Black Friday, “black” but safe Friday – Diario del Ayuntamiento de Madrid

For some years now, Black Friday has made its way into our calendar and into our habits, becoming a fixed appointment for buying what we have been saving for a good price, for example renewing appliances or simply taking care of ourselves.

The idea, born more than sixty years ago in Philadelphia (USA) in an allusion to the intense traffic of vehicles and people who crowded the streets the day after Thanksgiving, is a good opportunity to anticipate even Santa Claus or the Three Wise Men and begin to ‘hide’ gifts in warehouses. To ensure that “Black Friday” is also safe, the Madrid City Council has produced an information video with the main tips and recommendations to take into account before diving into a shopping spree.

The video is one of those that make up the information campaign that the Istituto Comunale dei Consumi, dependent on the Economy, Innovation and Employment Area, is disseminating on the subject of consumption, both of a general and sectoral nature. Its objective is to guarantee consumers’ rights and remind them that price reductions can never lead to a reduction in the quality of products or an infringement of their rights as consumers.

What you need to know

The video addresses aspects related to labeling, advertising, proof of purchase, means of payment, guarantees, claim forms, exchanges and returns, among others.

We give you some notes of the main recommendations:

• Always buy from reputable stores and websites
• Advertising is always binding and it is possible to request compliance with the advertised conditions. Therefore, keep promotional brochures in case you need to make a complaint.
• All products must also have old price and reduced price marked both on line as if it were in an establishment. In the latter case, they must appear indoors and in shop windows.
• Always keep the proof of purchase, it is necessary to enforce the guarantee or claim. All products have a three-year legal guarantee from delivery. In the sale of used products it is possible to agree on a shorter term, never less than a year.
• In case of defective purchases or compliant purchases, you are entitled to repair or free replacement of the product. If this is not possible, you are entitled to a price reduction or refund.
• Optionally, the manufacturer or seller can provide a commercial guarantee that improves on the legal one. In goods of a durable nature, it must be delivered in writing or on a durable medium.
• If you buy online, you have the right to withdraw from the purchase within 14 days of delivery. They can only charge you, if so announced, the costs necessary for the return.

These are advice and recommendations to keep in mind since it is estimated that sales in our country on these dates constitute 30% of the annual turnover of the commercial sector. About 13 million adult Spaniards will buy these days, with an average cost per person of 127 euros. Technological products, fashion and accessories, leisure time are the three most requested categories on these dates and represent respectively 39, 34 and 8% of purchases. And a strong preference for shopping on line, which no more than 70% of consumers oppose. And an important fact that reveals the importance of Black Friday: 2,000 jobs are expected to be created in Madrid alone, mainly related to the logistics and order transport sector.

Peace of mind for consumers

But in addition to temporary actions like this campaign, Council develops inspection programs for sales promotion activities to ensure consumer rights and verify that the business sector complies with current regulations. In these visits, the employer is offered the opportunity to correct any deficiencies found and, in a second visit, it is verified whether he has actually done so. Almost 1,200 inspections were carried out last year alone, of which more than 800 were first visits and the rest were checks.

The most common irregularity found, in 38.8% of the establishments, was the lack of clear display of information on consumer rights in case of out of stock during the promotion period. Subsequently, in 37.6% of cases, the validity period of the promotion or offer was not visibly signaled to the public. In 25.8% of the inspections the conditions of sale to the public were not clearly indicated and in 18.4% of the cases the previous price was not indicated together with the reduced price.

Other inspection programs addressed by the City Council are focused on ensuring the safety of the products that are on the market. In this case, the inspections carried out last year were almost 1,900 thanks to which more than 1,600 units of products were withdrawn from the market, of which about 1,200 were toys.