Every February 14, millions of people in the world celebrate Valentine’s Day with gifts and romantic gestures. However, this date has also become an opportunity for scammers who seek to deceive consumers through fraud in online purchases, false raffles and impersonation of identity in appointment applications.
For this reason, INDECOPI He has issued warnings about the most common methods used by cybercriminals. Among them are fraud in gastronomy services, events, lodgings and shows. Given this situation, the entity detailed a series of recommendations.
Valentine’s Day 2025: INDECOPI warns of irregularities in services
In the field of celebrations, which include gastronomy services, events, lodgings and shows, 533 suppliers have been sanctioned by Indecopi In the last four years. The most common infraction has been the lack of suitability, concentrating 62.7 % of cases. This problem has been manifested in breaches, quality deficiencies, improper charges and the omission of payment vouchers.
Due to the increase in the demand for products and services for the day of love and friendship, the INDECOPI It recommends purchasing in formal stores, whether physical or virtual, delivering payment vouchers to facilitate claims in case of inconveniences. In addition, it suggests that online purchases are made on safe web pages, with verified security and URL addresses.
Likewise, suppliers should avoid deceptive advertising, ensuring that their promotions specify conditions such as validity, available stock and reserve schedules. It is also mandatory that the prices exhibited include additional costs and, in case of differences according to the payment method, this information must be clear before the transaction.
New tool to identify sanctioned companies
Indecopi has made the platform available to the public ‘Look who you buy‘, which allows us to consult companies sanctioned for violating consumer protection regulations. The tool is available in the following link: https://enlinea.indecopi.gob.pe/miraaquiencompras/#/#/#/
In case of violation of rights, consumers can request the claims book, whose period of attention is 15 business days. If they do not get an answer, they have the option of submitting their complaint or claim against Indecopi through the mail sacclamo@indecopi.gob.pe, the platform Virtual claimsor communicating to 224-7777 in Lima and 0800-4-4040 in provinces.
What is Indecopi?
INDECOPI (National Institute for the Defense of Competition and Intellectual Property Protection) It is a public entity of Peru responsible for promoting free competition, defending consumer rights and protecting intellectual property.
Your work includes regulating the market to Avoid anti -competitive practicessupervise commercial advertising, register brands and patents, and ensure respect for copyright. In addition, it resolves controversies between companies and consumers, sanctioning infractions when appropriate.
INDECOPI: its main functions and how it protects consumers in Peru
- Consumer Defense: Receive and resolve complaints about deceptive advertising, defective products and other problems related to consumption.
- Competition promotion: Anticompetitive practices such as domain position abuse and colluse agreements sanctions.
- Brands and patent registration: Manage and protect intellectual property in the country.
- Copyright protection: guarantees the rights of content creators, artists and writers.
- Bureaucratic barriers: Evaluate and eliminate standards or requirements that hinder unnecessarily business activity.
- Bankruptcy and business restructuring: Manage bankruptcy procedures for companies in crisis.
Indecopi has offices throughout the country and allows citizens to file complaints virtually or in person.
Source: Larepublica
Alia is a professional author and journalist, working at 247 news agency. She writes on various topics from economy news to general interest pieces, providing readers with relevant and informative content. With years of experience, she brings a unique perspective and in-depth analysis to her work.
