Booklet gives tips to avoid falling for scams on Black Friday

Senacon (National Consumer Secretariat), from the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, prepared a guide with guidelines and rights guaranteed by the Consumer Protection Code to guide Brazilians to take advantage of Black Friday promotions in a safer and more conscious way. This year’s trade event will be on November 29th.

Read (PDF – 365 kB) the Consumer Protection Guide for Black Friday.

“[O guia] arises in a context of growth in online shopping in Brazil and the increase in complaints during major promotional events, such as false offers, inflated prices before discounts and problems with product delivery”declared Senacon.

In the 2023 edition, consumer protection platforms received more than 7,000 complaints from citizens frustrated with false promises of discounts and benefits. The objective now is to offer the necessary tools to identify real promotions and prevent abusive practices.

Senacon stated that it will monitor the market and work in partnership with consumer protection agencies to prevent irregularities and apply sanctions to companies that disrespect consumer rights.

The secretariat also said to encourage the use of the Consumidor.gov.br platform to directly resolve conflicts between consumers and registered companies. “More than 80% of complaints registered on the portal have a positive outcome”declared Senacon.

TOP TIPS

The guide highlights points that consumers should observe before, during and after the purchase:

• prior price search – to avoid pitfalls, Senacon recommends monitoring prices in advance. Online comparison tools can be great allies;
• be wary of offers far below the market – products with extremely reduced prices can hide traps, such as scams on fraudulent websites;
• check the seller’s reputation – before purchasing, the consumer should consult the store’s reputation on complaints websites and check whether the supplier’s CNPJ is active. Through the RedeSim platform it is possible to consult the companies’ CNPJ;
• read the full product description – the absence of clear information may constitute a violation of the Consumer Protection Code, which guarantees the right to adequate information about product characteristics, risks and restrictions;
• right of repentance – for purchases made outside the physical establishment, such as over the internet or by telephone, the consumer has up to 7 working days to cancel, without needing to justify;
• guarantee against abusive practices – the Consumer Protection Code protects against misleading advertising and abusive clauses in contracts, such as undue charges or lack of technical support after the sale;
• Be careful with shipping and delivery times – the guide states that the supplier is obliged to clearly inform shipping costs and delivery times before finalizing the purchase.

With information from .