AutoSmart GuidebooksWhat this guidebook covers
UOKiK (the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection) has brought charges against a dealer that added a preparation fee of about PLN 1,300 and added insurance to contracts. A practice that harms the collective interests of consumers can be fined up to 10% of turnover, and UOKiK can order refunds to every customer. In 2025 UOKiK issued 900 decisions, with PLN 545 million in fines for breaches of consumer rights.
This guidebook covers 6 consumer standards for showrooms and used car lots, with 14 checkpoints: the full price with no hidden fees, promotions showing the lowest price from the last 30 days, honest vehicle descriptions, complaints handled by law, 14 days to withdraw from distance sales, and no sales pressure. The guidebook PDF is in Polish.
The 6 consumer protection standards
Open a standard to see the law behind it, what is checked, what it can cost and the evidence. Ideal fix times are counted from audit submission.
KSM-01Full price, no hidden fees72 hours
- The law
- Competition and Consumer Protection Act (collective consumer interests) · Consumer Rights Act · Price Information Act · art. 24: practices infringing collective consumer interests · unfair market practices
- What we check
- The advertised price includes all mandatory fees (preparation, registration, "verification"), and add-on products aren't added without the customer's consent.
- What it can cost
- Up to 10% of turnover and an order to refund the fees to every customer.
- Evidence
- Adverts + contracts
KSM-02Promotions with the 30-day lowest price72 hours
- The law
- Competition and Consumer Protection Act (collective consumer interests) · Consumer Rights Act · Price Information Act · Price Information Act: the lowest price in the 30 days before a reduction
- What we check
- Every promotion shows the lowest price from the 30 days before the reduction. "Crossed-out" prices are real.
- What it can cost
- Up to PLN 20,000 from the Trade Inspection, and up to 10% of turnover for a widespread practice.
- Evidence
- Screenshots
KSM-03Honest vehicle description72 hours
- The law
- Competition and Consumer Protection Act (collective consumer interests) · Consumer Rights Act · Price Information Act · Unfair Market Practices Act: misleading actions and omissions
- What we check
- A car's mileage, service history, damage and origin are checked and described accurately in the advert and the contract.
- What it can cost
- A UOKiK fine of up to 10% of turnover, and the customer can withdraw from the contract.
- Evidence
- History reports
KSM-04Complaints handled by law72 hours
- The law
- Competition and Consumer Protection Act (collective consumer interests) · Consumer Rights Act · Price Information Act · Consumer Rights Act: liability for goods not in conformity with the contract (2 years)
- What we check
- Complaints are accepted and decided within 14 days. The customer is entitled to repair, replacement, a price reduction or withdrawal from the contract.
- What it can cost
- Clauses that exclude these rights are a prohibited practice: up to 10% of turnover.
- Evidence
- Complaints log
KSM-05Distance sales: 14 days to withdraw7 days
- The law
- Competition and Consumer Protection Act (collective consumer interests) · Consumer Rights Act · Price Information Act · Consumer Rights Act: withdrawal from a distance contract
- What we check
- For online sales or sales with delivery, the customer gets the pre-contract information and can withdraw within 14 days. Refunds within 14 days.
- What it can cost
- Missing withdrawal information extends the right to 12 months.
- Evidence
- Sales files
KSM-06No sales pressure72 hours
- The law
- Competition and Consumer Protection Act (collective consumer interests) · Consumer Rights Act · Price Information Act · Unfair Market Practices Act: aggressive practices
- What we check
- No false deadlines, invented buyers or pressure. An offer lasts as long as promised.
- What it can cost
- An aggressive practice: up to 10% of turnover.
- Evidence
- Mystery shop report
How to run a Polish consumer protection audit, step by step
- Confirm what applies. Sales to consumers are covered; fleet (B2B) sales mostly fall outside consumer law, but sole traders can have consumer rights.
- Walk the site, standard by standard. Score each of the 14 checkpoints Pass, Fail or N/A. N/A only where the standard rules it out, with the reason recorded. Compare 10 adverts with the signed contracts, check 10 promotions and 5 complaints, and send a mystery shopper to the showroom.
- Capture the evidence. A pass counts only with proof captured at the time of the audit: adverts and contracts, the fee list, promotion screenshots, vehicle history reports, the complaints log and online sale files.
- Give every fail an owner and a fix time. Record what you saw and who owns the fix. Each standard carries an ideal fix time, from 72 hours to 7 days, counted from audit submission (see the table above).
- Fix it, then prove it. The site fixes the cause and uploads proof of closure; the auditor checks the proof before closing the finding.
- Re-check at the next audit. Confirm closed findings stay closed, and look for the same fail at your other sites so one gap doesn't repeat across the network.
Who this guidebook is for
- Boards: the risk measured in turnover
- Sales and marketing: what every price and advert must include
- Auditors: adverts and contracts to check
A reference document, not legal advice. Fines and rules change: check the current text with the regulator or your legal adviser before acting.
