Competition Committee proposes digital tracking of prices and discounts after finding misleading promotions

The Competition Promotion and Consumer Protection Committee said the proposed system would allow shoppers to scan a QR code next to a product to check its previous prices and establish how much of a discount was actually being offered.

The committee also wants businesses to register promotional terms in a dedicated electronic system before a campaign begins and maintain digital records of price histories. The measures are intended to make it easier to verify discounts and detect misleading advertising.

Inspections uncover misleading promotions

The committee identified 65 problems in its review of 116 promotions at 58 retail and service outlets. Violations included discounts being applied differently from what had been advertised, incomplete explanations of promotional terms and prizes not being delivered to winners.

In Andijan region, Water Life Mineral failed to deliver prizes worth a total of UZS 60 million to three winners of its “May Your Wish Come True” promotion. The Competition Committee opened a case against the company and ordered it to remedy the violations.

In Namangan, a Chevrolet Cobalt awarded in a promotion by Namangan Avtotexxizmat was handed to another person after the company failed to contact the winner because his phone number had been entered incorrectly. The car was returned to the winner after the committee intervened.

The committee also found problems with advertised discounts at two retailers. Baldini’s store in Namangan advertised a 50% discount but displayed no price tags on its products. At an IDEA store in Bukhara, advertised discounts of 20%, 50% and 60% applied to monthly installment payments rather than to the products’ full prices.

In Samarkand, a promotion by Samarkand Avtotexxizmat offering household appliances to car buyers was restricted to customers who paid the full price upfront for a Chevrolet. Buyers using installment plans and legal entities were excluded. The company received a binding order after the violations were identified.

The committee also found omissions in IDEA’s advertising for smartphone installment purchases in Kashkadarya region. The advertisements did not specify the number of products included in the promotions, their lowest prices over the preceding 30 days or which additional product customers would receive under a “buy one, get one” offer.