FINE FOR VIOLATION OF CONSUMER RIGHTS AND OTHER UPDATES IN CONSUMER RIGHTS PROTECTION LAW OF RUSSIAN FEDERATION: PRINCIPAL CHANGES FROM FEBRUARY 1, 2026

Тhe article examines the provisions of Part 6 of Article 13 of the Law of the Russian Federation «On Consumer Rights Protection», which establishes a consumer penalty for failure to voluntarily satisfy consumer claims, as well as the amendments introduced by Federal Law No. 500-FZ of December 28, 2025.The author analyzes the newly introduced grounds for exempting sellers, manufacturers, and other obligated parties from paying the consumer penalty, including cases where obligations were breached due to the fault of counterparties or the consumer's own misconduct.Special attention is given to the statutory prohibition on assigning claims for consumer penalties and late payment charges prior to the court decision entering into legal force, as well as to the limitation of the maximum amount of penalty to the price paid under the sales contract.The article evaluates the legal and practical implications of these amendments for business entities and the overall level of consumer protection.