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Purchases · Czechia
Checked 2026-09-30

📭 My parcel arrived damaged: what can I ask for in Czechia?

Short answer

Goods travel at the shop’s risk until they are in your hands. If they arrive damaged, the shop must send undamaged goods — or you withdraw within 14 days and get your money back. Your claim is against the shop, not the carrier.

⏱ DeadlineTell the shop as soon as you see the damage. Withdrawal: 14 days from receipt.

📜 Your rights

EUThe EU rule

EU consumer law applies in every EU country. Your country writes it into its own law — the national rule is below.

  • The risk of loss of or damage to the goods passes to you only when you, or someone you chose (not the carrier), take physical possession of them (Art. 20 Directive 2011/83/EU).
  • If you chose and booked a carrier the shop did not offer, the risk passes when the goods are handed to that carrier (Art. 20).
  • The seller is liable for any lack of conformity that exists when the goods are delivered (Art. 10(1) Directive (EU) 2019/771), so you can ask for repair or replacement free of charge (Art. 13–14).
  • For an online or distance purchase you may instead withdraw within 14 days without a reason and get a refund (Art. 9 and 13 Directive 2011/83/EU).
Official source: publications.europa.eu · Checked 2026-09-30

The rules in Czechia

When the seller sends goods to a consumer, they count as handed over only when the carrier delivers them to you or a person you named, and the risk of damage passes on takeover. Only if you chose a carrier the seller did not offer does handover to that carrier count.

Law: § 2159 odst. 2 a § 2121 odst. 1 zákona č. 89/2012 Sb., občanský zákoník
Official source: e-sbirka.gov.cz · Checked 2026-09-30

🪜 Step by step

  1. Take photosOf the box, the label and the damage, before you unpack further. Keep the packaging.
  2. Note it with the courier if you canIf the courier is still there, have the damage noted. Not required for your rights against the shop, but helpful.
  3. Write to the shopUse the letter below: ask for a replacement, or withdraw and ask for your money back.
  4. Don’t accept “ask the carrier”The shop chose the carrier; its contract with the carrier is its business.
  5. EscalateThe bodies under “If the trader does not answer”.

✉️ Your letter

Information, not legal advice. FFCheck is independent and not affiliated with any authority, court or company. The letter is a template filled with your details: you check it and send it yourself.

Fill in your details. The letter appears on this page: copy it into an e-mail or the trader’s contact form, or print it. Nothing you type is stored.

Name of the shop or company
e.g. “1 pair of running shoes, size 42”
Short and factual, e.g. “the screen stays black after charging”.
required
Your full name
Optional, but a letter by post needs it.
Language of the letter

🧭 If the trader does not answer

Give the trader the time in your letter. Then, in this order:

An out-of-court dispute body (ADR) can settle it. The trader has to tell you which ADR body covers it (on its website, terms or in its reply).

Česká obchodní inspekce – mimosoudní řešení spotřebitelských sporů (ADR)General out-of-court consumer dispute resolution; first contact the trader, apply within 1 year.🔗 coi.gov.cz
Česká obchodní inspekce (ČOI)Consumer authority; takes complaints about traders online and runs an advice line.📞 +420 222 703 404 🔗 coi.gov.cz

Trader in another EU country? The European Consumer Centre helps for free.

Evropské spotřebitelské centrum pro ČRFree help with disputes with traders in another EU country, Norway or Iceland.🔗 evropskyspotrebitel.cz

European Small Claims Procedure: for cross-border claims up to €5,000, a written procedure without a lawyer. e-justice.europa.eu

The EU’s online dispute resolution platform (ODR) closed on 20 July 2025. Use the bodies on this page instead.

📇 Every office for this in Czechia →

❓ Frequently asked questions

I signed for the parcel. Did I lose my rights?

No. Signing for a parcel does not mean you accepted damaged contents.

Must I send the damaged goods back at my cost?

No. Bringing the goods into conformity is free of charge; for a withdrawal, a shop that delivered damaged goods cannot charge you for their damage.

Something is missing from the parcel. Is that the same?

Yes: the shop has not delivered what you bought. Write to the shop straight away with photos of the contents and the packaging.

📎 Sources

Checked: 2026-09-30

🔎 What people search

  • “parcel arrived damaged Czechia”
  • “item broken in delivery refund”
  • “damaged in transit who is liable”
  • “shop says contact courier”
  • “broken delivery replacement letter”

🧭 Is this still correct?

We check this information carefully, but phone numbers, websites and rules change — and sometimes we get something wrong. Spotted a mistake or a change? Let us know below.

🔗 Related

📦Order not delivered→↩️Return an online order→🛠️Faulty goods→💶Refund not received→📇Every office for this in Czechia→

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