The Madeira Regional Economic Secretariat released a statement highlighting a promotional campaign inspection conducted by the Regional Authority for Economic Activities (ARAE). The operation, which spanned three days and involved four inspectors, aimed to ensure compliance with legal requirements concerning price reduction practices, price posting, potential unfair commercial practices, or other antieconomic violations, according to regional inspector Sónia Menezes.

The initiative targeted numerous retail establishments offering price reductions. Detected violations included the “use of expressions not legally prescribed within promotional campaigns,” “failure to submit the mandatory declaration regarding sales,” “lack of required indications (start date and duration of the promotional campaign),” “failure to submit the original Complaints Forms,” and “failure to provide the Complaints Book.”

ARAE will continue necessary monitoring and supervision to ensure compliance with legislation in these matters.

The Regional Authority emphasizes that, during this period of increased consumer demand and consumption, certain measures should be considered. These include “verification of delivery times and availability of goods” and “knowledge of exchange and return policies of economic operators, which are subject to specific legislation.”

“Generally, the economic operator is not obligated to exchange products that do not have defects, depending on the policy adopted by the seller,” the statement notes.

The Regional Authority also urges consumers to “use the Complaints Book responsibly and only for situations that truly warrant documentation.”