With the arrival of Black Friday the discount campaign begins that many people take advantage of to do their Christmas shopping, both in physical stores and in online commerce. For this reason, the Municipal Consumer Information Office (OMIC) of Martorell reminds us of the importance of maintaining a critical attitude towards advertising and encourages responsible consumption.
He Black Friday or black friday has more and more followers. During these days consumers will flock to the shops in search of the best bargains. Many of these purchases are likely to be made over the Internet, so it is advisable to take extreme precautions to detect false price reductions, falsely limited promotions, or fraudulent or non-existent merchant sites.
To avoid falling victim to a deception, the Consumer Affairs Officer of the Martorell City Council, Ferran Riera, recommends being cautious, especially when it comes to shopping on the Internet. Riera explains that as important commercial periods approach such as sales or the Black Fridaysome professionals show false promotions and remember that “any price reduction announcement must be accompanied by a reference price corresponding to the lowest price charged by the professional during the last 30 days”.
It should not be confused with the price “recommended” by the supplier or the price of competitors, sometimes shown by the professional for comparison purposes. In the same way, Riera says that we are “beware of sites or stores that advertise -20 or -50% on the home page or in the shop window, while the discount only affects a very limited number of references or items “.
Ferran Riera, tècnic de Consum de l'Ajuntament de Martorell
Another chapter of recommendations involves paying attention to falsely limited promotions. Showing a countdown timer creates a sense of urgency in the consumer and pushes them to buy without having time to think. The Consumer technician says that “this can be a fraudulent practice, if the information on which this promotion is based is false. Don’t let yourself be manipulated and take the time to compare offers and prices.”
Similarly, some professionals take advantage of the context of quick online purchases to “add quotas or subscriptions to the shopping basket, more or less hidden”, warns Riera. This is a deceptive business practice, so when shopping, please make sure you take the time to review your cart before checkout to ensure you are not paying for any services or products you did not select yourself.
In addition, “during the intense commercial periods, such as Black Fridayfraudulent sites flourish in the hope of attracting a few uninformed customers”, assures the local Consumer technician. Riera says to check that “all online sales sites carry the information on legal notices, identity of the seller, company name, etc.” If these details are not mentioned on the site, choose another merchant. Also be careful with dropshipping sites – their manager does not have stock and lets their suppliers ship your order. The practice is not prohibited, but you may find it difficult to make yourself heard in the event of a delivery delay.
Ferran Riera, tècnic de Consum de l'Ajuntament de Martorell
Consumers have, for most products, a period of 14 days, from delivery, to change their mind about a purchase made online, this is the right of withdrawal. This right also applies to any item for sale, second hand or out of stock. If it is within this period, the professional cannot refuse to recover the product and refund it. This right also guarantees you a refund of all amounts paid for the purchase, including shipping costs. However, the costs of returning the product will have to be paid if the professional has indicated that he does not pay them.
Source: martorelldigital.cat
