Dept. of Consumer Affairs to monitor Puerto Rico’s ‘Cyber Monday’ sales
The Puerto Rico Department of Consumer Affairs (DACO, in Spanish) announced it will be monitoring today’s “Cyber Monday” sales, which this year started Sunday at most major retailers like Amazon, Walmart and Best Buy.
DACO Secretary Hiram Torres-Montalvo urged consumers who have difficulties completing their online purchases to contact the agency at 787-722-7555, via its website, or email.
“We recognize that…Monday…is one of the days when most of our consumers make their purchases online,” he said. “We want to urge everyone who faces any type of problem associated with the promotions offered by different online businesses during ‘Cyber Monday’ to contact our offices to evaluate them with the agility that is required,” he said.
“Cyber Monday,” first celebrated in 2005, is one of the busiest days for buying and selling online. According to data from Adobe’s Digital Economic Activity Index, in 2021 consumers in the United States, including Puerto Rico, spent $7.1 million on online purchases that day. This year, that number is expected to exceed $9 billion.
During the lockdowns and restrictions that were rolled out at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, online purchases have taken on an increasingly prominent role in retail purchases made by consumers on the island, he said.
“Our recommendation to consumers who wish to take advantage of the discounts and special offers on the different websites is to make sure they read all the conditions related to those offers,” he said.
“Also, it is important to note that DACO does not have jurisdiction over individual-to-individual sales, such as those that are done through sites dedicated to this type of transaction. DACO’s jurisdiction is over businesses and the advertising and sales process that takes place,” Torres-Montalvo said.
