Have you ever seen too good a discount or too low a price that is hard to believe? It’s even worth double-checking before letting the deal be tempted because rise in e-commerce fraud…
Regarding Black Friday and Cyber Monday scheduled for the next few days, the Directorate General of Consumer Affairs (DGC) has released a set of seven tips that can help Internet users make safer purchases, as well as information on checks.
Between early 2019 and November 2021, more than 32,500 operators were screened by the Food and Economic Security Administration for commercial practices with price reductions, according to published data. These are the operators of physical stores (2759) and online (29780).
The number of violations found is high, especially in online stores. Overall, in physical establishments, the number of violations was 260, which corresponds to 9% of non-compliance, while 1,812 violations were reported on the Internet (a specific non-compliance rate of 6%), according to the DGC.
“The number of considered cases of administrative offenses is approximately 1,780 and amounts to 1,569,222.65 euros in fines,” the authority said.
Regarding the most frequent violations in the area of discount sales, for the same period (2019-2021), Regardless of the method of sale, it was found that the most notable violation was non-compliance with advertising rules for sale with a price reduction. ”
This is why “DGC recommends discretion and consideration in the selection and purchase of consumer products or services, especially during Black Friday and Cyber Monday,” also remembering that “ASAE will be especially attentive during this period in accordance with its competencies”.
DGC has also released a set of 7 tips to help consumers shop more safely.
The Authority encourages consumers to check prices in store and on the Internet in advance in order to be able to assess the relationship between price and discount, namely by comparing the sales values of products, thereby calculating the benefits offered.
The exchange and return policies applied at each establishment must also be verified and particular attention should be paid to false promotions. “Consumers should complain if they find aggressive or misleading advertisements, as this is a prohibited practice, and the DGC is the competent authority in this matter,” he says.
Also advice that SAPO TeK has put together for this shopping season this is dossier with the best opportunities for Black Friday…
