Beliani Faces €2 Million Penalty in Poland After Ignoring Consumer Protection Probe

Key Takeaways

• Maximum Fine Imposed: Poland’s consumer protection authority imposed a nearly €2 (PLN 8.45 million) fine on Beliani for failing to respond to requests for information during a consumer protection investigation.
• Investigation Focus: UOKiK is examining whether Beliani’s website used potentially misleading promotional messaging and pressure tactics tied to discounts and product availability.
• No Response to Regulators: According to UOKiK, the company failed to respond to two formal requests for information, additional outreach attempts, and subsequent proceedings related to the penalty itself.
• Turnover Data Missing: Because UOKiK said it could not determine the company’s turnover, the regulator applied the statutory maximum penalty allowed under Polish law.
• Appeal Still Possible: Beliani can appeal the decision before Poland’s Court of Competition and Consumer Protection within one month of receiving the ruling.

Deep Dive

Poland’s Office of Competition and Consumer Protection, known as UOKiK, said Thursday it had imposed a nearly €2 million (PLN 8.45 million) fine against Beliani after the company allegedly failed to cooperate with an ongoing investigation into its online sales practices.

The regulator said the penalty was not tied to a final determination that consumers had been misled. Instead, the fine stemmed from what UOKiK described as Beliani’s repeated failure to provide requested information and documents during a preliminary investigation.

The case centers on promotional messaging displayed on Beliani’s Polish website, beliani.pl. UOKiK said it was reviewing whether certain claims may have created artificial purchase pressure for consumers. Among the examples cited by the regulator were messages such as “Hurry! Only a few left” and notifications claiming a product had found a certain number of “happy owners” within the previous 24 hours.

The authority also examined how the company presented discounts, including whether it properly disclosed the lowest price offered during the 30 days preceding a promotion, a disclosure requirement increasingly scrutinized across Europe.

According to UOKiK, the agency sent two formal requests seeking explanations about how Beliani’s promotional systems operated and what the urgency-based messages actually represented in practice. The regulator said both requests were properly served, but no response was received.

UOKiK President Tomasz Chróstny said companies selling to Polish consumers cannot avoid oversight simply because they are headquartered elsewhere.

“An online shop may attract customers with promotions, but it cannot hide from UOKiK’s questions,” Chróstny said in a statement. “If a business operates on the Polish market and sells products to Polish consumers, it must also cooperate with the Polish authority.”

The regulator said its attempts to obtain information extended beyond formal correspondence. UOKiK stated it also tried contacting the company through affiliated entities in Poland and later opened proceedings concerning the potential financial penalty itself. According to the authority, Beliani did not respond to those proceedings either and did not address the allegations raised against it.

That lack of engagement ultimately shaped the size of the fine.

Under Polish law, UOKiK can impose penalties of up to 3% of a company’s turnover for failing to provide requested information during proceedings. However, when turnover data cannot be established, the regulator may instead impose a statutory maximum penalty of up to EUR €2 million. UOKiK said the absence of turnover data, combined with what it described as the company’s complete lack of cooperation, justified imposing the maximum available amount.

The decision can still be challenged. Beliani has the right to appeal before Poland’s Court of Competition and Consumer Protection within one month of receiving the ruling.

Scarcity claims, countdown timers, and rapidly changing promotional banners have increasingly become a focal point for consumer protection authorities across the EU, particularly following the bloc’s tougher rules around price reduction transparency. For UOKiK, though, Thursday’s announcement was as much about regulatory cooperation as online retail practices themselves.

The agency closed its statement with a reminder that businesses operating in Poland are legally obligated to respond to requests for information during investigations. Ignoring those requests, responding late, or supplying false information can all trigger financial penalties under Polish competition and consumer protection law.

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