A good friend forwarded this author the following link:
The Tel Aviv Magistrate Court rejected an appeal filed by the chareidi Bar Kol supermarket chain, which was fined NIS 309,000 for having some 1,000 items without displaying their prices as required by law. The fine was levied by the Consumer Protection Authority.
Consumer protection officials explain the fine is actually low considering the widespread violations. Bar Kol appealed, stipulating the fine was excessive and imposing a fine on a group of products is a disproportionate act. The supermarket also claimed the fine was imposed too soon after the pricing law was amended and there was not enough time to price everything.
Judge Rachel Arkobi rejected the claims of the supermarket chain and wrote in the verdict, “I agree with the respondent that precisely when a large number of consumers visits a chain, the chain of stores must be concerned and make sure that it is indeed the one who is observing the provisions of the law.”
The bigger problem that this author sees is the great preponderance of cases in Israeli Supermarkets and Mekolets where the barcode on the product on the shelf does NOT match up with the barcode showing on the shelf on which the product is stacked. Based on this author’s experience, week-after-week-after-week of showing them the same discrepancies between the barcode on the product on the shelf and the barcode showing on the shelf on which the product is stacked, it seems evident that this is done by management’s design to deceive customers.
Is deliberate barcode discrepancy not also considered “failing to price items”?? It seems evident to this author that every market and mekolet in Beit Shemesh/Ramat Beit Shemesh is massively guilty and cheiyev similar huge fines.
This blog will also soon be discussing other consumer and advocacy issues such as verbal abuse and intimidation of patients and mix-ups of hitcheivut (authorizations for tests, procedures, surgery, etc.) in Israeli hospitals; Who’s getting rich off of Israel law changes regarding Power of Attorney documents costing thousands of shekels thus victimizing the poor?; Is Israel lagging far behind America and other western countries regarding treatment and advocacy for its Senior citizens; and more.