In Serbia the seller is liable for defects in goods for two years from delivery. You lodge a complaint (reklamacija) with the seller, not with a service centre or the manufacturer, together with the receipt or other proof of purchase. The seller must answer within 8 days and resolve the complaint within 15 days, or 30 days for technical goods and furniture.
The new Consumer Protection Act (Official Gazette of the RS, No. 35/2026) has applied since 2 August 2026, and it changes two things most articles about complaints still get wrong. A replacement or a refund at your choice can now be requested only in the first 30 days, not the first 6 months. In return, during the first year the seller must prove that the defect did not exist when the goods were delivered, not only during the first 6 months.
Below you will find every deadline in one place, what you can ask for, a complaint template, what to do when the seller refuses and, for sellers, what the law requires of you and what it costs if you do not comply.
In short: 2 years of seller liability. 30 days for a replacement, a lower price or a refund at your choice. 1 year in which the seller has to prove the defect did not exist. 2 months to report a defect after you notice it. 8 days for the seller’s answer. 15 days to resolve it, 30 for technical goods and furniture. Packaging and the warranty card are not required, and a card slip or bank statement can replace the receipt.
All complaint deadlines in one place
| Deadline | What it means | Article |
|---|---|---|
| 2 years from delivery | The seller is liable for any lack of conformity (defect) that appears within this period | 59 |
| 30 days from delivery | You choose: replacement, a price reduction or termination of the contract with a refund | 56 |
| 1 year from delivery | The defect is presumed to have existed at delivery, and the seller must prove otherwise | 59 |
| 2 months from noticing the defect | Notify the seller, at the latest within 2 years of delivery | 59 |
| Without delay | The seller issues a confirmation of receipt and a complaint number | 63 |
| 8 days from receiving the complaint | The seller answers in writing or electronically: accepted or not, and how and when it will be resolved | 63 |
| 3 days from the seller’s answer | You respond to the proposal. If you stay silent, you are deemed to disagree | 63 |
| 15 days, or 30 for technical goods and furniture | The final deadline for resolving the complaint, counted from the day it was lodged | 63 |
| 3 days | Refund after termination, from when the seller receives the goods or proof they were sent | 57 |
While the seller is fixing the defect, the 2-year and 1-year periods do not run (Article 59). The first-year presumption does not apply only where it is incompatible with the nature of the goods or of the defect. Under the Act, technical goods are devices that run on electricity, a battery or an engine: household appliances, computers, phones, vehicles. Footwear, clothing and furniture are not technical goods, but furniture has the same 30-day deadline.
What changed on 2 August 2026
| Old Act (88/2021) | New Act (35/2026) | |
|---|---|---|
| When you choose a replacement, a lower price or a refund | In the first 6 months | In the first 30 days from delivery |
| How long the seller has to prove the defect did not exist at delivery | 6 months | 1 year |
Articles saying “in the first 6 months you are entitled to a refund” are therefore no longer correct. People still search for “complaint in the first 6 months”, but the answer has changed.
Complaints lodged before 2 August 2026 are completed under the old rules (Article 215). The Act has no specific transitional rule for goods bought before that date. If you are in a dispute about such goods, ask a consumer advice centre which rules apply.
What a complaint is, and what it is not
A complaint is your request to the seller when goods do not conform to the contract (Article 53), for example when they:
- have a defect or do not work;
- do not match the description, the sample or what was advertised;
- lack parts, accessories or instructions you could reasonably expect;
- lack the quality and durability you can reasonably expect from goods of that type and price.
Durability is explicitly part of conformity. A sole that comes off after three months of normal wear is not “wear and tear” but a reason to complain. You can also complain about an incorrectly calculated price and other shortcomings (Article 63), for example when the till charges more than the displayed price.
A complaint is not a right to return goods because you changed your mind, because the size is wrong or because shoes are uncomfortable, unless the goods differ from the description. That right exists only for online and other distance purchases: 14 days to withdraw without giving a reason, which we explain in our guide to returning goods bought online in Serbia. A complaint also does not cover damage from improper use or normal wear.
Who you complain to: the seller, not the service centre
During the first two years you lodge the complaint with the seller, even when the product has a manufacturer’s warranty (Article 63(2)). The seller must accept every complaint and may not charge you for establishing the defect (Article 63(3)). “Contact the authorised service centre” is not an answer to a complaint.
A warranty and a complaint are not the same:
- The seller’s statutory liability (conformity) lasts 2 years, covers all goods and does not depend on a warranty card.
- A commercial warranty is a voluntary promise by the manufacturer or the seller, usually longer than 2 years or with extra benefits (Article 61). It may not reduce your statutory rights.
- After the 2 years expire, you claim under the warranty from whoever gave it. If that is the manufacturer, you can also go to them earlier, while the warranty is valid.
A warranty card must contain a clear statement that you have statutory rights which you exercise free of charge and which the warranty does not exclude (Article 61). A seller may not use the word “warranty” if it gives you nothing beyond your statutory rights (Article 62).
How to lodge a complaint
- Choose a channel. Orally in the shop, by phone, in writing or by email (Article 63). In writing or by email is best, because you have proof of the date.
- Attach proof of purchase. The receipt for inspection or other proof: a copy of the receipt, a card slip, a bank statement, an order confirmation.
- Packaging is not a condition. The seller may not refuse a complaint because you no longer have the box (Article 63).
- Ask for a confirmation and a number. The seller must issue a written or electronic confirmation of receipt and the number under which the complaint is recorded, without delay.
- Wait for the answer within 8 days. It must contain the decision, the reasons if the complaint is rejected, a position on your request and a concrete proposal for how and when it will be resolved.
- Respond within 3 days. If you do not respond, you are deemed to disagree with the proposal. The seller must warn you about this deadline in its answer.
- Resolution. At the latest 15 days from lodging, or 30 days for technical goods and furniture. The seller may extend the deadline only once and only with your consent.
If the seller resolves an oral complaint on the spot, the way you asked, it does not have to issue a confirmation and a written answer.
Complaints without a receipt
The law requires a receipt or other proof of purchase. A card slip, a bank statement showing the transaction, an order confirmation email or a copy of the receipt is enough. If you paid cash and lost the receipt, ask the seller to find it in their system and issue a copy.
Complaints about shoes and trainers
Footwear has the same deadline as any other goods: 2 years, with the first-year presumption that the defect existed at delivery. The “6 months for shoes” story comes from the old Act, in which the presumption lasted 6 months. Footwear is not technical goods, so the resolution deadline is 15 days.
When a seller sends shoes “for expert assessment”, during the first year it is the seller who must prove the defect did not exist at delivery, not you who must prove it did. The seller may not charge you for the assessment. Ask for written reasons if the complaint is rejected, because you will need them for the next step.
Phones, appliances and other technical goods
The resolution deadline is 30 days. The seller may send the item to a service centre, but the seller runs the complaint and is responsible for the outcome. If the same or another defect appears after the first repair, you can ask for a replacement, a price reduction or termination, and another repair is possible only with your explicit consent (Article 56).
Second-hand goods and used cars
When you buy second-hand goods from a trader, a shorter liability period can be agreed in the contract, but not shorter than one year (Article 59). If you buy from a private individual, for example through a classified ad, the Consumer Protection Act does not apply, because it only covers trader-to-consumer relationships. The general rules of the Obligations Act apply instead.
Services: hairdressers, repairs, tradespeople, building work
Complaints also exist for services. A service must match its description, the advertisement and what you can reasonably expect (Article 101). If it does not, you can ask for the service to be performed properly and, if that is impossible or disproportionate, for a price reduction or termination (Article 102).
Goods bought on sale
Goods bought at a discount carry the same rights as goods bought at full price. The only exception is when the seller specifically informed you about a particular defect at the time of purchase, for example with goods sold as faulty, and you explicitly agreed (Article 55). A “sale items cannot be returned or claimed” notice has no legal effect.
What you can ask for
- In the first 30 days from delivery you choose: a replacement, an appropriate price reduction or termination of the contract with a refund.
- After 30 days you first choose between repair and replacement. The seller may refuse one of them only if it is impossible or disproportionately costly compared with the alternatives.
- A price reduction or termination is also available after 30 days if the seller has not repaired or replaced the goods, has refused, has failed to fix the defect, or if the defect is serious enough to justify it (Article 57).
- Termination is not possible if the defect is minor, but the seller has to prove that.
Everything is free of charge: labour, parts, postage and transport (Articles 5 and 56). On termination you return the goods at the seller’s expense, and the seller refunds you within 3 days of receiving the goods or proof that you sent them. If you are paying in instalments, you do not have to pay the rest of the price until the defect is fixed.
Complaint template
Send it by email or hand it in in two copies, one of which the seller stamps for you.
COMPLAINT (REKLAMACIJA)
To: [seller’s name], [shop address or complaints email]
On [date of purchase or delivery] I bought [product name, model] for RSD [amount], receipt number [number] (a copy of the receipt or other proof of purchase is attached).
On [date] I noticed the following defect: [short, specific description, when it appeared and how it shows].
In accordance with Articles 56 and 63 of the Consumer Protection Act (Official Gazette of the RS, No. 35/2026) I request [a replacement / a price reduction / termination of the contract and a refund, if less than 30 days have passed since delivery; otherwise repair or replacement].
Please confirm receipt of this complaint and its reference number without delay, and answer me in writing or electronically within the statutory 8 days.
Name: [name], phone: [number], email: [address]
Date: [date]
When you receive an answer with a proposal, respond within 3 days:
RESPONSE TO YOUR ANSWER ON COMPLAINT NO. [number]
On [date] I received your answer to complaint no. [number]. [I agree to the proposal to resolve the complaint by [method] within [deadline]. / I do not agree to the proposal because [reason]. I maintain my request for [a replacement / a price reduction / termination of the contract].]
Date: [date], signature: [name]
The seller rejected your complaint: what next
- Out-of-court dispute resolution. You start it on the vansudsko.must.gov.rs platform, but only after you have lodged a complaint (Article 173). The seller is obliged to take part, the procedure lasts at most 90 days, exceptionally another 90, and it is free for both sides (Article 189). A seller who rejects a complaint must inform you of this option.
- The market inspectorate. For breaches of procedure: the seller did not accept the complaint, did not answer within 8 days, has no complaints notice or keeps no complaints record. The inspector can order the breach to be remedied and start misdemeanour proceedings.
- Court. In consumer disputes up to RSD 500,000 the consumer pays no court fee for the claim and the judgment (Article 170).
For each of these steps you will need what you kept: a copy of the complaint, the confirmation with its number, the seller’s written answer and photos of the defect.
For sellers: what the law requires of you
Whether you sell in a shop or through a web shop, these are the Article 63 obligations the inspectorate checks:
- Accept every complaint and do not charge for establishing the defect.
- Display a visible notice on how and where complaints are accepted, at the point of sale and on your website if you sell at a distance.
- Have a person authorised to accept complaints present throughout working hours.
- Display a notice that you are obliged by law to take part in out-of-court consumer dispute resolution (Article 173).
- Issue a confirmation and a number without delay.
- Answer within 8 days, in writing or electronically, with the decision, reasons, a proposed solution and a deadline. State explicitly that the customer has 3 days to respond, what happens if they stay silent and that the resolution deadline is paused until they respond.
- Resolve within 15 days, or 30 for technical goods and furniture. An extension is possible only once, with the customer’s consent, and must be entered in the record.
- When rejecting, inform the customer about out-of-court dispute resolution and the competent bodies.
- Do not make the complaint conditional on packaging.
- Keep a complaints record for at least 2 years.
The fine for breaching these obligations is RSD 200,000 for a legal entity, RSD 100,000 for a sole trader and RSD 50,000 for the responsible person (Article 210). The same amounts apply to a warranty card without the mandatory content and to misuse of the term “commercial warranty”.
When you refund a customer, the refund is accompanied by a “Sale refund” fiscal receipt. We explain how this works in a web shop in our guide to web shop fiscalization in Serbia.
The complaints book: do you have to buy one?
No. The law does not prescribe a specific form. The record is kept as a bound book or in electronic form and must contain at least the following (Article 63):
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| Complaint number | 2026/014 |
| Name of the complainant, date received | Petar Petrović, 12 Oct 2026 |
| Details of the goods | Trainers, model X, receipt 1234 |
| Short description of the defect and the customer’s request | Sole detached, requests replacement |
| Date the confirmation of receipt was issued | 12 Oct 2026 |
| Decision and date the answer was delivered | Accepted, answered 15 Oct 2026 |
| Agreed resolution deadline, if the customer consented | 20 Oct 2026 |
| How and when it was resolved | Replacement, 18 Oct 2026 |
| Any extension of the deadline | None |
The record contains customers’ personal data, so the Personal Data Protection Act also applies: access only for staff who need it, and deletion once the retention period has passed.
For web shops an electronic record is more practical, because deadlines are calculated automatically. In the RXN Legal Compliance Kit a complaint is handled as a case with recorded steps (receipt, answer, customer response, resolution, closure), and deadlines are calculated from actual dates, not from the order status.
Complaints notice: text for your shop and website
Complaints
We accept complaints [in the shop at [address], on working days from [time] to [time] / by email at [address] / by phone at [number]]. [Name or role] is responsible for accepting complaints during working hours. Please attach the receipt or other proof of purchase. Packaging is not required.
We answer complaints within 8 days and resolve them within 15 days, or 30 days for technical goods and furniture.
We are obliged by law to take part in out-of-court consumer dispute resolution.
The same text should appear in your web shop’s terms of sale. A full template is in our guide to terms of use and terms of sale.
Note: This article is a practical guide, not legal advice. Articles and quotations come from the Consumer Protection Act (Official Gazette of the RS, No. 35/2026), which applies from 2 August 2026; the English wording is our unofficial translation. The legal position was checked on 15 October 2026.
FAQ: product complaints in Serbia
How long does a complaint take?
The seller must answer within 8 days of receiving the complaint and resolve it within 15 days of it being lodged, or 30 days for technical goods and furniture. The deadline can be extended only once, with your consent.
What is the deadline for a complaint?
The seller is liable for defects that appear within 2 years of delivery. You should report a defect within 2 months of noticing it.
Can I complain without a receipt?
Yes. The law requires a receipt or other proof of purchase, such as a copy of the receipt, a card slip, a bank statement or an order confirmation.
How long can I complain about shoes and trainers?
Two years from purchase, as for any goods. During the first year the seller must prove the defect did not exist at purchase. The 6-month rule of the old Act concerned that presumption, not the complaint deadline.
Can the seller send me to a service centre?
No. During the first two years the seller accepts the complaint and is responsible for resolving it, even when a manufacturer’s warranty exists.
Can I get a refund in the first 6 months?
Under the new Act, from 2 August 2026, you can choose a refund or a replacement in the first 30 days from delivery. After that, repair or replacement comes first, and a refund when that fails or the seller refuses.
What if the seller rejects my complaint?
You can start free out-of-court dispute resolution on the Ministry’s platform, in which the seller must take part, notify the market inspectorate or go to court. For disputes up to RSD 500,000 you pay no court fee.
Does a shop have to keep a complaints book?
It must keep a complaints record for at least 2 years, but it can be a bound book or an electronic record containing the data the law requires.
Sources: Consumer Protection Act (Official Gazette of the RS, No. 35/2026), Out-of-court consumer dispute resolution platform.
