The Omnibus Directive: how to check if a deal is real (2026)

The Omnibus Directive is a set of EU consumer rules, in force in Poland since 1 January 2023. The key rule concerns promotions: when a store announces a discount, it must display the lowest price of that product from the 30 days before the discount. The discount percentage should be calculated from that price, not from an inflated "list" price.

The rules cover both brick-and-mortar and online stores selling to Polish consumers. Missing lowest-price information or misleading customers can result in fines from the consumer protection office (UOKiK) and the Trade Inspection.

For every promotion, compare three numbers: the current price, the crossed-out price and the lowest price from the last 30 days. That comparison immediately shows what kind of discount you are looking at.

• A real bargainThe current price is clearly lower than the lowest price from the last 30 days. The product genuinely got cheaper.
• A fake promotionThe lowest 30-day price equals the current price or is very close to it. The store calculates the discount from an inflated base price, but the product costs what it usually does.
• Price raised before the saleThe lowest 30-day price is lower than the "discounted" price. The product was recently cheaper than during the promotion - skip that offer.

The lowest 30-day price is the legal minimum. For a fuller picture, check the product price over a longer period and across several stores.

• Use price comparison sites and price-history trackers - many of them show a price chart from recent months.
• Set a price alert for the product you plan to buy. You will get a notification when the price drops below your threshold.
• Compare the same model across a few stores. If a "special promotion" is more expensive than a competitor’s standard price, it is not a bargain.
• On Asian marketplaces, watch the price for a few days - it can change dynamically even without an official sale.

• A never-ending saleThe product has been "discounted" for months. Real promotions have a limited duration.
• Discount from the list priceThe store advertises a big cut versus a manufacturer’s suggested price that nobody has actually charged for a long time.
• Time pressureCountdowns, "last items" and "today only" are meant to push you into buying without comparing prices. A genuine deal survives 15 minutes of checking.
• No lowest 30-day priceIf a store shows a crossed-out price without the lowest 30-day price, it is breaking the rules - a bad sign for the rest of the offer too.

If a store does not show the lowest 30-day price or calculates the discount from an artificially inflated amount, you can report it to UOKiK or the regional Trade Inspection. For individual disputes, a municipal consumer ombudsman can help free of charge. Leaving an honest review also warns other shoppers.

At Radar Promocji we aggregate offers from multiple stores and show the real discount percentage, which makes it easier to separate fake promotions from genuine bargains.