Polish prosecutor seizes assets from Dreamofwood owners Dominika and Rafał W. after numerous fraud allegations.
Dreamofwood Business Practices Under Scrutiny
The company from Słubic, which produces and sells garden saunas under the Dreamofwood brand, has faced legal issues. Former employees reported not receiving overdue payments, sometimes amounting to tens of thousands of zloty. A former employee described the company’s approach: “They hire someone and push for maximum results. Then the employee is told the money will come later, delayed under the pretext of ‘temporary’ financial difficulties.”
One former employee stated: “I was told they would definitely pay, but with delays. They said problems were due to expensive trade fairs in Germany. On my last day, they gave me flowers and said they would sort everything out. I trusted them.” This employee was owed about 12,500 zloty for June and July after going to labor court and involving a bailiff.
Legal Consequences
In February of last year, the District Court in Słubic imposed a 2,200 zloty fine on Dominika W., confirming non-payment of wages to multiple employees in 2024. The Regional Labor Inspectorate in Zielona Góra also noted “late wage payments.”
As of last year, the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Słubic had recorded 15 notifications of suspected fraud totaling over 860,000 zloty, plus three from employees regarding labor rights violations. By late January, Dominika and Rafał W. faced charges under Art. 286 of the Criminal Code (fraud), as well as violations of accounting and labor laws. They did not plead guilty and refused to provide explanations.
Customer Complaints
Customers also complained, with some paying high deposits but never receiving ordered saunas or receiving defective products. Prices for such saunas ranged from tens to hundreds of thousands of zloty.
A former employee noted: “They kept collecting orders. At one point, dozens of saunas were ordered for two months. It seemed completely unplanned, uncalculated, as if no one was controlling costs.” One customer told “Gazeta Lubuska”: “May 2 marked a year since I neither have my order nor my money.”
Prosecution Response
The prosecutor’s office applied 10,000 zloty property bonds and police supervision to the couple. Assets worth approximately 2 million zloty were secured, reflecting losses reported by victims. Investigators continue gathering evidence and appeal to other potential victims to come forward.
Company Response
Dominika and Rafał W. initially requested a face-to-face meeting for comment but eventually provided a signed statement. Rafał W. claimed the company had filed a notification of suspected crime against “false, defamatory content” in public spaces.
In an email, Rafał W. stated proceedings were based on laws including combating unfair competition and criminal code, though he incorrectly cited a non-existent “Act on Personal Data Protection and Trade Secret.” He emphasized the company was acting “in the interest of its current contractors, customers and reputation” while respecting legal procedures.
