Store fined for fake “personal discount”: customers reminded of their rights during promotions

In Ivano-Frankivsk region, a chain store was fined for false information about a promotional discount on baby diapers. The company was fined 4,059 hryvnias for violating advertising legislation.

The State Service for the Supervision of Food and Consumer Protection of Ukraine reported this.

The buyer was promised a “big discount”, but the price turned out to be different

The basis for the inspection was an advertising message that the consumer received on Viber. In it, the store offered a “personal discount” on the product and reported a favorable promotional price.

However, during the inspection, experts found that the actual discount did not correspond to the one declared in the advertisement.

The State Service for the Supervision of Food and Consumer Protection of Ukraine noted that such information could mislead buyers about the real conditions of the purchase and has signs of unfair advertising.

What the law requires

Ukrainian legislation obliges sellers to provide consumers with reliable information about promotions and discounts.

Advertisements must contain:

the actual amount of the discount;

conditions of the promotion;

the start and end date of the offer.

If the price at the checkout or the actual discount differs from those stated in the advertisement, the store may receive a fine.

Buyers are urged to carefully check the terms of promotions

According to the results of the inspection, the enterprise was fined 4,059 hryvnias and was required to comply with the requirements of advertising legislation.

The State Service for the Promotion of Food and Consumer Protection of Ukraine urged businesses to be responsible in their advertising campaigns, and buyers to carefully check the terms of promotional offers before making a purchase.