Misleading advertising is “a prohibited practice, punishable under the law”, reminds the DGC. Comparing prices is essential to avoid being deceived by unfair commercial practices.
This Monday alerted consumers about promotions in November, such as ‘Black Friday’, in which they can be used false discounts, false advertising or unfair commercial practices.
In the campaign “Compare prices and consider your purchase – The decision is yours!”, DGC urges consumers to be aware of false discounts and misleading promotions.
The DGC refers to the law and reminds us that the price of promotions “must correspond to a discount on the lowest price at which the product was sold, in the same store, in the last 30 days”.
At the same time, it suggests that consumers compare the price of the same good sold by different professionalsthe use of price comparators and informed decision-making, also highlighting that misleading advertising “is a prohibited practice, punishable under the law”.
DGC also highlights some commercial practices used during this promotion season, such as using feelings of urgency to pressure the consumer to decide, rfraudulent copy of official stores or sending misleading ‘links’ in email, telephone or social media messages.
7 tips to protect yourself
To encourage “informed and responsible” consumption, DGC launched seven tips for consumers: check exchange and return policies before purchasing, compare products and prices, check whether the shipping costs are worth the discount or promotion or whether the discount on the item compensates for the use of a credit card.
Likewise, the DGC asks that the payment system used on the website is secure, that information about the identity and contacts of those who sell is checked and that sudden price changes are reported to the Food and Economic Security Authority. (ASAE) and herself.
‘Black Friday’, which takes place on the fourth Friday of November, was associated with large discounts, extending to different types of promotions throughout the month.
In an inspection action in 2023, the DGC checked advertising messages for 100 products from 20 economic operators, detecting “three cases with signs of infractions”.
