Complaints about online shopping rise 536% in 2 years in São Paulo

Increase was caused by changes in shopping habits during the pandemic

Published on 12/04/2022 - 10:18 By Bruno Bocchini - Agência Brasil - São Paulo

In 2021, complaints related to online purchases registered by the São Paulo consumer protection system (Procon-SP Foundation) grew 536 percent compared to 2019 – the last year before the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. There were 498,877 complaints in 2021 against 301,672 in 2020, and 78,419 in 2019. The data were released this Monday (April 11).

According to the foundation, the growth in the number of complaints resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic and the change in shopping habits. “This increase, which worries us, has occurred due to the pandemic when commercial establishments suddenly had to be closed, and they were not prepared to provide a service in a virtual way,” said Procon- SP executive director Guilherme Farid.

The main consumer complaints are related to delays or non-delivery of products; followed by undue charges. Procon-SP also mentioned cases of sales made by fake websites or fake social media profiles.

“As a consumer protection measure and in order to ensure that they have a place to complain if they have a problem, Procon-SP has created the Verified Company seal. This tool certifies that the company is registered in the Procon-SP Digital System, a platform on which it is possible to make complaints, and accusations and ask questions", declared the foundation in a release.

Translation: Mário Nunes -  Edition: Fabio Massalli

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