In brief

• UOKiK has filed charges against Legimi regarding changes to its subscription service and free trial procedures.
• The Club Catalog, introduced in October 2024, required users to pay 14.99 PLN extra for certain e-books and audiobooks.
• The regulator questioned the lack of clear warnings on the 'Order' button during the free trial period.
• Confirmed violations could result in a fine for Legimi up to 11 million PLN.

UOKiK's Allegations Against Legimi

The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection initiated proceedings against Legimi, citing violations of collective consumer interests (Legimi z zarzutami od UOKiK. Dotyczą zmian abonamentów i okresu próbnego – Puls Biznesu). The core of the allegations involves alterations made to the subscription offering and ambiguities surrounding the complimentary trial period (Zarzuty dla Legimi. Chodzi o zmiany w ofercie i okres próbny – RMF24). Legimi introduced what is known as the Club Catalog in October 2024, which involved moving certain e-books and audiobooks from the standard subscription into a paid category. To access these specific titles, users were required to pay an additional fee of 14.99 PLN for each publication. UOKiK noted that the existing terms of service allowed for catalog adjustments by adding or removing titles, but they did not permit the exclusion of specific publications from the subscription in favor of a paid tier. The regulator suggested this action could restrict the scope of the service for which customers had already paid.

Issues with the Trial Period

A second point of contention raised by UOKiK relates to how the three-day free trial is initiated. The Office pointed out that the 'Order' button did not clearly communicate to consumers that they needed to cancel the service to avoid charges. Such practices may mislead consumers and infringe upon their rights. Furthermore, the regulator accused Legimi of unilaterally changing the terms of existing contracts (Problemy Legimi. UOKiK kwestionuje zmiany w ofercie i sposób naliczania opłat – Bankier.pl).

Potential Consequences

If the allegations are confirmed, Legimi faces a potential fine of up to 11 million PLN (Ciąg dalszy skandalu wokół Legimi. Zarzuty UOKiK, kara może wynieść 11 mln zł – Rzeczpospolita). UOKiK aims to safeguard consumers against unfair market practices, emphasizing the necessity for companies to maintain transparency and fairness in their dealings with clients.