The Municipal Office for Consumer Information (OMIC) of Silmanca processed a total of 1617 claims in 2024, or more than eight percent of the previous year and attended an average of 300 consultations per month during this same period. This was highlighted on Friday, consulting for consumption, Vega Villar, on the useful table that was installed in Plaza de Los Pandos on the occasion of the celebration of International Consumer Day, noting that Salamanca was first at their disposal of this “useful and effective” tool to inform themselves of their rights and the best ways that they could be able to do.
According to their data, the list of claims is again directed to employing services, as it occupies the first position related to wireless communications (207), followed by those related to the stray and aesthetic sectors (192), electricity and gas (175), banking and financial products (138) and travel holidays (72).
With regard to wireless and wireless communications, the main reasons for the claim were related to permanent obligations, and the request for temporal compensation without a line in the contracted service, or various problems with contracted lines or low requests. In the case of hairdressing and beauty, most of the claims were provided in 2024 due to the breach of providing services by closing institutions and returning the amounts paid by the services that are not provided.
Among the main complaints registered in the electricity and gas sector are violations in bills, an increase in energy cost, bills with estimated and realistic readings are higher than those registered by the accountant, the lack of bills or changes in the contract obtained through small commercial practices, in addition to the difficulties in changing organized fees.
In addition, and omic Register a total of 398 files to buy goods. The most required products were close to the house (104), electronics (71), clothes and shoes (70), and devices (47) and the acquisition of the second vehicles (35).
For its part, the Salamanca city council owns an arbitration system for free consumption, which reached 25 years in 2023, to defend outside the judiciary from consumers who are attached to more than 2,300 companies; Last year, 80 new companies were merged. In 2024, 65 files were opened, less than 13 files from the previous year. Among the prizes issued, 25 in all or part of the consumer claims were estimated, and 13 separation and the three that ended the agreement between the two parties.
Municipal Consumer School
Likewise, the Municipal Consumer School annually teach activities and workshops in order to educate and inform both adults and the school about their rights as consumers and enhance practical education and can be reached in this matter, which helps them make purchasing decisions in the day to day.
Regarding programming to school residents, in 2024, 109 workshops were held with the participation of more than 2,500 students promoting consumption habits responsible from an early age. The sessions dealt with major topics such as reading of food marks, the effect of consumption and advertising, strategies to avoid food waste, and daily procedures to care for the natural environment and the basic concepts of economy and family management.
It is aimed at the adult population, seven “consumer coffee” were held with about 100 aides at the municipal municipal center, Victoria Adrados, who deal with issues related to social and electrical reward, prevent online purchase fraud and read the electricity bill, among other things.
