Discount Season: Electronic Consumer Complaint Platform Launched

A new digital platform for consumer complaints about trade enterprises (shops) has been launched by the Ministry of Development and Investment in order to better control speculation and fictitious discounts, as well as other violations in the field of trade.

These offenses (complaints from citizens) will be considered as a matter of priority.

How the platform works

Consumer complaints can be filed at kataggelies.mindev.gov.gr and relate to violations in Greece, the European Union and beyond. The platform displays five different topics for which consumers can file a complaint, named or anonymous:

• consumer goods,
• services,
• Banking services,
• insurance and other financial services,
• information companies-debtors,
• debt settlement,
• protection of personal information.

What issues can you complain about?

Among the subjects that can be complained about are consumer products such as food, cosmetics, farm, nutritional supplements, etc., but also food safety, marketing rules (weighing, interpretation of legislation, misleading advertisements, etc.), for counterfeit products, personal data protection services and other issues that are not fully within the competence of the Ministry of Development and Investment.

If the general secretariat for trade and consumer protection is not responsible for a topic, information for the competent control service is provided through the platform.

The platform is already active as stated at a press conference on the occasion start of winter sales on Monday January 9th. This is because consumers will be able to report fictitious discounts through the platform, especially since the “30-day rule” is now in effect.

As a reminder, in accordance with the provision contained in Law 4933/2022, under the price before the discount is the lowest price applied by the merchant for a period of at least 30 days before the price reduction is applied. The same provision provides that when the product is on the market for less than thirty days, the previous price is understood to be the lowest price applied by the seller within 10 days prior to the application of the price reduction. If the price cut increases gradually, the previous price is the price without the price cut before the first price cut was applied.

In case of violation of the above provision, a fine of up to 4% of the total business turnover is provided. “In conditions of high inflation, we will help curb inflation in the next two months with real discounts,” Mr. Georgiadis stressed.

Regarding the control that will be carried out by ΔΙΜΕΑ, the minister noted that so far the body has proved its effectiveness, its staff has reached 90 people. However, it is noted that much of the control process is now done electronically.

“The share of companies that violated for profit is less than 6% of the enterprises inspected. It is not speculation that is the main cause of inflation, but international events,” he stressed and added that thorough checks are carried out in large and small stores. And the competent authorities have already started issuing fines.

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