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Madrid, January 8, 2024.
Inflation and the drop in household savings are going to affect the sales season. Even so, the sector expects positive figures for this period of the year in which, according to Allianz Partners, it is essential to know the legal framework that consumers can benefit from when making their purchases.
The end of Christmas begins the sales season. The forecasts for this year are once again very promising: it is estimated that each Spaniard will spend an average of 164 euros. Furthermore, the economic context encourages taking advantage of discounts, since 2023 has ended with inflation of 3.5% and household savings are increasingly lower. As a consequence, in recent years, the sales period has been increasing and the discounts are more aggressive. In fact, there are many businesses that advertise discounts of 60, 70 or even 80% on the original price in their windows. Paz Tejedor, head of Legal Assistance and Protection at Allianz Partners Spain, warns that “since the COVID-19 pandemic COVID and the economic crisis, we consumers have become more cautious in our spending, and we buy mostly through online commerce. For this reason, there are many businesses that have a high stock of products that they need to sell. We are facing a sector that Look for quick solutions to increase sales.” Therefore, as consumers, it is essential to know the legal framework that covers each purchase we make, as well as the customer’s rights over the products. Paz Tejedor, distinguishes, in this case, between physical stores and online commerce. The case of physical establishments: • Discounted products cannot be of lower quality than they had before being discounted. Otherwise, they would be referred to as defective products.• The original price of the product must always be clearly stated next to the discounted price, or a clear indication of the percentage discount on the original price. If the original price does not appear, it is a reason for distrust.• Since return without cause is not mandatory and is due to merchant policies, some establish a return period different from the usual ones or in different payment methods. You should always verify this before purchasing.• If the return without cause is by means of a voucher, it cannot have an expiration date. Case law determines that if money does not expire and a voucher is a form of money, it cannot expire either.• The ticket or invoice must always be kept. It is the document that gives the right to claim the product warranty, or to return it without cause if the commercial policy of the premises contemplates it, whether in physical or digital format. Proof of the bank card is not useful.• A discounted product has the same legal warranty period as a non-discounted product: three years for new products and one year for second-hand products.• In the event of any non-compliance by an establishment , it must be remembered that they are obliged to have Complaint Forms available to consumers, and failure to deliver them already represents an infraction in Consumer matters that is punishable. • The Consumer Arbitration System is an extraordinary system of resolution of disputes between consumers and companies. It is agile, free, effective and has res judicata effects as if it were a court ruling, therefore, whenever possible, it is advisable to choose establishments that have the distinction of being adhered to this system. In the case of commerce online:• The device must be properly configured and protected, to avoid any malware that compromises the data provided by the user.• It is advisable to use a secure connection, and avoid public Wi-Fi networks, since they have no guarantee of security.• You must always check that the address of the online store begins with ‘HTTPS’ and a padlock appears in the address bar. This determines that the information transmitted is encrypted.• Check the information provided by the website. It is important to see the legal notice, check who the owners are, where they have their tax domicile, what payment methods they accept, how personal data is protected and what their shipping and return policy is.• It is always advisable to seek the opinions of others of users about the online store, see if it has recommendations or, on the contrary, accumulates many complaints.• The right to return the product can be exercised without indicating any reason and within a period of 14 calendar days from receiving the item.It is It is essential to be responsible when purchasing, and to be correctly informed before purchasing any product. From the legal and legal assistance area of Allianz Partners Spain, they are in charge of protecting and advising the client in this type of situation, as well as defending their rights.
Contact Contact name: Press Allianz Partners Contact description: Allianz Partners Contact phone: 618082983
