The Ministry of Social Rights, Consumption and Agenda 2030 has launched an intensive surveillance campaign during Black Friday to detect false discounts and deceptive commercial practices in e-commerce. The sanctions for non-compliance are between four and six times the illicit benefit obtained up to a maximum of 100,000 euros, as warned by the Minister of Consumer Affairs, Pablo Bustinduy.
“The time for impunity is over. Whoever engages in these practices is going to pay,” Bustinduy said in statements at a press conference reported by Europa Press, warning that “the law will be complied with, no matter how large or powerful the companies involved are.”
Thousands of products monitored to detect false discounts
Surveillance will focus on thousands of e-commerce products, especially in the textile, toy, technology and small appliance sectors. Consumption seeks to detect the well-known false sales, in which prices are previously increased to then simulate a discount.
In addition, this year the Ministry focuses on the so-called “dark patterns”, such as:
- Drip Pricing: Hidden charges added at checkout.
- Dynamic prices: variations during the purchasing process.
- Personalized prices: different rates depending on the consumer profile.
- Selling under pressure: unrealistic countdown clocks or false shortages.
- Misleading comparisons: Showing reference prices that were never used.
Bustinduy has stressed that this surveillance seeks to prevent large platforms from profiting during these campaigns through manipulative techniques.
Penalties have already been imposed for false discounts
The new campaign continues the actions undertaken in the summer, when Consumption sanctioned seven online operators for misleadingly altering prices in previous campaigns. In those cases, the fines reached 350,000 euros, but for this new phase, serious sanctions are set at up to 100,000 euros.
“We are going to use the full weight of the law to protect consumers, who will not be defenseless,” concluded the minister.