Tendencies in Consumer Rights Violations during COVID-19 Lockdown

Following the declaration of a state of emergency in the country, both natural and legal persons had to adjust their long-term plans. Some businesses have had to shut down due to the spread of coronavirus, others had to work with certain restrictions, which were compounded by supply disruptions, import restrictions. The quarantine period was also distinguished by the fact that without direct contact with the consumer, the business had to look for other means and ways to reach its potential customer. One of the tools has become advertising. Along with the usual advertising of products and services to consumers, especially on social media, there have been rogue “sellers” seeking to make a quick profit and take advantage of the pandemic. They offered products, which at the time were of increased demand, such as - medical masks, disinfectant, and so on. Entrepreneurs who manufacture and/or market food supplements have started to use health claims related to viral infections in their advertisements. Inevitably, such a situation also affected consumers and their economic behavior, leading to violations of their rights. Therefore, the aim of this article is to investigate the tendencies in violating consumers rights that were observed in the practice of the Consumer Rights Protection Service during the quarantine period