What price information should be displayed on the goods for sale? Get to know your rights and make sure to assert them.

When doing your daily shopping, how difficult is it to compare prices and find the best deal?

Remember that as a consumer you have the right to clear, correct and unambiguous information about the price of goods for sale so that you can make an informed decision based on a simple comparison of prices.

How can I compare prices?
Most items for sale only show a single price, their selling price. However, in certain cases, particularly foodstuffs that are sold per unit weight or volume (per kilo or per litre), and particularly when these are pre-packaged, traders must indicate both the selling price of the package as well as price per kilo or per litre.

The two prices allow you to easily compare prices between brands. For example, pre-packaged packets of cheese of varying weights are indicated with two prices, that is the actual price you need to pay for the packet you choose and the price of the cheese per kilo. In the case of products sold in bulk, that is goods that are not pre-packaged and are weighed and measured at your request, only the price per kilo, litre, etc, must be indicated. In other words, if you are shopping at the market and you would like to buy 1.5kg of tomatoes, the price per kilo must be indicated.

For more information contact the European Consumer Centre and the Consumers Association at 47a South Street, Valletta, tel: 2122 1901, e-mail ecc.malta@gov.mt or info@camalta. org, or visit www.camalta.org. You can also phone the Consumer and Competition Division on freephone 8007 4400.

Across the EU, consumers, have rights. Insist on yours.

This article is intended for information purposes only. Any legal claim or action taken in the event of a dispute should be based solely on the legal texts concerned.