Returning Online Purchases in Poland: The 14-Day Withdrawal Right
Short answer: You can return goods bought online within 14 days of receiving them, with no reason and no need for the seller's consent. You pay return shipping, and some items are excluded.
If you buy something from a shop online in Poland, you can send it back within 14 days without giving a reason. This is the "right of withdrawal" (prawo odstąpienia od umowy), and it comes from the Consumer Rights Act, which implements an EU directive. The seller does not have to agree, because withdrawal is a one-sided statement by you. There are exceptions, such as made-to-order items, fresh food and tickets for a dated event. This guide uses the consumer rights portal of the competition and consumer authority UOKiK and the European Consumer Centre Poland page on konsument.gov.pl. It is general information, not legal advice. For a dispute, use the consumer help contacts below.
The 14-day rule
For a contract made at a distance, for example in an online shop, the consumer has 14 days to withdraw. The start of the 14 days depends on what you bought, according to UOKiK and the European Consumer Centre:
- One item: the days count from the day you, or a person you named, receive the goods.
- Several items delivered separately, in lots or in parts: from the day you receive the last item, lot or part.
- Regular deliveries over a set period, such as a subscription: from the day you receive the first delivery.
UOKiK gives an example. A customer orders a set-top box and a television in one order. The box arrives on 10 September and the television arrives in a separate parcel seven days later, on 17 September. The customer can withdraw from the whole order until the end of 1 October.
You keep the deadline by sending your statement before it ends. UOKiK says it does not matter if the seller receives it after the deadline. So send it on day 13 or 14 and keep proof.
If the seller never told you about your right to withdraw, the period can be extended to 12 months, according to the European Consumer Centre. UOKiK adds that if the seller gives you this information within those 12 months, the period ends 30 days after you receive it.
How to withdraw
The European Consumer Centre advises you to first look at the return procedure in the shop. You then tell the seller that you withdraw, preferably in writing. You can use the shop's own form, or the model form that is attached to the Consumer Rights Act. Keep a copy as proof.
Shops that let you withdraw electronically, for example through a form on the website, must confirm that they received your statement, for example with an email.
You do not need to give a reason. You can also withdraw before the goods arrive, according to the centre's reading of the rules.
Who pays for shipping
The seller must refund the price of the goods and the cost of delivery to you, up to the cheapest delivery option that was offered. The consumer pays the cost of sending the goods back to the seller. If you choose a more expensive delivery than the cheapest one, the extra is yours.
Can I return a used item?
You may unpack the goods and check them, in the same way as in a shop. You may not start using them. The centre says the seller should refund the full price unless the value of the goods has fallen because you handled them in a way beyond what was needed to find out their nature, features and function. The shop cannot make a return conditional on the original packaging if that packaging is only protective and is not part of what was sold. It is still wise to return the item in the original box when you can.
For services that start right away at your explicit request, the centre says you pay for what was provided up to the moment you withdrew.
What you cannot return
UOKiK lists contracts where the right of withdrawal does not apply. The main ones for a shopper are:
- Items made to your specification or clearly personalised, for example a T-shirt printed with your own design.
- Goods that spoil quickly or have a short shelf life, such as fruit, vegetables and dairy.
- Sealed goods that cannot be returned for health or hygiene reasons once opened, for example contact lenses.
- Sealed recordings or software, such as a new game, once the seal has been broken after delivery.
- Newspapers and magazines, except a subscription.
- Items bought at a public auction.
- Hotel, transport of goods, car rental, catering and leisure services, and tickets to entertainment, sports or cultural events, when the contract sets a date or period for the service, for example a concert ticket.
- Digital content not on a physical medium, if you paid, the seller began with your clear prior consent and you were told you would lose the right of withdrawal.
- A service the seller has fully carried out with your clear consent, after you were told you would lose the right to withdraw, for example online tutoring.
- Contracts where the price depends on financial-market swings, such as the sale of foreign currency.
The European Consumer Centre also warns that the Act does not apply to passenger transport contracts, package holidays or timeshare. So you cannot withdraw from these at no cost under this law.
Buying in a physical shop
The right of withdrawal does not cover goods bought in a shop. Returning them is possible only if the seller agrees, and the seller sets the terms, for example showing the receipt, and may set a deadline of 10 or 30 days. Check the shop's return policy before you buy.
If the shop refuses
- If the shop is registered in another EU country, Norway, Iceland or the UK, contact the European Consumer Centre by email at [email protected] or by phone on 22 55 60 600, Monday to Friday, 10:00 to 13:00.
- If the seller is Polish, you can call the Consumer Helpline, 801 440 220 or 22 290 89 16, Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 18:00, at the operator's tariff. You can also write to the Consumer E-advice Centre at [email protected], or ask the municipal or county consumer ombudsman.
For help paying in a new country, see how to open a bank account in Poland. If you buy a SIM or contract, see Polish SIM cards and eSIM.
A short checklist
1. Note the delivery date of the last item.
2. Decide before day 14, and send your statement in writing, by the shop's form or email.
3. Keep a copy, plus the proof of sending and of the return parcel.
4. Pack the item carefully, and pay the return shipping yourself.
5. Check that the refund includes the standard delivery price.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to return an online purchase in Poland?
14 days, counted from when you receive the goods. For several items sent separately, from the last one. The 14 days can be extended to 12 months if the seller did not tell you about your right.
Do I have to explain why I am returning something?
No. The European Consumer Centre says you do not need to give a reason, and the seller's agreement is not needed.
Who pays for the return shipping?
You pay to send the goods back. The seller refunds the price and the original delivery, up to the cheapest delivery option offered.
Can I return something that I opened?
Yes, you can unpack and check it as you would in a shop, but not use it. The seller may reduce the refund if you handled the item more than needed to check it. Sealed hygiene items, software and recordings cannot be returned once opened.
Are concert tickets and hotel bookings refundable under this rule?
Usually not, when the contract sets a date or period for the service. UOKiK lists these services among the exceptions.
