ANPC Exposes Price Gouging in Romanian Stores: Consumers Beware!

Romanian Consumer Protection Agency Exposes Widespread Price Discrepancies in Stores In a recent investigation, the Autoritatea Națională pentru Protecția Consumatorilor (ANPC), Romania's National Consumer Protection Authority, uncovered significant price discrepancies in several retail stores across the country. The ANPC's findings, documented in a video released on May 28th, 2025, reveal a pattern of consumers being overcharged at the checkout, despite lower prices displayed on shelves. "We found numerous instances where the price at the checkout did not match the price advertised on the shelf," stated Cristian Popescu Piedone, the ANPC president, in the video. "This is unacceptable and violates consumer rights." The video provides several examples. One instance shows a package of sunflower seeds with a shelf price of 3.65 RON, but the actual price charged was 4.85 RON. Similarly, various brands of cigarettes showed a price difference of 0.50 to 1 RON between the shelf price and the final price. The ANPC's investigation highlights the importance of consumers carefully checking prices before purchasing goods and reporting any discrepancies to the authorities. The agency is working to address these issues and ensure fair pricing practices across the country. The ANPC president emphasized the agency's commitment to protecting consumers from unfair business practices and ensuring transparency in pricing.