The Cabinet approved new rules for the return of products: what will change from 2025.

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved a new procedure for returning unfit or unsafe food products

The Government of Ukraine, at its meeting on November 26, 2024, decided to approve a new order for returning unfit or unsafe food products for consumption. This procedure will come into effect along with the new version of the Law of Ukraine 'On Consumer Rights Protection'.

The Deputy Minister of Economy, Tetiana Berezhna, noted that the proposed consumer rights protection mechanism will ensure the protection of buyers' rights and resolve disputes between businesses and consumers without resorting to the courts. This will become an effective mechanism for protecting consumer rights and will help avoid unnecessary inspections for honest businesses.

The new procedure provides for two options: replacing unfit or unsafe products with suitable ones or refunding the buyer for the return of such products. The procedure also establishes clear deadlines for the return or replacement of products, as well as the actions of the buyer and the seller.

According to the document, products must be replaced or returned within specified Time frames from the moment of purchase. For example, food products stored at a temperature of +6 °C must be replaced or returned within a day, while products with a shelf life of up to 14 days must be replaced or returned no later than three calendar days from the date of purchase.

For cases of remote purchases of products, such as online trading, the procedure starts from the moment the buyer actually receives the product.