{"id":8078,"date":"2026-01-12T19:25:09","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T18:25:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mstolorz.pl\/?p=8078"},"modified":"2026-07-20T21:21:54","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T20:21:54","slug":"complaint-statutory-warranty-guarantee-or-non-conformity-understanding-your-rights-in-poland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mstolorz.pl\/en\/complaint-statutory-warranty-guarantee-or-non-conformity-understanding-your-rights-in-poland\/","title":{"rendered":"Complaint, Statutory warranty, guarantee or Non-conformity? Understanding Your Rights in Poland"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/mstolorz.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/reklamacja-rekojmia-gwarancja.jpg\" alt=\"Broken washing mashine - statutory warranty or guarantee?\" class=\"wp-image-8074\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mstolorz.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/reklamacja-rekojmia-gwarancja.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mstolorz.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/reklamacja-rekojmia-gwarancja-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mstolorz.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/reklamacja-rekojmia-gwarancja-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n<span class=\"gdlr-core-space-shortcode\" style=\"margin-top: 30px ;\"  ><\/span>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These terms \u2014 complaint, statutory warranty, guarantee, and recently, non-conformity of goods with the contract\u2014appear whenever purchased items break or fail to work as intended. Whether it\u2019s electronics bought on Black Friday, a dream car, or real estate from a developer, it is worth knowing the differences between them. <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Reklamacja (Complaint) \u2013 The Most Common Procedure<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is essentially the general path to getting equipment repaired or replaced. Most sellers direct customers to their own complaint procedures, often requiring a receipt or a specific form. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">n law, there is no detailed definition of a &#8220;complaint.&#8221; It is accepted as a<strong>ny objection raised by the consumer regarding the goods<\/strong>. It can encompass:  <\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The seller&#8217;s internal procedures,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Statutory Warranty (R\u0119kojmia &#8211; Civil Code),<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Non-conformity with the contract (Consumer Rights Act),<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Commercial Guarantee (Gwarancja).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Important:<\/strong> The seller has <strong>14 days<\/strong> to respond to any complaint. If they fail to do so, it is legally deemed that they have accepted the consumer&#8217;s objections. <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>R\u0119kojmia (Statutory Warranty) \u2013 Civil Code (Real Estate &amp; B2B)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/isap.sejm.gov.pl\/isap.nsf\/download.xsp\/WDU19640160093\/U\/D19640093Lj.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Civil Code,<\/a> the seller is liable to the buyer if the sold item has defects. These rights are statutory and independent of the seller&#8217;s discretion. <br\/><strong>When does R\u0119kojmia apply?<\/strong><br\/>Currently, these regulations are crucial for <strong>real estate purchases<\/strong> and professional transactions (B2B). If the item has physical or legal defects, you have the right to demand: <\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Withdrawal from the contract,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Price reduction,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Replacement with a defect-free item,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Defect removal (repair).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The choice of remedy is yours, but the seller may block your withdrawal from the contract if they immediately remove the defect or replace the item.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Key terms:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>5 years \u2013 for real estate<\/strong> (vital for contracts with developers).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>2 years \u2013 for movable goods (under the Civil Code regime).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The presumption that the defect existed at the time of delivery lasts for <strong>1 year.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Non-conformity of goods with the contract \u2013 New Consumer Law (since 2023)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since 2023, the <a href=\"https:\/\/isap.sejm.gov.pl\/isap.nsf\/download.xsp\/WDU20140000827\/U\/D20140827Lj.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Consumer Rights Act <\/a>has provided a separate liability regime for sellers towards consumers, replacing the traditional R\u0119kojmia for the purchase of <strong>movable goods<\/strong> (e.g., shoes, appliances).<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to the Act, goods are in conformity with the contract if their description, type, quantity, quality, completeness, functionality, and fitness for a particular purpose match the agreement.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What do you gain as a consumer?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Longer presumption<\/strong>: For <strong>2 years<\/strong> from delivery, it is presumed that the non-conformity existed at the time of purchase.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Hierarchy of claims<\/strong>: First, you have the right to <strong>repair or replacement<\/strong>. Only in specific circumstances can you withdraw from the contract or demand a price reduction. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Digital content<\/strong>: These rules also apply to digital content.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Note<\/strong>: These regulations apply to movable goods (as well as water, gas, electricity) but <strong>not to the sale of real estate<\/strong>, where the general Civil Code rules still apply.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Gwarancja (Commercial Guarantee) \u2013 Voluntary Assurance<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Through a guarantee statement, the guarantor (usually the manufacturer) confirms that the item possesses certain properties. If it does not, they pledge to repair, replace, or refund it. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Remember, <strong>a guarantee is voluntary<\/strong>. It depends on the seller\/guarantor: <\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Whether to grant it,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What its scope will be,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How long it lasts (if not specified, it is statutory 2 years).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A guarantee is \u201cforward-looking\u201d \u2013 it ensures that an item will retain its characteristics for a specified period of time.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Statutory Liability vs. Guarantee \u2013 Or Both?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Statutory liability (R\u0119kojmia \/ Non-conformity) and Commercial Guarantee are <strong>independent<\/strong>. You can choose the path most favorable to you. <\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>R\u0119kojmia \/ Non-conformity<\/strong> concerns defects existing at the moment of delivery.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Guarantee<\/strong> assures that the item will retain its properties for a specific future period.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Search for a legal advise<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cases regarding warranties or non-conformity, especially with expensive purchases, can raise doubts. It is worth <a href=\"https:\/\/mstolorz.pl\/en\/contact\/\">contacting us<\/a>. An opinion from a third-party expert can also be helpful in identifying defects.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Legal status: 12th January 2026 r.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Find out the key differences between a complaint, a warranty and a guarantee in the sale of goods.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8071,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[50],"class_list":["post-8078","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-en","tag-civil-law"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mstolorz.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8078","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mstolorz.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mstolorz.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mstolorz.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mstolorz.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8078"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/mstolorz.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8078\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8119,"href":"https:\/\/mstolorz.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8078\/revisions\/8119"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mstolorz.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8071"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mstolorz.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8078"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mstolorz.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8078"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mstolorz.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8078"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}