Consumer complaints and warranties in Montenegro: rights for faulty goods, 8 days for an answer, 15 days for a repair and returns of online purchases

When you buy faulty goods from a trader in Montenegro, the trader is liable for the goods not conforming to the contract for two years from delivery, and if the fault shows up in the first year, it is presumed to have existed at delivery. You make the complaint to the trader you bought from, who must answer in writing within 8 days and carry out a repair or replacement within 15 days at most. Goods bought online, by phone or away from the shop can be returned without giving a reason within 14 days of receipt.

The rules come from the Law on Consumer Protection, a new law in force since 14 February 2026, and, for purchases from private individuals, from the Law on Obligations. This guide explains how to make a complaint, the deadlines, what you can ask for, how a warranty differs from legal liability, how returns of distance purchases work and what to do when a trader refuses.

Who do you complain to, and do you need a receipt?

You make the complaint, which the law calls an objection, to the trader you bought from: because the goods do not conform to the contract, in connection with a commercial warranty, or about the invoice. It is made on paper or another durable medium, for example by email.

• You prove the purchase with a receipt, but also with a contract, a warranty statement or in another suitable way, for example with a fiscal till record or other documents. The receipt is not the only proof.
• The trader must display clearly how and where complaints are made and have a person authorised to receive them present during opening hours.
• If the trader does not decide on the complaint at once, they must give you a written acknowledgement of receipt.
• The trader keeps a complaints register for at least two years.

What are the deadlines?

If you do not notify the trader of the fault in time, you lose the rights based on it. Once you have notified the trader in time, your rights expire two years after the notice was sent. After a minor repair the periods are extended by the time you could not use the goods, and after a replacement or major repair they start again.

What can you ask the trader for?

If the goods delivered do not conform to the contract, you can ask for the fault to be fixed free of charge, by repair or replacement, and you can also ask for a price reduction or termination of the contract with a refund.

1. First you choose between repair and replacement, unless your choice is impossible or places a disproportionate burden on the trader.
2. If you notify the trader within 30 days of taking the goods, you can freely choose straight away between repair, replacement, a price reduction or termination.
3. You can also ask for a price reduction or termination when the trader does not repair or replace in time, refuses to, the fault remains after the trader tried to fix it, or the fault is so serious that it justifies this at once.
4. You have the same right when the goods have been repaired or replaced at least twice within 90 days after those 30 days end.
5. Repair and replacement are free, and the trader collects the goods at their own cost. Until the trader meets their obligations, you may withhold the unpaid part of the price.
6. When you terminate, you return the goods within 14 days at the trader's cost, and the trader refunds you within 8 days of receiving the goods or proof that you sent them, by the same means of payment and without a fee.
7. You cannot terminate the contract if the non-conformity is minor, and on top of these rights you can claim damages.

How does a warranty differ from legal liability?

A commercial warranty is an additional, voluntary promise by the trader or manufacturer, for example to replace or repair the goods within a set period. Legal liability for non-conformity always applies, whether or not a warranty was given.

• The warranty provider must give you a warranty statement at the latest on delivery, on a durable medium, with the provider's name and address, the procedure for making a claim, the goods covered and the warranty conditions.
• The statement must say that the warranty does not affect your legal rights for non-conformity.
• The law sets no minimum length for a warranty: the period and conditions are set by the statement. If the terms in the advertising are better than those in the statement, the advertised terms apply.
• You can enforce the warranty, as you choose, with the trader or the manufacturer, and a durability warranty given by the manufacturer is enforced with the manufacturer.
• A trader may not use the word warranty if it gives you no more rights than you already have by law.

How do you return goods bought online?

For a distance contract, for example through an online shop or by phone, or a contract made away from the trader's premises, you can withdraw without giving a reason within 14 days of the day you, or a person you named, received the goods. If the contract was made on an excursion organised by the trader or during an unsolicited visit by the trader to your home, the period is 30 days.

The trader may withhold the refund until the goods, or proof that you sent them, arrive. You are liable for any loss in value if you used the goods more than needed to check their nature and how they work, unless the trader did not tell you about the right to withdraw. The 14-day right does not apply, among other things, to goods made to your specification, perishable goods, sealed goods unsuitable for return for hygiene reasons once unsealed, unsealed audio and video recordings and software, newspapers and magazines, purchases at public auction, and accommodation, vehicle hire, goods transport and leisure services booked for a specific date.

The trader must deliver the goods within 30 days of the contract, unless otherwise agreed. If they cannot, they must tell you in writing; you give them an additional period, after which you can terminate the contract. You do not have to give an additional period if the trader refused to deliver or the delivery date was an essential part of the contract. The money must then be refunded within 8 days at the latest, with default interest. What you pay when a parcel comes from abroad is explained in our article on customs on parcels.

What applies when you buy from a private individual through a listing?

The Law on Consumer Protection applies to contracts between a trader and a consumer. When you buy from another private individual, for example through a listing, you have no 14-day right of return, and the seller's liability for defects is governed by the Law on Obligations: you inspect the goods as soon as possible and report visible defects within 8 days, hidden defects are reported within 8 days of discovery, and the seller is not liable for hidden defects that appear more than six months after delivery, unless a longer period was agreed or the seller knew about the defect. The same rules are described in more detail in our article on hidden defects.

So inspect the goods when you collect them, ask for written proof of the purchase and check what the seller said about the condition of the goods in the listing and messages. How a seller should describe what they sell is shown in our article on how to write a listing that sells. A repair of an appliance out of warranty can also be booked through the Glatko platform.

What if the trader rejects the complaint?

• If the trader does not answer within 8 days, you can file a complaint with the competent inspectorate. Before that you must have made the complaint to the trader; otherwise the inspectorate asks you to put this right and rejects the complaint if you do not.
• If the trader rejects the complaint, you can turn to the inspectorate or seek protection out of court or in court.
• Out-of-court disputes are handled by the Board for Out-of-Court Resolution of Consumer Disputes at the Chamber of Commerce of Montenegro, for disputes up to 10,000 euros. Before that you must try to settle the dispute with the trader, and a complaint already made counts as that attempt.
• The fee before the Board is 20 euros, and no fee is paid for disputes worth less than 100 euros. If the trader loses under a binding decision, the trader reimburses your costs of the procedure.
• If the inspectorate cannot establish the fault itself, an expert examination is ordered at your proposal or the trader's. The expert costs are borne by the consumer or the trader, depending on the result, and the party proposing the examination pays the advance.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make a complaint without a receipt? Yes. A purchase can be proved with a receipt, but also with a contract, a warranty statement, a fiscal till record or other documents.

How long does the trader have to answer a complaint? At most 8 days from receipt, in writing. A repair or replacement must be carried out within 15 days at the latest, and within 21 days only if you expressly accepted a substitute item for that time.

How long is a warranty in Montenegro? The length of a commercial warranty is set by the warranty statement, because the law sets no minimum. Regardless of any warranty, the trader is liable for non-conformity for two years.

Can I return goods bought online? Yes, within 14 days of receipt and without giving a reason, except for goods the law excludes, such as made-to-measure goods or unsealed hygiene products.

Does consumer law apply when I buy from a private individual? No. The rules of the Law on Obligations on defects apply instead, with no 14-day right of return.

What if the trader does not repair the goods within 15 days? You can then ask for a price reduction or terminate the contract with a refund.

Sources

Consumer rights are governed by the Law on Consumer Protection (Official Gazette of Montenegro 12/2026, in force since 14 February 2026, Articles 2, 27 to 29, 37, 51 to 64, 88, 110 to 119, 189, 193, 196, 205, 231 and 232), which replaced the Law on Consumer Protection of 2014. Purchases from private individuals are governed by the Law on Obligations (Official Gazette of Montenegro 47/2008 as amended, Articles 486 to 508). The legislation was checked on 25 September 2026. Fijaka is a classifieds platform and does not give legal advice; for a specific dispute, contact the competent inspectorate, the Board at the Chamber of Commerce or a lawyer.