Consumer protection in Montenegro

Under Montenegrin consumer law, a consumer is a private individual acting outside a commercial or professional activity. A trader is a company or other professional supplier offering goods or services. The main local terms include potrošač for consumer, trgovac for trader, nesaobraznost for a product or service that does not conform to the contract, and prigovor for a written complaint. The previous consumer-protection law was repealed when the Law on Consumer Protection, Official Gazette of Montenegro No. 12/2026, entered into force on 14 February 2026. Older information on potrosac.me may therefore need to be checked against the current law. A seller must provide clear information about the goods or service, origin and importer where relevant, the total price including VAT and other charges, use and safety risks, and applicable documents in Montenegrin. Traders must not sell expired goods or use misleading advertising. They must provide a place and an authorised person for complaints and keep complaint records for at least two years. A receipt is useful evidence, but a consumer can prove a purchase by other reliable means when a receipt is unavailable. For non-conforming goods, the seller is generally liable for at least two years from delivery. A contract for used goods may set a shorter period of at least one year. The consumer should report the defect within 90 days after discovering it. If the report is made within 30 days of delivery, the consumer can generally choose free repair, replacement, a price reduction or termination of the contract. Repair or replacement normally has to be completed within 15 days. When the seller offers replacement goods, the offer should be made within three days and the replacement completed within a maximum of 21 days. An expert assessment may require an advance payment, although the final allocation of that cost depends on the result. Distance and off-premises contracts generally allow withdrawal within 14 days without giving a reason. The period is 30 days for contracts concluded during an unsolicited home visit or a sales event. The trader must provide the withdrawal information on a durable medium and refund the payment within 14 days after the withdrawal conditions are met. The consumer may have to pay return shipping. Exceptions include personalised goods, perishable goods, unsealed hygiene or health goods, and services fully performed after the consumer expressly agreed to immediate performance and acknowledged the loss of the withdrawal right. Unfair contract terms and unfair commercial practices are prohibited, and delivery should occur without undue delay unless the parties agreed another period. Financial consumer protection is divided among several regulators. A consumer first submits a written complaint to the bank, credit or microcredit company, leasing company, payment-service provider, insurer or investment provider. A consumer-credit complaint should receive an immediate answer or, where the matter is complex, an answer within eight days. Other credit and financial-service complaints generally have a maximum response period of 15 days. Payment-service complaints are answered within 15 business days, with a possible extension to 35 business days. If the provider does not resolve the matter, the Central Bank of Montenegro, known as CBCG, handles complaints concerning banks, microcredit, leasing and payment services. The Insurance Supervision Agency, ANO, is responsible for insurance matters, while the Capital Market Commission handles investment and investor-protection matters. Checking licence and warning lists can reduce the risk of dealing with an unauthorised provider. Complaints are free, but separate dispute or court costs may arise. Digital content, digital services and online marketplaces are covered by consumer rules on delivery, conformity, updates, compatibility, interoperability, rankings, reviews and unfair interface practices. For a one-time delivery, the trader's liability for non-conformity generally lasts two years. For a continuous service, it lasts throughout the agreed period. The trader carries the burden of proving conformity during the first year after delivery. Remedies can include repair, bringing the service into conformity, a price reduction or termination of the contract. The general digital-consumer chapter does not replace the special rules for classical electronic communications, medical services or financial services; those matters belong with EKIP, health authorities or CBCG as applicable. Travel arrangements are governed by the Law on Tourism and Hospitality together with consumer-protection rules. Before signing, the organiser or agent should provide standard information about the services, total price, minimum number of participants and relevant deadlines. A complaint normally begins with the organiser or agent. If the matter remains unresolved, the Tourism Inspection of the Ministry of Tourism may be contacted. The amount of compensation depends on the contract and the applicable special travel rules. Public-interest services include electricity, gas, heating, water, wastewater, waste collection, passenger transport, electronic communications and postal services. Consumers should receive equal access where the service is available, a verifiable bill and a free possibility to check the bill. Changing provider should be free where the sector allows it. A bill complaint should be submitted immediately and no later than eight days after receipt; a complaint about a public-interest bill generally has a 15-day response period. Electricity matters begin with the provider or supplier under EPCG and supplier rules, followed where appropriate by REGAGEN for sector oversight and quality issues. EKIP handles electronic communications. Water, waste and heating complaints depend on the local provider and local supervision. A breach of electricity quality standards may give rise to compensation within 30 days where the relevant rules provide for it. For medicines, medical devices, food and other consumer health products, CInMED handles authorisation, registers, quality questions, falsified medicines and adverse-effect reporting within its competence. A suspected product-quality defect should be reported without delay to a pharmacist, doctor or CInMED. Adverse effects can be reported online, by form or by email. Health, sanitary and food inspectors handle market-safety issues, including unsafe products requiring rapid exchange or removal. Medical treatment and general patient rights follow health-sector rules rather than the general consumer framework. A standard complaint begins with a written prigovor to the trader or provider. Attach the contract, guarantee, invoice or other purchase evidence, photographs, correspondence and the requested remedy. The provider should answer within eight days. If there is no answer or the answer is rejected, a žalba potrošača can be submitted through the national consumer portal potrosac.me and the CISZP consumer complaint service to the competent inspection or authority. An incomplete filing may require correction within three days; failure to correct it can lead to rejection within the applicable seven-day period. An authority may order corrective action or impose a fine. If expert evidence is needed, the decision on that evidence may take up to 60 days; the party proposing it may advance the cost, with the final burden depending on the result. Consumers can also seek out-of-court settlement through the Odbor za vansudsko rješavanje potrošačkih sporova at the Chamber of Commerce of Montenegro. The trader must usually have received a prior complaint. The filing limit is generally one year after the trader complaint, disputes below EUR 30 are inadmissible, admissibility is normally decided within three weeks and the procedure targets completion within 90 days. Domestic and cross-border disputes can be submitted electronically, by mail or in person. A lawyer is not mandatory, and the procedure is free or low-cost; the legal effect of the decision depends on the procedure used. Court protection remains available. Commercial deception can be reported to the Market Inspection or through CISZP. Dangerous or falsified products may also require sanitary authorities, food authorities or CInMED. Phishing, fake bank or state websites, investment scams and other criminal or online fraud should be reported to the Police Administration. If money has already been transferred, contact the bank or payment provider immediately and request a card block, transaction stop or recall where possible. Preserve links, messages, usernames, telephone numbers, email addresses, receipts and transaction details. Do not disclose passwords, one-time codes, PINs or private keys. Recovery is not guaranteed, so speed and complete evidence matter.