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Consumer protection in Uruguay

Last verified: 2026-10-27 · Status: Changing

Ley 17.250 is a public order law that protects final consumers, including companies buying for their own use, against any provider, local or foreign: offers and ads bind, prices must include taxes, information must be in Spanish and abusive clauses in standard contracts are void. Buyers off premises or online can cancel within five business days today; from 1 January 2027 this becomes 10 calendar days and online sellers must show a 'Botón de arrepentimiento' (withdrawal button) on first access. The Unidad Defensa del Consumidor fines from 20 UR to 4,000 UR (about US$965 to US$193,000), can close premises for up to 90 days, and from 2027 may publish sanctioned and non appearing providers on its website.

USD figures use UYU 40.210 per US dollar, the BCU quotation for DLS. USA BILLETE on 27 October 2026; amounts in Unidades Indexadas (UI) use UYU 6.6792 per UI, the BCU quotation for 27 October 2026, both retrieved from the BCU quotations service on 27 October 2026. Amounts in Unidades Reajustables (UR) use UYU 1,940.77 per UR, the value fixed by Decreto 229/026 (IMPO lists it as the latest UR, in force for September 2026). Conversions are rounded and for orientation only.

Key facts

Companies buying as final users are consumers	Yes Ley 17.250 art. 2, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Withdrawal period for distance and off premises sales	5 business daysLey 17.250 art. 16, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Withdrawal period for distance and off premises sales from 1 January 2027	10 calendar daysLey 20.531 art. 108, as of 2026-10-27 · pending
Mandatory online withdrawal button from 1 January 2027	Yes, 'Botón de arrepentimiento' Ley 20.531 art. 108, as of 2026-10-27 · pending
Days to cancel after automatic renewal	60 calendar daysLey 17.250 art. 31 I (Ley 20.212 art. 185), as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Consumer protection fine minimum	20 URLey 17.250 art. 47, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Consumer protection fine maximum	4000 URLey 17.250 art. 47, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Maximum temporary closure of premises	90 daysLey 17.250 art. 47, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Period for hidden defects to appear	6 monthsLey 17.250 art. 37, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Prescription for personal injury claims	4 yearsLey 17.250 art. 38, as of 2026-10-27 · in force
Days to answer an inspection record	10 business daysLey 17.250 art. 50 (Ley 20.212 art. 187), as of 2026-10-27 · in force

The rule

1. The law is of public order, so its protections cannot be waived by contract. A consumer is any natural or legal person that acquires or uses goods or services as final recipient; someone who buys to integrate them into production, transformation or resale is not a consumer. A provider is any natural or legal person, local or foreign, private or public, that professionally produces, imports, distributes or sells goods or provides services in a consumer relation.
Cost to do it: No fee; cost of adapting terms, labels and sales processes.
Example: A Montevideo law firm buying office chairs for its own use is a consumer; a furniture shop buying them for resale is not. / A foreign e commerce seller shipping to Uruguayan households is a provider under art. 3.Ley Nº 17.250 (Consumer Relations Law), art. 1, 2 and 3, 2000-08-11 official text · verified 2026-10-27

2. Consumers have basic rights to protection of life, health and safety, to sufficient, clear and truthful information in Spanish (other languages may be added), to protection against misleading advertising, coercive or unfair methods and abusive clauses, and to effective prevention and compensation of damage. Every offer must state the price including taxes, and credit offers must state the cash price, the amount financed, the number and frequency of payments and, for financial firms, the effective annual interest rate. If information is contradictory, the version most favourable to the consumer prevails.
Cost to do it: Cost of Spanish language labels, manuals and price displays with taxes included.
Example: A shop advertising a TV at UYU 20,000 must show that price with VAT included, plus total financed and instalments if offering credit. / A US brand selling in Uruguay must provide product information and warranty terms in Spanish.Ley Nº 17.250, art. 6, 13, 15, 17 and 20, 2000-08-11 official text · verified 2026-10-27

3. An offer with sufficiently precise information binds the person who makes it for as long as it is published, and until the next business day if published only on a non business day; it may be revoked by similar means before acceptance unless the offeror undertook not to revoke it. All information, including advertising, binds the advertiser and forms part of the contract. Advertising must be identifiable as such; misleading advertising, wholly or partly false or misleading by omission about nature, quantity, origin or price, is prohibited. Comparative advertising is allowed if objective and verifiable, and the advertiser bears the burden of proving factual claims.
Cost to do it: Cost of substantiating advertising claims before publication.
Example: A supermarket flyer with a price error that is clear and precise binds the store while the flyer is in circulation unless revoked by similar means. / A US software firm claiming its product is faster than a rival's in Uruguayan ads must be able to prove it.Ley Nº 17.250, art. 12, 14, 24, 25 and 26, 2000-08-11 official text · verified 2026-10-27

4. When goods or services are offered outside business premises, by mail, phone, TV, internet or similar means, or services are offered in premises set up for the purpose, the consumer may cancel the contract ipso jure within five business days from signature or delivery, at the consumer's choice and without liability, by any reliable means. The consumer returns the product unused and the provider must refund immediately; each party bears its own return cost, and deferred card payments for the contract are cancelled. The provider must inform this right in writing in the contract; if it does not, the consumer may cancel at any time. The right does not apply to customised goods, perishable goods, unsealed hygiene products or sealed recordings and software once opened, newspapers and magazines (except subscriptions), public auctions, dated accommodation, food or leisure services, and digital content whose performance began with the consumer's express consent and acknowledgment of losing the right.
Cost to do it: Cost of returns handling and refunds; no fee.
Example: A customer who buys a sofa online and receives it on Monday 2 November 2026 can cancel until Monday 9 November 2026. / A US online retailer that does not state the withdrawal right in its Uruguayan terms exposes itself to cancellation at any time.Ley Nº 17.250, art. 16 (incisos 6 and 7 added by Ley Nº 19.355 art. 248) and art. 16 BIS added by Ley Nº 19.924 art. 222, art. 16 and 16 BIS, 2020-12-18 official text · verified 2026-10-27

5. From 1 January 2027 the withdrawal period becomes 10 calendar days from contract signature, delivery or start of the service. Providers selling by electronic means must display, visibly, prominently and on first access, a link called 'Botón de arrepentimiento' through which the consumer can exercise the right, which counts as reliable notice. For partly performed services the consumer pays only the part performed and any prepaid balance must be refunded immediately; the provider must give its physical address, not just a post box, and must handle card refunds or cancellations with the card issuers. In the same law, the consumer protection unit is authorised to publish on its website final sanction decisions, providers that fail to attend hearings, providers in arrears on fines with the amount and year, and infringers with the reason, type of sanction and fine.
Cost to do it: Cost of adding a withdrawal button to websites and apps and of processing refunds and card reversals.
Example: Goods delivered on 4 January 2027 can be returned until 14 January 2027 under the new rule. / A foreign platform selling to Uruguayan consumers must add the 'Botón de arrepentimiento' link to its first screen by 1 January 2027.Ley Nº 20.531 (2025 Accountability Law), art. 108 replacing Ley 17.250 art. 16, art. 109 adding Ley 17.250 art. 53, and art. 2 (in force 1 January 2027), Ley 20.531 art. 2, 108 and 109, 2026-10-01 official text · verified 2026-10-27 · changed: Ley Nº 20.531, promulgated 1 October 2026 and in force 1 January 2027, extends the withdrawal period from five business days to 10 calendar days, adds the mandatory online withdrawal button and partial service refunds, and allows the consumer protection unit to publish sanctioned and non appearing providers.

6. Standard form contracts must be in Spanish, in clear terms and easily legible type. Clauses that create clear and unjustified imbalances against the consumer or breach good faith are abusive, including clauses that exclude or limit the provider's liability for defects without legal basis, waive consumer rights, let the provider change the terms unilaterally, give only the provider a termination right, shift the burden of proof, impose representatives, treat consumer silence as acceptance of changes, or set deadlines before automatic renewal for the consumer to opt out. After an automatic renewal the consumer may cancel within 60 calendar days, including membership contracts, and the provider has at most 15 calendar days to process it. Abusive clauses are void and the judge completes the contract. Abusive practices include refusing to sell available goods, setting disproportionate deadlines and sending unrequested goods or services, which the consumer need not pay for or return.
Cost to do it: Cost of reviewing standard terms; abusive clauses are void without compensation.
Example: A gym contract that renews automatically each year lets the member cancel within 60 days after renewal, and the gym must process it within 15 days. / A US SaaS provider selling to Uruguayan small firms as final users cannot rely on a clause allowing it to change prices unilaterally.Ley Nº 17.250, art. 22, 29, 30 and 31 (literal I as reworded by Ley Nº 20.212 art. 185), art. 22, 29, 30 and 31, 2023-11-06 official text · verified 2026-10-27 · changed: Ley Nº 20.212 of 6 November 2023 art. 185 reworded art. 31 literal I on automatic renewals, setting the 60 day cancellation window and the 15 day processing limit.

7. If the provider breaches any obligation, the consumer may choose forced performance, another product or service or equivalent repair, or termination with an inflation adjusted refund, plus damages. Liability for damage caused by defects follows the Civil Code; the retailer or distributor is liable only if the importer and manufacturer cannot be identified or if it stored or altered the product badly. Written warranties must contain minimum information. Claims for apparent defects lapse 30 days after supply for non durable goods and 90 days for durable goods; hidden defects must appear within six months and claims lapse three months after they appear. Personal injury claims prescribe four years from knowledge of the damage, defect and producer, with a ten year long stop from when the product was put on the market.
Cost to do it: Warranty and repair costs; product liability insurance for importers and manufacturers.
Example: A buyer who discovers on 2 November 2026 that a fridge bought in July has a hidden defect must claim by 2 February 2027. / A foreign manufacturer that can be identified bears product liability in Uruguay rather than the local retailer.Ley Nº 17.250, art. 23, 33, 34, 37 and 38, 2000-08-11 official text · verified 2026-10-27

8. The Ministerio de Economía y Finanzas, through the Dirección General de Comercio and its consumer protection area, enforces the law, may inspect premises, demand information and call providers to conciliation hearings at consumers' request. Infractions are classified as minor, serious or very serious according to health risk, market position, profit, intent, social impact, generalisation and recidivism. Sanctions, alone or combined, are: a warning for first minor infractions; fines from 20 UR to 4,000 UR; confiscation of goods posing a clear risk; temporary closure for up to 90 days for repeated serious or very serious infractions; and suspension for up to one year from state supplier registries; with late payment surcharges on unpaid fines. For serious infractions the authority may post signs at the premises for up to 20 days, and may publish the decision in national newspapers at the offender's cost. The provider has 10 business days to answer the inspection record and offer evidence, to be produced within 15 days.
Cost to do it: Fines from 20 UR (about UYU 38,815, US$965) to 4,000 UR (about UYU 7,763,080, US$193,063); closure up to 90 days.
Example: A store found selling without prices including VAT gets an inspection record and has 10 business days to answer before a fine is set. / For a foreign retail chain the fine ceiling per case is about US$193,063, but closure for up to 90 days and public listing from 2027 are the larger risks.Ley Nº 17.250, art. 40 to 49 (art. 47 incisos 3 to 5 added by Ley Nº 19.149 art. 146) and art. 50 as reworded by Ley Nº 20.212 art. 187, art. 40 to 50, 2023-11-06 official text · verified 2026-10-27

Item	Term	Source
Withdrawal, distance and off premises sales (until 31 Dec 2026)	5 business days	Ley 17.250 art. 16
Withdrawal, from 1 Jan 2027	10 calendar days, plus online withdrawal button	Ley 20.531 art. 108
Cancel after automatic renewal	60 calendar days; provider processes in 15	Ley 17.250 art. 31 I
Apparent defects	30 days non durable, 90 days durable	Ley 17.250 art. 37
Hidden defects	Appear within 6 months, claim within 3 months	Ley 17.250 art. 37
Personal injury claims	4 years, 10 year long stop	Ley 17.250 art. 38
Provider defence after inspection	10 business days	Ley 17.250 art. 50

Key deadlines for consumers and providers

Sanction	Rule	Approx. UYU	Approx. USD
Warning	First minor infraction
Minimum fine	20 UR	38,815	965
Maximum fine	4,000 UR	7,763,080	193,063
Closure	Up to 90 days
Suspension from state supplier registries	Up to 1 year
Infringer signs at premises	Up to 20 days

Sanctions (UYU and USD at the rates in the FX note)

Worked example

Online sale: a consumer orders a UYU 45,000 (about US$1,119) laptop online, delivered on Tuesday 15 December 2026. Under the current rule the consumer can cancel within five business days, until Tuesday 22 December 2026. For a delivery on 15 January 2027, the new rule gives 10 calendar days, until 25 January 2027, and the seller's site must show the withdrawal button (Ley 17.250 art. 16; Ley 20.531 art. 108).
Fine exposure: a chain found repeatedly advertising prices without VAT may be fined up to 4,000 UR (about UYU 7,763,080, US$193,063) and, for repeated serious infractions, closed for up to 90 days (art. 47).
Subscription renewal: a streaming or gym contract that renewed automatically on 1 November 2026 can be cancelled by the consumer until 31 December 2026, and the provider has 15 days to process it (art. 31 I).

Step by step

Review standard terms against the art. 31 list and remove liability exclusions, unilateral change clauses and opt out deadlines before renewal.
Show all prices including taxes and, for credit, the cash price, total financed, instalments and effective annual rate.
Provide information, warranties and manuals in Spanish.
State the withdrawal right in writing for distance and off premises sales, and add the 'Botón de arrepentimiento' to websites and apps before 1 January 2027.
Set up refund and card reversal procedures and record your physical address in contracts.
Prepare to answer inspection records within 10 business days and attend conciliation hearings, since non attendance may be published from 2027.

Common traps

Companies buying for their own use are consumers too, so B2B sales of final use goods can fall under the law.
Failing to inform the withdrawal right in writing lets the consumer cancel at any time.
From 2027 the period counts in calendar days from delivery or start of service, not business days.
Advertising binds the advertiser and forms part of the contract; contradictory information is read in the consumer's favour.
Retailers are liable for defects only if importer and manufacturer cannot be identified, so importers carry the main product liability.
Fines are set in UR and rise with wage inflation.

Sources

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