The Christmas holidays are ending and, with their end, comes an event highly anticipated by consumers: the January sales. From This January 7th the discounts begin in large physical stores. Some will take the opportunity to make their first purchases of the year, while others will use the opportunity to exchange those gifts that have not suited them.
Group stores such as Inditex (Zara, Massimo Dutti, Pull & Bear, Bershka, Stradivarius and Oysho), Tendam (Cortefiel, Springfield, Women’secret and Pedro del Hierro), El Corte Inglés and Mango are now opening their stores with discounts , but what do you have to do to make the most of them?
Tips to get the most out of them
The first thing to keep in mind, according to the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU), is that, despite the fact that prices are lower, consumer rights do not change. That is to say, the quality of the products cannot get worse with sales. Therefore, you must complain if you receive a product in poor condition. The warranty and after-sales service are the sameregardless of whether you buy the product during sales or outside that period.
In fact, they add that, in the event that special conditions are established for the sales period (limitations on the means of payment or refunds), establishments are obliged to expressly indicate this. However, if you buy on sale, you must remember that it is important to keep the receipt for any claim, exchange or return.
On the other hand, the OCU remembers that, if the product is in perfect condition, the establishment is not obliged to change it (unless it expressly announces or advertises it), although most businesses do so, as it is good commercial practice. . In any case, they don’t have to refund your money; They may also offer to exchange it for another item or a voucher.
In the online shoppingthe consumer is especially protected: they have 14 calendar days to return your purchase if you are not convinced.
What are the most common frauds?
Although sales present an opportunity for many, they also mean an increase in fraud. But what are the most common on these dates and how can they be avoided? The consumer association FACUA warns that there are various ways to commit fraud. For example, advertise as discounted a product that actually has exactly the same price as before of the beginning of the sales season.
“Likewise, there are establishments that They apply price increases in the previous days and then lower thems and announce it as discounted. On the other hand, there are sales that are exaggerated, announcing on the labels or posters placed next to the items percentages of discounts that are much higher than the real ones. And, lastly, there are businesses that advertise as discounted products that had not actually been on sale before,” they say from the platform.
FACUA advises consumers that, if they verify that a product is advertised with a discount and this does not really exist or its percentage does not correspond to reality, in addition to disseminating the facts through the networks to alert other customers of the establishment in issue, present a complaint to the regional consumer protection authorities so that the appropriate sanctions are applied.