A consumer from Poland purchased a window-cleaning robot online for PLN 1,490.00 from a business based in Lithuania. Upon receiving the product, the consumer decided to withdraw from the contract, as the robot did not meet his expectations. The consumer informed the seller and returned the product in its original packaging, unused, along with the manual and accessories.
The product was sent back via courier and delivered to the seller. However, the seller demanded that the item should be returned to Lithuania, which involved additional shipping costs of PLN 70. 14 days after receiving the returned product, the seller refunded the consumer only PLN 1,043.00, unjustifiably withholding PLN 447.00, claiming a lack of evidence (photos or video) proving that the robot had not been used.
The consumer submitted a complaint to the European Consumer Centre (ECC) and requested the return of the withheld amount of PLN 447.00 as well as the reimbursement of the PLN 70 shipping cost, in total PLN 517.00. Thanks to the intervention of the ECC Lithuania, the consumer successfully received a full refund, including the withheld amount and the shipping costs.