Consumer protection inspections throughout the year – focusing on examining promotional prices and identifying cases of consumer deception

The focus of the year-long series of investigations is compliance with price display rules, with particular emphasis on the lawful and clear communication of promotional prices. The authority primarily inspects stores where consumers do their daily and weekly shopping, as well as those where violations have been found in previous investigations.

Government authorities inspected more than 2,000 commercial units nationwide in 2025. Violations or deficiencies were found in slightly more than one-third of the inspections, which continues to justify regular, targeted official presence in the retail sector. The inspections were accompanied by approximately 2,000 test purchases, which provided an opportunity to examine consumers' everyday shopping situations under real conditions. The most common violations detected were related to the incorrect display of the selling price and unit price, the lack of calibration of scales, and the incorrect placement of the customer register. In several cases, the information provided to consumers about the location of the business's headquarters and the location and contact details for handling complaints was also found to be inadequate.

In response to these violations, the consumer protection authority imposed consumer protection fines totaling more than 300 million forints. Overall, the findings of the inspections show that although many businesses strive to operate in compliance with the law, recurring problems continue to be encountered in the areas of price display and consumer information. These justify the continuation and further strengthening of consumer protection inspections.

The authority's goal is to make pricing practices more transparent, reduce the risk of consumer deception, and strengthen law-abiding commercial behavior as a result of the inspections. At the same time, the NATCP encourages traders to pay particular attention to price display and fair information for consumers in their operations, thus contributing to fair market competition and the strengthening of consumer confidence.