During the recent Black Friday period, consumer authorities found notable disorder in nearly half of the bids analyzed by Generalitat. The Department of Economy and Labor, through the Catalan Consumer Agency and the General Directorate of Trade, monitored almost 70 companies and about 1,400 products in the late autumn weeks. This effort aimed to detect potential violations of price regulations, with more than half of the cases showing irregularities. [Source: Generalitat de Catalunya, Department of Commerce and Labor, Catalan Consumer Agency, General Directorate of Trade]
Specifically, a statement released by the department on Monday noted that price changes affected more than 450 products out of roughly 900 reviewed. The irregularities appeared to stem from pre-sale prices not being disclosed or not being no lower than the price recorded thirty days before the promotion. Online retailers involved in the cases included Computer Components, Carrefour, Euronics, Fnac, Amazon, The English Court, Media Markt, and other names in the field. [Source: Generalitat de Catalunya, Department of Commerce and Labor]
Meanwhile, the General Directorate of Trade audited around 60 companies, comprising 29 in-person checks and 32 online evaluations, and found noncompliance in roughly 50 to 60 percent of the 480 products analyzed. [Source: General Directorate of Trade, Catalonia]
Faced with these findings, the Generalitat issued formal requests to the implicated companies. The authorities stated that firms may have bypassed price adjustments, and they asked for explanations or additional information to justify their recent trading behavior. If violations are confirmed, sanctions will be filed and the agencies warned that similar improper practices could recur in future campaigns. [Source: Catalan Department of Commerce and Labor]
Fines of up to 100,000 Euros
The consumer code treats unfair commercial practices that distort consumer economic behavior as serious offenses, potentially triggering fines ranging from 10,001 to 100,000 euros. The severity depends on factors such as the number of noncompliant products offered, overall sales volume, profit from the breach, and the number of consumers affected. Commercial arrangements controls note that sanctions can reach up to 20,000 euros in certain cases. [Source: Catalan Consumer Code, Department of Commerce and Labor]
A few days before Black Friday, the Organization of Consumers and Users reported additional findings. The OCU disclosed irregularities in 99 percent of the bids they examined. Online stores were not always using the lowest price from the last 30 days, or even the recommended selling price, which constitutes a violation of trade regulations. [Source: Organization of Consumers and Users]