Amazon does not agree with the decision and the fine of PLN 31.85 million imposed by the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) and will appeal against it, the Amazon press office informed.
“Fast and reliable delivery of a wide range of products is one of our priorities. At the same time, Amazon.pl customers have access to millions of products with free Prime shipping. Since the launch of Amazon.pl in 2021, we have been constantly investing and working to provide our customers with precise and reliable delivery information at the order finalization stage, and the vast majority of orders arrive on time. Customers can always contact us and will receive support from us, even in occasional cases of delay or cancellation of the order,” reads the company's statement.
“Over the last year, we have cooperated with the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection and proposed a number of voluntary solutions aimed at further improving the customer experience when shopping on Amazon.pl. We strictly comply with the law in all countries where we operate and we strongly disagree with the decision made and the penalty imposed by the President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection. We will appeal against this decision,” we read further.
Today, the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) announced that it has imposed a fine of PLN 31.85 million on Amazon EU SARL for violating the collective interests of consumers and misleading consumers as to the moment of concluding the sales contract, product availability, delivery dates and consumer rights regarding the “Delivery Guarantee” service.
The decision regarding Amazon EU SARL, which is one of the entrepreneurs selling on the Amazon.pl platform, is not final, the company may appeal to the court. The Office received signals indicating irregularities in the provision of services on the website – the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection received complaints from consumers who did not receive paid orders. False information about product availability and delivery dates – these are questionable practices, classified as the so-called dark patterns, the Office reported.
The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) pointed out that Amazon offers a “Delivery Guarantee”, which means that the product is supposed to reach the consumer within a specified time, and if this does not happen, the consumer can ask for a refund for the delivery. However, consumers do not receive information about the rules of this service before placing an order. They are only available at the order summary stage, if the consumer decides to read the subsequent links specifying delivery details. If he does not do this, he may not be aware of his rights and may not apply for or receive a refund if there is a delay in shipment. Information about the “Delivery Guarantee” is also not included in the confirmations received by the consumer.
According to the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection, a consumer who ordered a product on the Amazon.pl platform and paid for it may not have received it in many cases. This is confirmed by signals from consumers and complaints submitted to the entrepreneur. Consumers were also misled by false information about product availability and delivery times. This is an illegal practice of dark patterns.
