The Municipal Consumer Information Office handled almost 4,000 complaints in 2024.

Attentions made both in person and by telephone or telematically increased by more than 9% with respect to the previous year. Complaints to telephone and electricity companies accounted for more than 25% of the total.

Estepona City Council reports that the Municipal Office of Consumer Information (OMIC) managed during the past year a total of 3,983 queries from users who were dissatisfied with the care, services provided or products purchased from companies or businesses. The councilor attached to the area of Commerce, Cristina Cintrano, explained that the number of queries has increased by 9.2% over the previous year, as well as the number of files processed. In this sense, the mayor pointed out that during 2024 this municipal office opened a total of 635 complaint files, 7.2% more than in 2023.

As has become usual in recent years, most of the procedures are related to telephone and electricity companies, which exceed 25% of the total number of complaints. These are followed by those directed to insurance companies, with 6.2%; to banks, with 5.5%; to clinics, with 4.38%; and to companies related to the travel sector, with 3.14% of the total number of complaints.

The municipal responsible has highlighted that more than 70% of the procedures were resolved in favor of individuals, so she has insisted on the importance of citizens being aware of their rights as consumers and that the City Council has a specific office that informs them of how current legislation protects them against bad practices by companies. On the other hand, the mayor has pointed out that during 2024 a total of 83 files were transferred to other competent bodies such as arbitration boards or the Bank of Spain, among others.

For Cristina Cintrano, the service provided by the Municipal Office of Consumer Information “is essential to make visible the problems of consumption and try to correct the imbalances that exist between users and companies; at the same time it offers citizens a guarantee of protection against fraud or misinformation.

The first step taken by the OMIC is mediation with the company or company claimed to try to reach an agreement, always trying to resolve the conflict in the shortest possible time. If this is not reached, it is the arbitration boards or the competent bodies that take the baton.

This office carries out an informative work, with an average of 15 consultations per day, “offering free of charge all the possibilities available to repair the possible injured rights”.

The Municipal Office of Consumer Information is located on the first floor of the Town Hall of Estepona. Face-to-face consultations are made by appointment, which can be requested online at https://citaprevia.estepona.es or at the point located at the entrance of the Town Hall. In addition, you can contact by phone to make inquiries at 950809000 (extensions 1488 and 1323) or, if you have an electronic certificate, make the claim directly online through the electronic headquarters.