Georgia: The Georgian Competition and Consumer Agency (GCCA) has determined a violation of the Law of Georgia on the Protection of Consumer Rights by “Hualing-Building Materials Hypermarket” LLC.
The question is about – up to 90% discount announced by the merchant, related to the anniversary date – within 1 week. The information was disseminated both on Mihouse’s Facebook page and through a TV broadcast.
According to the statement stated by the agency, during the sale period, after confirming the price and the existence of the products in the warehouse with the company operator, the user purchased 4 heating pots through the website www.mihouse.ge.
However, on the argument of a technical error of the website, in particular, the company refused to deliver the order. The trader emphasizes that the incorrect price specified on the site should not be perceived as real and therefore, such a contract would not be considered as a signed.
According to the law, it is considered unfair and forbidden to offer to purchase goods or services at a special price and then refuse to show the advertised goods to the customer, receive the order or deliver within a reasonable period. In such a case, the merchant is obliged to satisfy the customer’s demand. According to GCCA, the above-mentioned action of a trader, regardless of the trader’s intention, is considered essentially unfair because his misleading nature negatively impacts consumer trust and the market as a whole.
According to the decision of the GCCA, the case study confirmed – unfair commercial activities provided by the trader and allowed the trader to recover the users’ violated rights and comply with the requirements of the relevant articles of the law.
GCCA
The Georgian Competition and Consumer Agency (GCCA) was created in 2014 by the Law of Georgia on Competition and operates as a separate public law organization. It is answerable to the Georgian parliament, the prime minister, and the general public. Enforcing anti-dumping, competition, and consumer protection laws is the agency’s primary responsibility.
