The Consumer Protection Commission will carry out checks on the prices of accommodation and services in Burgas before Eurovision 2027. The reason for this is the advertisements for extremely expensive accommodation, including an apartment for nearly 118,000 euros for a week. This was stated by the Chairman of the Consumer Protection Commission Alexander Kolyachev on the air of "Wake Up".
According to him, such prices are unusual, especially against the background of the large bed base in the region. “It sounds comical to me. When there is a limited number of places, it is normal for prices to increase in the event of high demand. But here we are talking about a bed base of over 200,000 people. This is very surprising to me,” commented Kolyachev.
He emphasized that There is enough time until May 2027 for the market to be regulated, and the adjustments, according to him, will most likely come from the business itself.
However, the CPC will check the already publicly known advertisements. Kolyachev pointed out that in some of them there is evidence of possible violations of the Consumer Protection Act. Examples include advertisements that indicate an old and a new price, but the way they are presented may violate the requirements. “We will initiate inspections. More importantly, we will also start talks with the Ministry of Tourism and hotels to ensure that tourists and guests of the city are satisfied with the experience,” said the CPC chairman.
The commission will strengthen its presence in Burgas and the region due to the international competition. Hotels, restaurants and other facilities related to serving tourists will be inspected. Among the main focuses will be the categorization of hotels and restaurants, conditions for customers and compliance with the rules of commercial activity.
Kolyachev said that the CPC expects a possible increase in prices around “Eurovision“, but assured that the institution will monitor any unjustified price increases.
He also commented on prices after the transition to the euro. According to him, the commission is carrying out massive inspections due to concerns about unfair trade practices. With the changes in the law, sanctions for unjustified price increases can now reach 100,000 euros. In certain violations, the sanction can be imposed for each individual product and each commercial site. “Traders must be extremely careful in their pricing, because we are uncompromising and will impose such sanctions,” Kolyachev warned.
So far, the highest sanctions imposed by the CPC for unjustified price increases have been around 20,000-30,000 euros. Among the violations is a case with a water and sewerage operator, which increased the price of an additional service by 148%.
According to Kolyachev, among the most striking problems in the last year are parking prices. The Commission has carried out inspections both in Sofia and on the Black Sea coast. The Commission also inspects restaurants and establishments along the sea. However, there, establishing an unjustified price increase is more difficult, since recipes, weights and names of dishes can change. Violations are easier to establish in products with a fixed price, such as soft and alcoholic beverages. In such cases, the Commission has already imposed sanctions.
The Commission also carries out massive inspections of attractions. The control covers rope parks, trampolines, inflatable facilities and other attractions on land. “Where there is a lack of documents or even suspicion of a violation of general safety, we take measures“, explained Kolyachev.
According to him, about 10 marine attractions were found to be non-compliant and are currently suspended until the violations are corrected.