The National Directorate for Consumer Defense and Arbitration in Consumer Affairs charged Mercado Libre and 16 suppliers that operate on the e-commerce platform with “alleged misleading advertising” and, if the behaviors noted are duly proven, fines that “can reach $5,000,000”, informed the Ministry of Productive Development.
The charge was made because both Mercado Libre and suppliers “advertise products for consumers with the possibility of paying in installments without interest when in reality they would have a higher price than in cash payment“, it was stated in a statement.
Based on an ex officio investigation, the National Directorate, dependent on the Secretary of Internal Trade, detected that “many Products promoted with the possibility of paying in installments without interest, would have twin publications of the same product and from the same supplier, but without the possibility of paying in installments without interest, whose cash value was lower“.
The inspection was carried out in February and March and in it publications were found in Mercado Libre in which outstanding offers were observed with messages and expressions such as “I discovered a universe of discounts up to 40% – up to 12x without interest” or “up to 50% off and 12x without interest”among other.
“In this way, consumers would have been induced to believe that the possibility of paying products in interest-free installments was being offered, when it would not be true since publications in installments would have a higher price,” said the agency. .
“Consumers would have been induced to believe that the possibility of paying products in installments without interest was being offered, when it would not be true since publications in installments would have a higher price”
This practice, he added, “would set up an alleged Non-compliance with articles 4 and 7 of Law No. 24,240 on Consumer Protection“.
These articles “oblige, respectively, every supplier to provide true, clear and detailed information on everything related to the marketing conditions of the goods it provides and on the modalities, conditions or limitations of the offer it issues”, said Consumer Protection.
“The company has five business days to discharge it. In the event that the behaviors warned are actually proven, the fines established in the current regulations will be applied, which can reach $5,000,000,” he warned.
Internal Trade explained that “the right to information implies that the consumer must be informed in a certain, detailed and truthful manner of the characteristics of the good or service that is offered, so that he or she can decide freely and reasoned whether whether you want to access it or not,” said Internal Trade, which in turn clarified that it seeks to “modify systematic practices that violate the rights of consumers and protect consumer relations.”
