The Department of Consumer Affairs of the Regional Ministry of Health received 11,364 queries last year: 8,775 in person and 2,589 by telephone.
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The Regional Ministry of Health processed 7,539 complaints in 2023
A total of 7,539 complaints were processed, most of them against airlines, telecommunications companies, electricity suppliers, leisure and recreation companies (for fraudulent ticket sales) or technical assistance and repair services for vehicles, household appliances or electronic devices, among others. Complaints to airlines exceeded those to telephone companies for the first time last year. Airlines received 993 complaints related to baggage and abusive clauses or unfair practices with passengers: charges for printing boarding cards, no-show clauses, charging for hand luggage or obligatory seat selection for payment, among others common in low-cost airlines.
Telecommunications companies (telephony, Internet and television) received 777 complaints compared to 1,075 in 2022. Consumer Affairs also handled 697 complaints to electricity suppliers compared to 917 in 2022.
Other notable complaints are in leisure and recreation companies (fraudulent tickets, cancelled concerts, not letting people in with food in cinemas and water parks or concerts) or in technical assistance and repair services for vehicles, household appliances or electronic devices. On the other hand, there was an increase in complaints in financial services, which received more than 400. Although they are not processed by Consumer Affairs, they are channelled to the Bank of Spain and the Directorate General of Insurance.
On the other hand, 415 complaints were received in 2023 against companies in the financial sector. There is an upward trend in complaints against car rental companies (from 189 in 2022 to 375 in 2023). The low cost in this sector harms consumers, who rent cars at cheap prices and are then charged for abusive excess insurance, more expensive fuel and damage to the vehicle that they have not done.
Last year, the Consumer Inspection and Market Surveillance Service carried out 2,736 actions and 1,290 reports were issued during inspection campaigns. On the other hand, 332 inspections were carried out to search for and withdraw industrial products from the market that came from the Dangerous Products Alert Network.
Penalties
The amount of penalties imposed by Consumer Affairs in 2023 was €2,121,500, €800,000 more than in 2022. The companies in the sectors that received the highest penalties were Internet sales, for not sending the product or not returning the money (€400,000). Penalties of more than €100,000 were also imposed on companies that sell online and do not comply with the minimum information required by law, do not inform about prices properly and do not inform about the right of withdrawal of purchases that consumers have by law.
In 2023, 14 businesses were sanctioned for non-compliance with the Decree regulating excess tourism (supermarkets, souvenir shops, etc.). These are non-tourist businesses, as the Tourism Inspectorate inspects and sanctions tourist businesses.