Poland: Announced Office of Competition and Consumer Protection investigation into Tutlo for allegedly misleading withdrawal terms

On 9 December 2024, the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) announced the launch of an investigation into Tutlo, an online language education platform. Consumer complaints highlighted that Tutlo's terms for withdrawing from a 24-month course were unclear and misleading. Consumers who opted to pay for the course in instalments discovered that, in the event of early withdrawal, they were required to pay for all lessons suggested by the company, including those not undertaken. Additionally, UOKiK alleges that the contractual terms are not easily understood, with concepts such as "fixed fees" and "efficiency fees" left undefined. UOKiK also notes that during the withdrawal process, Tutlo sends consumers an electronic document confirming the remuneration demanded by the company and waiving any further claims by the consumer, presented in a manner suggesting its acceptance is necessary to terminate the contract. UOKiK emphasises that consumers should receive clear and complete information about withdrawal costs at the point of offer. If found complicit in these practices, Tutlo may face financial penalties of up to 10% of its annual turnover.