More and more people are complaining to the Consumer Protection Commission (KZP) about unfair trade practices and online shopping scams, the watchdog said. It called on shoppers to take care when they give personal and payment details to online sellers.
The complaints go to the commission and to the reception office of its chair, Maya Manolova. Some scams start with offers on social media. The seller gives an obviously fake phone number, such as 0987 654 321, yet people still leave their details, place an order and wait for a parcel.
Other firms, with fake addresses, sell taps, dentures and sanitary goods that cannot be returned. Some complainants cannot send back faulty products or get their money back. People also complain about poor furniture assembly and damaged goods that the seller refuses to replace.
KZP has also found fake "raffles" with misleading "prizes". They are used to collect personal data, payment card details and PIN codes, and people are told to transfer money at once.
Most victims are elderly people, people with special needs and people with health problems.
KZP checks every report.
People can report a problem on the commission's website, on the hotline 0700 111 22, or at the reception office in Sofia, which is open from 9:00 to 17:30. Regional offices also take reports, and their addresses are on the KZP website under "Contacts".
The Conciliation Commission, which includes other bodies as well as KZP, deals with bank card abuse. KZP says money taken from cards cannot always be returned, because it is hard to establish who is responsible and the acts are criminal.
Earlier, Ignat Arsenov, director of the Market Control directorate at KZP, warned that people should be careful when they buy online, because there is a risk of fake goods.
Maya Manolova sees members of the public every Thursday from 15:00 at the KZP building at 1 Vrabcha Street in Sofia. Appointments are made by phone on 02/ 9330 577.