The President of the Polish Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) has initiated an explanatory procedure regarding a potential competition-restricting agreement involving Garmin Polska, a representative of the manufacturer of smartwatches and other devices. The authority also conducted searches at the premises of four entities to gather evidence.

Signals received by UOKiK indicated that Garmin Polska may have engaged in anticompetitive practices by potentially coordinating prices of products like smartwatches and navigation devices with its distributors. An analysis revealed that Garmin's product prices in online stores were either the same or very similar.

If the gathered evidence confirms suspicions, the UOKiK President will commence antimonopoly proceedings and bring charges against specific entities involved. Participation in a competition-restricting agreement could lead to financial penalties of up to 10% of the company's turnover, with responsible managers facing fines of up to 2 million PLN.

Businesses and managers involved in illegal agreements have the opportunity to mitigate or avoid severe sanctions through a leniency program, which allows for reduced or waived fines in exchange for cooperation as a 'crown witness' with UOKiK. The authority also encourages anonymous whistleblowers to report anticompetitive practices through a dedicated online form ensuring complete anonymity.