The president of the Defensoría del Consumidor, Ricardo Salazar, has informed that the CD recovered US$103,242,622.15 in favor of 540,287 consumers and imposed US$7,060,843.44 in fines to more than 1,700 suppliers violating the legal frameworks of consumer protection.

Of the US$103.2 million dollars, $73,592,574.72 (73%) corresponds to collective cases closed with refunds, which benefited 495,016 consumers; while, through alternative means of dispute resolution in individual cases, judicial representation in civil and commercial courts and refund orders issued by the CD Sanctioning Court, $27,608,447.87 was recovered in favor of 45,271 salvadorans.

84.0% of the amount recovered is in the following sectors:

Real Estate: US$46.24 million, in favor of 10,405 beneficiaries.

Transportation: US$16.91 million, in favor of 80,902 consumers.

Financial Services: US$11.04 million, in favor of 13,091 beneficiaries; Household Appliances: US$10.62 million, in favor of 27,860 consumers.

90.0 % of the amount recovered was for the following reasons:

Breach of contract and offer: $70.84 million, in favor of 479,739 salvadorans; Right of withdrawal and withdrawal of purchase: $10.20 million, in favor of 18,900 beneficiaries;

Charges, fees and undue commissions: $7.33 million, in favor of 21,678 beneficiaries;

• Abusive clauses: $3.19 million, in favor of 3,234 beneficiaries.

These numbers, unprecedented in consumer protection institutions, are also reflected in the number of consumers who have approached the Defensoría del Consumidor to exercise their rights.

Translated by: A.M