Poland’s competition authority has accused the European division of e-commerce giant Amazon of misleading sales and delivery practices, the Office for Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) announced on Wednesday, as cited by Reuters.

The office said users on Amazon’s Polish website were being misled about the timing of a sales contract, product availability, delivery times and consumer rights, charges that, if proven, could result in a fine for Amazon EU of up to 10% of turnover.

The head of Amazon’s corporate communications in Poland, Aleksandra Zarichta-Kuzalska, told Reuters that Amazon complies with all legal requirements in Poland and other countries where it operates.

“We will continue to look for ways to improve our customers’ experience and work with UOKiK,” she added.

According to a statement published by UOKiK, Amazon EU treated orders received through the Amazon.pl website as non-binding until the company confirmed actual delivery, leaving the option to cancel them.

According to UOKiK, using phrases like “buy now” and “proceed to checkout” can imply that customers are making a purchase and that the transaction happens immediately after payment.

“If consumers knew that placing an order is not a purchase, and that the availability of goods and delivery times are only approximate, they might not use the services of this company,” said UOKiK head Tomas Khrostny.

The office noted that these terms were described on the Amazon.pl website, but their legibility and placement made them difficult for consumers to read.

UOKiK noted that the terms of the delivery guarantee with the possibility of refund in case of delay are not available to consumers. The agency added that it opened an investigation into Amazon’s actions in September 2021 following consumer complaints.

(source: news.ro / photo source: Andreistanescu | Dreamstime.com)