25 November 2022, Budapest - On the last Friday of November, many shops begin their sales, while in many stores the Christmas sales are already on. The Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH) actively supports both consumers and undertakings to avoid complaints and legal disputes, and continues to act whenever it detects any infringement of competition.
The last Friday in November i.e., the day following the Thanksgiving celebration in the North American culture and the first day after the ritual thanksgiving of the autumn harvest, has been the start of the Christmas gift season overseas for almost a century. Although the name has only made it to Hungary a few years ago, the Advent (silver and golden Sunday) sales are a long tradition in our country too.
The discounts available at this time are a relief and savings for many people. However, for this it is essential that consumers can make an informed choice among fairly advertised products. The Hungarian Competition Authority is therefore providing consumers and undertakings all the support to avoid complaints and infringements: it has presented a series of animations on its social networking site with the relevant information for consumers and has made an educational video to help traders understand and comply with the legal requirements for special promotions.
Apart from promoting legitimate trade and consumer awareness, the GVH continues to monitor market signals to intervene in infringements that distort competition. Over the past few years, the Hungarian Competition Authority has found the promoting practice of a number of popular online stores unlawful and imposed fines on them, totalling billions. Anyone can submit a complaint about commercial practices to the GVH in cases falling within its competence i.e. those that may have a major impact on competition in the market. Consumers can find detailed information on the GVH website on when to contact the competition authority and on the types of customer complaints where other bodies can help.
Press Office of the GVH