Paragrafo or a free template from the internet
Short answer
A free template is usable for understanding what a document looks like. As live text on a website it is risky for one specific reason: on 1 July 2024 Act 108/2024 Coll. on consumer protection took effect and repealed at once the three pieces of legislation that older templates rest on. A template that refers to Act 250/2007 Coll. or to Act 102/2014 Coll. points to legislation that no longer applies, and you can spot that at a glance. The problem is that a template referring to the right act can be just as old, only it does not show.
Free templates have one genuine advantage and it is worth saying: they show you the structure of the document and the vocabulary used to talk about the subject. If you have never seen the document, it is sensible to read one.
The risk is not that they are free. It is that they carry no date and nobody updates them. The text sits on a blog, in a chamber's archive or in an old article and still looks just as trustworthy three years after the legislation it relies on stopped applying.
Slovakia had a recodification of consumer law in 2024, so with templates for e-shops this problem is unusually large. Below is exactly what happened and how to spot an old template.
The difference, criterion by criterion
- Up to dateParagrafo:The text rests on wordings loaded from the official register and for each document we know which time version of the regulation it is.A template downloaded from the internet:Unknown. Most templates have no revision date and no information about which wording they are based on.
- Alert about an amendmentParagrafo:Arrives by email before the change takes effect, because future wordings are published in the register in advance.A template downloaded from the internet:Does not arrive. Once downloaded, the template becomes your file and nobody monitors it.
- Your details in the textParagrafo:Filled in from a form into all documents at once, including identification details and contacts.A template downloaded from the internet:You fill them in by hand. The most common mistake with templates is the previous owner's name left in the text.
- An explanation of why each part is thereParagrafo:For each document type there is a statement of what it has to contain and which provision that follows from.A template downloaded from the internet:As a rule none. A template is a finished text without reasoning, so you do not know what you can leave out.
- Adaptation to what you doParagrafo:The text changes according to the type of business and to what you sell.A template downloaded from the internet:One text for everyone. A template for an e-shop selling goods does not fit the sale of digital content.
- PriceParagrafo:A subscription from 19 euros a month including VAT.A template downloaded from the internet:Free. The cost only shows up once the text turns out to be bad.
When the other option is better
These are the cases in which we do not recommend Paragrafo to you. They come before the reasons for us deliberately.
You only want to see what the document looks like
For understanding the structure a template is entirely sufficient and you do not have to pay anything for it. Our template pages, which are public, serve the same purpose.
It is an internal text with no legal effect
An internal guideline, a note for colleagues, a basis for discussion. There you are misleading nobody and a mistake causes nothing.
The template is from this year and from a source that maintains it
Updated templates from law firms and from supervisory authorities do exist. What matters is whether the text has a revision date and whether it states which wording of the act it is based on. If it does, it is an honest source.
When Paragrafo is a good fit
The text is going on a public website
Published terms and conditions are read by customers and by supervisory authorities. A reference to repealed legislation in them is a visible mistake that even a layperson notices.
You sell to consumers
Consumer law is precisely the area the recodification affected most, so the risk of an out-of-date template is highest there.
You do not want to deal with it again in a year
The difference between a template and a tool does not show on the day you download it, but at the first amendment. The template then stays exactly as it was.
You first want to check what you have on your website today
The free check goes through your address and lists what is missing from it. Even if you end up leaving the documents as they are, you will know about it.
Common misconceptions
A complaints procedure is a mandatory document
Not any more. The duty to have a separate complaints procedure ended together with the repealed consumer protection act of 2007. What remains mandatory is the information about liability for defects and about how to make a complaint, which is usually part of the terms and conditions. An old template, however, still presents it as an obligation.
A link to the European dispute resolution platform has to be on the website
That platform has been shut down and a link to it no longer belongs in terms and conditions. It is replaced by details of the relevant alternative dispute resolution body. A link to a platform that no longer exists is one of the most reliable signs that a template is old.
If a template cites the right act, it is up to date
Not necessarily. An act is amended without its number changing. A template can cite the right piece of legislation and still be based on a wording that has since stopped applying. That is why what matters for a text is the revision date, not the number of the act.
It is enough to take the template and change the company name
The document describes what you actually do: the time limits, the way of delivery, to whom and how a complaint is made. If you do not do what the text says, the document does not protect you, it incriminates you.
Frequently asked questions
How do I recognise that a template is out of date?
Look for a mention of Act 250/2007 Coll. or Act 102/2014 Coll. and for a link to the European dispute resolution platform. Both are signs of a text from before July 2024. A missing revision date is a sign that you will not find out at all.
Are your public template pages free as well?
Yes. For each document type there is a public description of what it has to contain, which regulation it rests on and which mistakes are made in it most often. You only pay for generating and managing the document itself.
What happens if I have an out-of-date document on my website?
An old text is not in itself something you can be fined for. The problem arises when mandatory information is missing from it or when it misleads the consumer about their rights, for example about the period for withdrawing from the contract.
Where to check this in the law
This page compares approaches, not provisions, which is why it deliberately carries no section numbers. The verbatim wording from the official register is with the individual topics.