Year-round consumer protection inspections – focus on examining discount prices and detecting customer deception

By: Trademagazin Date: 2026. 02. 18. 12:24

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The National Trade and Consumer Protection Authority (NKFH) and the government agencies under its professional supervision will continue to inspect traditional retail outlets nationwide in 2026. The aim of the inspections is to strengthen the protection of consumers’ financial interests and to curb misleading price display and sales practices.

The year-round inspection series focuses on compliance with price display rules, with particular attention to the legal and clear communication of promotional prices. The authority primarily inspects stores where consumers do their daily and weekly shopping, and where violations have been observed during previous inspections.

In 2025, government agencies inspected more than two thousand retail outlets nationwide. In slightly more than a third of the inspections, violations or deficiencies were revealed, which continues to justify the regular, targeted presence of the authorities in the field of trade. The inspections also included approximately two thousand test purchases, which provided an opportunity to examine consumers’ everyday shopping situations in real-life circumstances. The most frequently detected violations were related to the incorrect display of the selling price and unit price, the lack of verification of scales, and the incorrect placement of the customer book. In several cases, the provision of information to consumers about the registered office of the enterprise and the location and contact details for complaint handling was also objectionable.

As a result of the violations, the consumer protection authority imposed consumer protection fines worth more than three hundred million forints. Overall, the experience of the inspections shows that although many enterprises strive to operate in compliance with the law, recurring problems in the areas of price display and consumer information continue to be experienced. These justify the continuation and further strengthening of consumer protection inspections.

The authority aims to make pricing practices more transparent as a result of the inspections, reduce the risk of consumer deception and strengthen law-abiding commercial behavior. The NKFH also encourages traders to pay special attention to price display and correct consumer information in their operations, thereby contributing to fair market competition and strengthening consumer trust.