price together with the price before the discount.
The European Consumer Centre in Spain (ECC-Spain) reminds that - in sales - the labelling of products must include the same information as the rest of the year, clearly stating the discounted price together with the price before the discount. In this regard, ECC-Spain recalls that the regulation states that the reference price on which the discount has to be applied must be the lowest price during the last 30 days. In addition, information on taxes, shipping costs and other additional costs must also be included. Furthermore, the quality of the products must be the same whether they are discounted or not, and remember that the regulations prohibit selling products as discounted if they are - in reality - deteriorated.
As for the guarantee of goods, it should be the same as at any other time. In this regard, it should be noted that - in January 2022 - the mandatory or minimum legal guarantee for consumer goods was extended from two to three years. In addition, commercial guarantees included in advertising should prevail over legal guarantees if they are more beneficial to the consumer. For second-hand goods purchased from professionals, a warranty period of less than three years may be agreed, but in no case less than one year. Furthermore, in Spain, unless proven otherwise, it will be presumed that the lack of conformity came from the factory during the two years following the delivery of the goods, so the consumer will not need to prove it. Once this period has elapsed, it will be the customer who will have to prove that the defect came from the factory.
Consumers are also reminded that, in the case of purchases performed at a distance (online, telephone, mail order or home delivery), they have 14 days to return them without having to justify the reason (right of withdrawal). In these cases, unless otherwise stated, the return shipping costs must be paid by the consumer.
ECC-Spain recommendations
- Make a list of the products you want to buy and set a budget.
- Compare the product in different establishments well in advance, performing a real follow-up of the prices.
- Keep all the documentation supporting the purchase.
- Before buying, ask about the conditions. Physical shops are not obliged to accept a return, unless there is a defect; and the refund may not be in cash, but in a redeemable card or voucher.
- Check whether the shop is a member of the consumer arbitration system in order to be able to resolve complaints more quickly and free of charge, if necessary.
- Keep the receipt or invoice of the purchase in order to be able to make a claim.
Online shopping:
- Check the identity of the company: name or company name, VAT number, address, contact details. This information is usually available in the Legal Notice or General Conditions of the website.
- Confirm basic product information: price, additional costs, method of payment, delivery times, right of withdrawal, period of validity of the offer.
- Check that the website is a secure site by checking that the URL begins with https.
- Always read the terms and conditions.
- Preferably pay by credit card, avoiding bank transfers.