A. M. 
In a recent interview, the president of the Defensoría del Consumidor, Ricardo Salazar, reported that the special verification plan for Black Friday has revealed a high level of irregularities in the advertising and promotions offered by businesses nationwide.
He explained that since november 3, 373 verifications have been carried out, of which 26% showed some type of non-compliance. These infractions range from a lack of clear information about promotions to advertising that could mislead consumers.
Salazar explained that many establishments do not include start and end dates for their offers, use ambiguous expressions such as “valid for a limited time,” or display misleading illustrative images that do not correspond to the product included in the promotion.
In addition, 51 cases were identified related to the lack of information on consumer support mechanisms and other cases linked to warranty breaches.
As part of its commitment to institutional transparency, the Defensoría offers the Promotions, Advertising, and Offers Observatory, a tool that allows the public to identify signs of misleading advertising and review statistics on sectors with the most sanctions.
In this regard, Salazar highlighted that the five sectors with the most fines in recent years are:
• Clothing, footwear, and accessories stores, with 260 sanctions.
• Pharmacies, with 69 sanctions.
• Restaurants, with 61 sanctions.
• Retail stores, with 47 sanctions.
• Car dealerships, with 15 sanctions.
Since 2020, the institution has issued 515 sanctions, totaling more than US$2.1 million in fines. In 2025 alone, 79 new sanctions have already been levied, equivalent to US$326,000.
Salazar reiterated that these actions aim to protect consumers from deceptive practices and reminded the public that complaints can be made by calling 910, via WhatsApp at 7844-1482, or by sending screenshots or links to suspicious social media posts.
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