seller does not owe the general fourteen-day consumer change-of-mind return. The contract and civil liability may provide other claims; also check whether liability was lawfully limited. The platform's buyer-protection programme is an additional contractual mechanism with its own evidence and deadlines, not a replacement for the law in every case.

If delivery offered by the seller arrives damaged, record the packaging and goods and contact the seller. Risk normally passes on consumer receipt; an exception concerns a carrier independently chosen by the consumer and not offered by the seller. A damage report helps, but its absence does not automatically remove all claims.

Statutory liability survives a sale discount. A specific deviation separately disclosed and expressly, separately accepted by the buyer is assessed differently from another hidden fault. A “discount” sign is not immunity from every later complaint. See the delivery checklist for missing parcels.

1. Identify the seller and transaction evidence: order, correspondence, payment, receipt or other proof.
2. Describe the observed non-conformity, discovery date and item details; do not invent a technical diagnosis.
3. Choose the legal ground and a specific remedy. Do not combine change-of-mind withdrawal and guarantee repair into an unclear letter.
4. Attach available evidence and send to the official address or order channel.
5. Keep the complete wording, attachments and receipt evidence. Ask for seller-funded collection where applicable.
6. Monitor the response and performance separately. For refusal, request reasons and prepare the next step.

A till receipt is not the only acceptable evidence. A statement, order confirmation, emails and other material can establish purchase from that seller. Do not send the whole shop your complete bank statement with unrelated transactions: isolate the necessary entry and protect excess data.

If handing over goods for inspection, record serial number, contents, condition and recipient. Obtain a handover receipt. Do not sign an unread agreement changing your statutory complaint into paid servicing. Keep distance correspondence before closing the order account.

Read the refusal and compare it with your claim. “No receipt”, “manufacturer only” and “discounted item” alone do not explain the end of all statutory rights. Reply substantively with the missing fact instead of sending identical threats every day.

Individual assistance is available from a miejski or powiatowy rzecznik konsumentów, the city or county consumer ombudsman, and Inspekcja Handlowa, the Trade Inspection. Use the official UOKiK help directory to select the competent body. Bring the contract, correspondence, claim, response and a short chronology.

UOKiK addresses collective consumer interests and business practices; reporting to it does not mean it awards your individual sum instead of a court. For amicable settlement, use an available ADR procedure and appropriate body; consent and legal effects depend on the procedure. Do not use an old link to the closed European ODR platform.

For a cross-border dispute with a business in another EU country, Norway or Iceland, the European Consumer Centre can help within its remit. If a fake shop or stolen banking details are suspected, protect payments alongside the fraud guide. A goods complaint and an unauthorised transaction are different tasks.

These are hypothetical examples, not invented client stories.

A shop-bought jacket is the wrong colour

Check the voluntary returns policy and evidence of it. For a fault-free item, do not demand statutory fourteen-day withdrawal from an offline purchase. If only exchange was promised, use it or discuss an exception. Hidden non-conformity follows a separate statutory route.

An online order is no longer wanted

Check receipt date and exceptions, then send clear withdrawal within 14 days. Return the item within the next applicable period and retain tracking. In the stated example, request 210 PLN, not all express-delivery charges and not a compulsory voucher.

A phone does not work on arrival

Record the observed fault and choose repair or replacement for non-conformity. Do not automatically accept manufacturer-only servicing. Monitor the 14-day reply and reasonable performance separately; the law does not guarantee any new model you choose.

A parcel arrives damaged

Photograph packaging, contents and order details and notify the seller. Establish who arranged transport and keep any available damage report. Its absence is not abandonment of all rights; supplement the evidence with other material.

An item comes from a private OLX seller

Do not expect general consumer withdrawal. Check the contract, description and platform protection and collect evidence. If seller status is disputed, assess actual professional trading rather than a profile label.

A shop refuses without a receipt

Provide order confirmation and the specific payment and request examination of the statutory complaint. Keep the refusal and contact the consumer ombudsman or Trade Inspection. Reporting to UOKiK does not promise automatic payment.

Withdrawal: Niniejszym odstępuję od umowy sprzedaży dotyczącej [towar], numer zamówienia [numer], zawartej dnia [data]. Towar otrzymałem/am dnia [data]. Proszę o zwrot płatności zgodnie z ustawą o prawach konsumenta oraz informację o właściwym adresie zwrotu. Dane konsumenta: [dane].

Complaint: Składam reklamację z tytułu niezgodności towaru z umową. Towar: [nazwa, model], zakupiony dnia [data], wydany dnia [data]. Niezgodność polega na [konkretny opis] i została stwierdzona dnia [data]. Żądam [naprawy / wymiany — wybierz właściwe]. Proszę o odpowiedź na trwałym nośniku oraz uzgodnienie odbioru towaru na koszt sprzedawcy. Załączniki: [dowody].

Insert true details and the appropriate remedy. For a legally justified price reduction or non-conformity withdrawal, change the demand and explain its basis. This template does not mean every case permits an immediate refund; bracketed placeholders must not be left as completed details.

• Demanding fourteen days for every fault-free physical-shop purchase.
• Waiting for an answer to a question instead of sending clear withdrawal.
• Treating a voucher as the only permissible statutory withdrawal refund.
• Sending goods to a random address without keeping evidence.
• Confusing the complaint-response deadline with repair completion.
• Treating a guarantee as the only route or applying its terms to statutory liability.
• Abandoning a claim because there is no receipt or the item was discounted.
• Disclosing full banking details and trusting an unknown seller's “receive refund” link.

Suppose ordinary goods arrive on 22.10.2026 and no distance-withdrawal exception applies. The next day is the first; the ordinary period ends on 05.11.2026. Keep a statement sent that day with evidence of sending. Do not leave choosing a provable communication channel until the last evening.

With withdrawal on 05.11.2026, the ordinary deadline to send the goods is 19.11.2026. This is a separate next period, not the remainder of the first. Send earlier if possible: lost tracking or the wrong address is not remedied by timely withdrawal. If the shop offered collection, agree how it will fulfil that option.

The refund deadline also relates to the shop's receipt of the statement. However, withholding until the goods or dispatch evidence arrive remains relevant. Record delivery of the purchase, sending the statement, seller receipt, sending the goods and bank reimbursement separately. A return number in the account helps but does not replace the chronology.

Read which legal ground was examined. If you claimed statutory non-conformity but the answer only lists manufacturer-guarantee restrictions, clarify in writing that your demand addresses the seller under another ground. You need not invent a new fault date: retain the original complaint and explain the mismatch.

If the shop alleges buyer-caused damage, request the particular findings and inspection material. Compare them with handover photographs and the observed fault. Disagreement does not automatically prove fraud or that you are wrong; further assistance needs facts and the applicable allocation of proof.

After repair, check not only whether the item switches on but the symptom that prompted the complaint. Keep a record of work, serial number and dates. If the problem remains, document it without dangerous dismantling and notify the seller with reference to the previous attempt. Do not sign “no complaints” if untrue.

For a valuable item, list what is handed over: device, cable, accessories and other actual components. Request a condition record and receipt. Back up personal data before handing over a device and establish secure removal; do not disclose unnecessary bank or email passwords for an ordinary product check.

One clear evidence set helps more than dozens of undated messages. Prepare a short chronology, original claim, receipt evidence, response, photographs and handover record. It lets an adviser establish whether the response period expired, what remains unfulfilled and which next route applies.

Keep seller details, description, receipt date and purchase evidence. Choose change-of-mind withdrawal, non-conformity or guarantee. Specify the remedy and send it through a provable channel. Check the return address and costs and photograph the contents. Monitor reply, reimbursement and repair separately. After refusal, assemble a short chronology and full evidence for consumer assistance.

Rules were checked against the current statutory text updated on 08.10.2026 and official UOKiK materials linked in the relevant sections. Proposals and provisions with future commencement are not presented as current rights. Next scheduled review — 22.11.2026.