![Competition Authority Imposes a Record Fine on Booking.com](https://hungarytoday.hu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/50973672_2527326833962879_2595843813834489856_n.jpg)
Advertising that misled or influenced consumers was still present on the company's platform in April 2024.Continue reading
The Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH) has initiated proceedings against ALDI Hungary Bt. for allegedly violating the prohibition of unfair commercial practices, said the authority on Thursday.
According to the GVH’s suspicion, the refrigerators in the stores, marked with the signs “100% fresh and Hungarian meat in our permanent offer,” “100% fresh and Hungarian” (“100% friss és magyar”) and “With love, from Hungary” (“Hazait, szeretettel”), presumably did not contain products of Hungarian origin only. According to the GVH, the company is unlikely to have developed its internal procedures for its commercial communications on the basis of professional diligence.
Inside an Aldi store, in the background an advertising poster with the slogans concerned. Photo: Facebook/Agrárminisztérium
The GVH suspects that as of November 25, 2021, the company does not have a consistently applied internal control mechanism to ensure that consumers can only find products of Hungarian origin in the refrigerators labelled with the above claims.
The opening of competition proceedings does not imply a finding that the company has committed an infringement. The proceedings are aimed only at clarifying the facts and thereby proving the alleged infringement, the GVH said.
Photo: Facebook/Agrárminisztérium
The time allowed for the procedure is three months, which may be extended twice, each time for a maximum of two months, where justified. The GVH has cautioned companies that the characteristics of products can have a decisive influence on consumers’ decisions and that they should therefore only publish claims in their communications that they can fully and reasonably substantiate.
Lidl Hungary claims that it acted in accordance with the law in the campaign, but will cooperate with the authority in the investigation.
Via MTI, Featured image: Facebook/Aldi Magyarország