Parties of the contract

EU consumer protection rules apply strictly to transactions concluded between a consumer and a professional trader (Business-to-Consumer / B2C).

Who is a Consumer?
A consumer is a natural person who purchases goods or services for personal use, acting outside their trade, business, craft, or profession.

• Example: Buying a laptop for personal home use is covered by consumer law. Buying the same laptop explicitly on behalf of your employer for office work is considered a B2B transaction and falls outside consumer protection rules.

Trader vs. Private Individual (B2C vs. C2C)

• Buying from a Trader (B2C): Full EU consumer rights apply, including statutory guarantees, mandatory pre-contractual information, and the 14-day right of withdrawal for online purchases.

• Buying from a Private Person (C2C): Standard consumer laws do not apply when buying goods from another private individual (e.g., second-hand items on online classifieds or C2C platforms). Disputes from private sales are governed by general civil law, and European Consumer Centres (ECC-Net) cannot intervene in C2C cases.

• Marketplace Rule: Under EU rules, online marketplaces are required to inform you before purchase whether the seller is a registered business or a private individual.

Sole Traders in Poland (Extended Protection)
Under Polish law, individual sole proprietors (osoby fizyczne prowadzące działalność gospodarczą) purchasing goods or services for their business can enjoy certain consumer rights (such as the 14-day online right of withdrawal and statutory warranty claims), provided the purchase is not of a professional character for them (i.e., falls outside their core business activities specified in public registers).