Verified: 18 March 2026 05:35 am CET
Industry: Retail (Supermarket Chain & Online Marketplace)
Jurisdiction: Germany
Primary Regulator: Verbraucherzentrale
Important Safety Warning: Beware of fake customer service numbers on search engines. Only use official channels. Scammers frequently buy ads to promote fraudulent phone numbers. Kaufland staff will never ask for your account password, or ask you to verify your bank details over the phone to process a refund.
Level 1: Customer Support (Kundenservice)
- How to complain: Submit your issue via the official Kaufland online contact form, email them at kundenmanagement@kaufland.de, or call their central customer service hotline at 0800 15 28 352. (Note: For in-store issues, reaching out to the local store manager directly is often the fastest first step).
- Source Verification: Impressum - Kaufland
- Availability: The central customer service hotline operates Monday to Saturday from 08:00 to 20:00 (CET).
- Source Verification: Kontakt - Kaufland
- Timeline: Kaufland aims to respond to standard shipping, return, marketplace seller issues, and product queries within 1 to 3 business days via digital support channels.
Level 2: Formal Written Complaint & Mahnung
- Who to contact: You must formally escalate your financial dispute by sending a registered letter with return receipt (Einschreiben mit Rückschein) to the correct legal entity, clearly stating your claim and setting a legally binding 14-day deadline (Mahnung) for them to issue a refund or resolution:
- For Physical Supermarket Issues: Management Board, Kaufland Dienstleistung GmbH & Co. KG, Rötelstraße 35, 74172 Neckarsulm, Germany.
- For Online/Marketplace Issues: Management Board, Kaufland Marketplace GmbH, Stiftsbergstraße 1, 74172 Neckarsulm, Germany.
- Source Verification: Impressum - Kaufland Global Marketplace
- Timeline: The legally binding deadline of 14 days (set via your Mahnung) provides the company a strict timeframe to resolve the issue before they legally default (in Verzug geraten).
Level 3: Regulatory Authority / ADR
- Authority: Kaufland explicitly states in their Terms and Conditions (AGB) that they are not obliged or willing to participate in dispute resolution proceedings before a German consumer arbitration board (Verbraucherschlichtungsstelle); therefore, your primary recourse is to seek free consumer rights guidance from your local Consumer Advice Centre (Verbraucherzentrale) or use the European Commission’s Online Dispute Resolution (OS-Plattform) for online purchases.
- Source Verification: AGB - Kaufland
- Timeline: You can contact consumer protection immediately after the 14-day deadline in your Mahnung expires without a satisfactory refund or resolution.
Level 4: Legal Action
- Pre-Litigation: Before initiating formal court proceedings, you can seek case-specific legal assistance and representation from your local Consumer Advice Centre (Verbraucherzentrale) to evaluate your breached contract claim against Kaufland or a third-party marketplace seller.
- Source Verification: Verbraucherzentrale - Beschwerde
- Court/Arbitration: If Kaufland is in default (Verzug) after ignoring your formal Mahnung, you can initiate the judicial dunning process (gerichtliches Mahnverfahren) online to obtain an enforceable payment title against them, or file a civil lawsuit at your local district court (Amtsgericht) for financial claims up to €5,000.
- Source Verification: Gemeinsames Mahnportal der Länder
Community Action: Is Kaufland still refusing to refund you for a missing online marketplace order, or ignoring a complaint about a defective product bought in-store? Reply below (do not share your passwords, full account numbers, or PINs), and our community will point you to the right legal templates!