Съдебна практика

  • Данни за случая
    • Национален идентификатор: Administrative case 906/2016
    • Държава-членка: България
    • Общоприето наименование:N/A
    • Вид решение: Решение на върховния съд
    • Дата на решението: 25/05/2016
    • Съд: Върховен административен съд
    • Заглавие:
    • Ищец: Piccadily EAD
    • Ответник: Bulgarian Consumer Protection Commission
    • Ключови думи: ability to supply, bait advertising, discounts, misleading commercial practices, professional diligence, retailer
  • Членове от директивата
    Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, Annex I, 5.
  • Уводна бележка
    The disclaimer, made in the advertising brochures, that the discounted goods are available “while stocks last” is sufficient to release the trader from liability for misleading commercial practices in case the particular goods are no longer available during the period of the advertised sales promotion.
  • Факти
    The plaintiff operates a supermarket chain with more than 20 stores in Bulgaria. In 2015 the plaintiff launched a sales promotion by distributing in its stores brochures and other advertising materials informing the consumers that certain products can be purchased at a discounted price during the period of the promotion. However, upon inspections of the Consumer Protection Commission it was established that certain discounted products specified in the brochures were not available in some of the supermarket stores within the period of the promotion due to the fact that the stock was exhausted shortly after the start of the promotion.

    Based on these findings the Consumer Protection Commission held that the plaintiff has committed unfair commercial practice in the form of making an invitation to purchase products at a specified price without disclosing the existence of any reasonable grounds the trader may have for believing that he will not be able to offer for supply those products or equivalent products at that price for a period that is, and in quantities that are, reasonable having regard to the product, the scale of advertising of the product and the price offered (bait advertising). Accordingly, on June 4, 2015 the Consumer Protection Commission issued an order prohibiting this misleading commercial practice.

    The plaintiff filed an appeal against the defendant’s order with the main argument that the advertising brochures offered to consumers contained a clear indication that the discounted products were available during the period of the promotion or “while stocks last”. However, the defendant argued that this indication represents an attempt of the trader to circumvent the prohibition on misleading commercial practices since as a result of this practice the consumers had to spend time, efforts and resources for visiting the stores without knowing whether the promised discounted goods would be available or not. Sofia Administrative Court shared the conclusions of the defendant and found that the disclaimer “the offers are valid while stocks last” does not exclude the liability of the plaintiff for misleading commercial practice because this disclaimer in itself does not qualify as “reasonable grounds” justifying the inability of the trader to supply the goods at issue. For this reason the first instance court dismissed the appeal and upheld the order of the Consumer Protection Commission.

    As a final resort, the plaintiff appealed the first instance court’s judgment before the cassation instance- the Supreme Administrative Court.

  • Правен въпрос
    Does the disclaimer “the offers are valid while stocks last” exclude the liability of the trader for misleading commercial practice if the discounted goods were sold out and no longer available during the period of the sales promotion?
  • Решение

    The Supreme Administrative Court considered the fact that the national law implementing Directive 2005/29/ЕC has introduced in favour of consumers a prohibition for traders to offer unavailable goods at discounted prices without having reasonable grounds for the inability to supply the goods at issue at the time the conditions of the sales promotion are announced. Contrary to the conclusions of the first instance court, the cassation court held that in the present case the plaintiff had not committed this form of misleading commercial practice. More specifically, the court found that in view of the dynamic commercial operations of the plaintiff, the fact that he had not ensured in advance sufficient supply of all discounted goods in order to cover the full period of the promotion was not contrary to the requirements of professional diligence. In the advertising brochures the consumers were explicitly warned in advance that the offers are valid till the expiry of the promotion period or while stocks last, therefore they had clear information about the possibility that some of the discounted goods may not be available during the promotion period. This disclaimer made in the brochures is sufficient to release the trader from the obligation to disclose the existence of any reasonable grounds justifying the inability for supply of particular goods, since the trader cannot be reasonably expected to constantly update the content of its brochures during the period of the promotion.

    URL: http://www.sac.government.bg/court22.nsf/d038edcf49190344c2256b7600367606/8dddd36def2add80c2257fb90052fec3?OpenDocument

    Пълен текст: Пълен текст

  • Свързани случаи

    Няма налични резултати

  • Правна литература

    Няма налични резултати

  • Резултат
    The court dismissed the first instance court’s judgment and revoked the order of the Consumer Protection Commission prohibiting unfair commercial practices.