Court upholds UOKiK's case against Biedronka: 84 mln zł fine over misleading promotions

In brief

• A Polish court upheld UOKiK's finding that Biedronka misled consumers in two voucher promotions.
• The advertised 100% voucher refund did not clearly disclose its usage limits.
• The court set the fine at 84 million zloty, lower than the regulator's original figure, and the ruling can still be appealed.

Court confirms the violation

The Court of Competition and Consumer Protection has agreed with the objections raised by the President of UOKiK, Poland's consumer protection office, over how Biedronka advertised its "Specjalna Środa" and "Walentynkowa Środa" promotions (100 proc. obietnicy, mniej informacji. Sąd potwierdził naruszenie Biedronki – UOKiK). The court found that the chain misled shoppers during both campaigns (Biedronka ma zapłacić 84 mln zł kary. Sąd potwierdził, że wprowadzała konsumentów w błąd podczas promocji – Puls Biznesu) (UOKiK znów wygrywa z Biedronką. Sąd obniża karę za promocję do 84 mln zł – Bankier.pl).

The advertising problem

The core issue was the wording. Biedronka promised a "100% refund on the voucher," but did not clearly explain the limits on how that voucher could be used. According to the ruling, these restrictions were not presented with enough clarity for customers to understand them at the moment of purchase (84 mln zł kary dla Biedronki. Sąd potwierdził wprowadzanie klientów w błąd – Rzeczpospolita).

Fine reduced

The court set the penalty at 84 million zloty. That is below the amount UOKiK had initially announced. The decision was announced on Tuesday, 3 November.

What happens next

The ruling is not yet final. Either side may still challenge it. Until any appeal is resolved, the 84 million zloty penalty stands.

Key figures

• Penalty imposed by the court: 84 mln zł
• Promotions in question: "Specjalna Środa" and "Walentynkowa Środa"
• Advertised refund: 100% on the voucher