By The Star Staff
Consumer Affairs (DACO) Secretary Francisco González de la Matta said late last week that the agency he leads issued one fine and received 16 complaints related to early bird sales on Black Friday.
The official added that televisions, pillows and security cameras were among the most sought-after items in the sales.
“Pillows are everywhere,” he said Friday at a press conference. “People are taking them two by two, three by three. It has been quite a serious matter. There are also security cameras. There is also a lot of electronic stuff. We were already anticipating that there would be a lot of sales and that has been the trend today, but televisions have been the product that has been sold the most.”
DACO staff were busy observing retail activity at points of sale around the island on the first official shopping day of the Christmas season.
“The number is around 130 visits so far,” González de la Matta said. “Of those 130 visits, there were a total of approximately 16 complaints and only one fine so far.”
“The 16 complaints so far have been mainly about items that are not on the floor,” the DACO chief noted. “That is, the most concrete example being the consumer who is looking for a bicycle that was on special had a limit of two and was already sold out, but that store had ordered additional bicycles so it went to the warehouse and was able to get it. We have seen and the trend has also been that they have ordered more items and, well, that allows consumers who have been looking for a little extra space to get that product that they have been looking for so much.”
González de la Matta said the fine was issued at a business in San Juan over a matter at a discount table.
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