Common omissions in the dual display of prices in Croatia

Almost two months later, and with less than 60 days until the euro becomes the official Croatian currency, some retailers continue to display prices only in kuna, ignoring the obligation to dual display prices, while others have partially corrected the omission but not completely. It is necessary to state that the main function of the dual display of prices with a fixed conversion rate is to protect consumers from possible unjustified price increases, and also to adjust them to the new currency. Therefore, it is interesting to see how different retailers manage to find different solutions for this.

Some retailers initially ignored the requirement to dual display prices and only recently converted the prices from kuna to euros on the online trading platform's home page. However, when the customer clicks on it and selects a specific product that they want to buy, the price remains displayed only in kuna, as well as throughout the purchase process up to the shopping cart and payment. This is considered an omission, and the prices must be dually displayed on the total amount of the shopping cart, on the total amount at the end of the purchase on the order confirmation, and finally on the receipt.

Some retailers came under inspection because they converted their prices in euros intended for eurozone markets into kuna instead of converting the price from kuna to euros, which led to an increase in prices due to the introduction of the euro. According to the State Inspectorate, the inspection is still ongoing.

Penalties for failure to display prices in both currencies can range from 20.000 to 100.000 HRK, but before the fines, the state inspectorate warns traders about incorrect price display. Portals and platforms usually lack a clearly and visibly displayed fixed conversion rate.