It is common for department stores and supermarkets to update their prices periodically. However, there have been cases in which certain errors when labeling the cost of a product plummet, an event that is taken advantage of by consumerswho demand that they be respected displayed price.
However, there are times when claims do not end well, because in 2025, a man went viral on social networks, after trying to buy a screen for less than $600 in Walmart and end up under arrest.
Pay less than $600 pesos for a screen and end up in jail: This is how you demand your rights. (Photo: Screenshot)
And in order to avoid bad experiences, in OfMoney We explain what legal steps you should follow if an establishment refuses to honor a price due to an error on the label.
During 2025, the case of a man who bought a 70-inch Philips television for only $547 pesos in a Walmart store in Mexico went viral. However, the situation became complicated when the man, when he wanted to leave the store, the establishment staff realized that the price of the product was wrong, so they tried to deny him exit.
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After several minutes of struggles, the client, upon leaving the property with the television, was arrested by the Campeche municipal police.
Although the case occurred during the month of September 2025, hundreds of users on social networks have shared the event again, which has caused great indignation among the community.
However, in this situation, what should the man have done? The Federal Consumer Protection Agency (Profeco) explains that any regulated business in Mexico has the following obligations framed in the Federal Consumer Protection Law (LFPC):
Establishments in Mexico cannot offer products or services to customers saying that they have a value greater than what is displayed.
They cannot use misleading advertising or information, so they are prohibited from lying or exaggerating about the characteristics of products or services, as this can confuse people.
They cannot refuse to deliver a product or provide a service after the client has already paid for it, so they could not deny the man exit from the property.
It is important to highlight that Profeco explains that consumers have the following rights:
- Demand compliance with these.
- Accept another equivalent good or service.
- Termination of the contract in the case of a service.
- You have the right to pay the economic difference between the price at which the good or service that is the subject of the promotion is offered and its normal price.
- You may demand a bonus of no less than 20% of the price paid.
On the other hand, article 7 bis of the Federal Consumer Protection Law establishes the following: the supplier is obliged to clearly and visibly display the total amount payable for the goods, products or services offered to the consumer.
However, given the refusal on the part of the commercial store and, therefore, not respecting any of the points already mentioned, Profeco explains that those affected have two mechanisms to assert their rights:
Complaint
Its function is to reconcile a situation when a consumer and a supplier have a specific conflict. This can be presented after scheduling an appointment at the Consumer Telephone: 55 5568 8722 for CDMX and the metropolitan area, or 800 468 8722 for the rest of the Republic.
Subsequently, you must go to the Profeco office closest to your home from Monday to Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Complaint
This mechanism is activated when an establishment or company fails to comply with the law or uses misleading advertising that affects consumers. Unlike the complaint, this process does not require in-person assistance; Simply send an email describing the situation with as much information as possible, including the name of the supplier, the product or service, the detected shortage, place and date.
Take into account that the recipient varies depending on the type of service or product:
- Commercial establishments: denunciasprofeco@profeco.gob.mx
- Fuels: denunciasgasolina@profeco.gob.mx
- LP Gas: denunciagaslp@profeco.gob.mx
- Misleading advertising: denunciapublicitaria@profeco.gob.mx
- Telecommunications: denuncias.telecom@profeco.gob.mx
Finally, the Federal Consumer Prosecutor’s Office urges consumers to first ask the terms and conditions of the offers that are launched in establishments or about any promotion. About the author: Daniel Fitta He is a journalist passionate about personal finances; write every day in OfMoney of The Universal.
