Taxis, entertainment venues, and restaurants inspected by consumer protection authority

Government offices under the professional supervision of the National Authority for Trade and Consumer Protection (NATCP) are conducting increased inspections of restaurants, entertainment venues, festivals, and taxis. The official inspections cover the examination of compliance with the regulations applicable to individual tourism services and the detection of commercial practices that unfairly influence consumer behavior. As a result of continuous inspections, the proportion of objectionable commercial practices is decreasing year by year.

Government offices inspected 279 hospitality establishments during the peak tourist season and found violations of the law in one out of every three cases. During inspections carried out in tourist hotspots and at festivals and events, the most common problems were the lack of authenticity of scales and the failure to display the selling price or unit price.

In a smaller number of cases, catering establishments did not display their price lists outside the entrance to their premises, their customer books were not easily accessible to consumers, or they did not provide electronic payment options for customers. The authority also carried out test purchases at both shops and street vendors. Government officials carried out nearly 600 inspections, finding grounds for complaint in 14% of cases.

Government offices under the professional supervision of the NATCP also carried out increased checks on companies providing private taxi services in view of the tourist season. While deficiencies were found in only 5% of the inspections – primarily in connection with the incorrect display of fees – the rate of complaints was 22% in tests involving test purchases. In these cases, the most common shortcomings were failure to comply with the obligation to issue invoices and the application of tariffs that did not comply with the official price and fee schedule.

Based on the experience of recent years, the complaint rate has steadily decreased thanks to official inspections. The NATCP and government offices continue to carry out regular inspections to enforce consumer rights, not only during the peak tourist season.