Consumer protection in Honduras

The main legal basis is the Consumer Protection Act, Decreto 24-2008, as amended by Decreto 75-2024, together with Reglamento Acuerdo 084-2021. Consumer rights cannot be waived by contract. The rules apply to commercial suppliers and professional providers, not to contracts between private consumers. The DGPC provides information, receives complaints, carries out inspections and controls prices, labels, expiry dates, measurements and other consumer matters. A directly affected consumer or legal representative can submit a complaint in person, through SDE-SOL, Línea 115 or the published WhatsApp channel. The usual documents are identification, the provider's details, a description of the facts and requested remedy, and invoices, contracts, payment records or other evidence. The process has no fee. It normally begins with a denuncia and conciliation, followed by an Acta Digital de Audiencia de Conciliación. If no agreement is reached, the authority can issue an administrative decision. Honduras does not publish one uniform national processing time for all DGPC cases. For defective goods, a manufacturing-defect complaint can generally be made within 30 calendar days. The provider should replace the product within 15 calendar days; otherwise, the consumer can seek a refund. A manufacturer's warranty cannot be shortened. Unrequested goods or services can be returned or cancelled, with repayment due within 5 days. Door-to-door, correspondence and similar sales generally allow revocation within 5 working days; for a service, revocation is available only before the service begins, and repayment is due within 5 working days. A service contract concluded by telephone or electronic means can be cancelled through the same channel. Keep the registration code and request a finiquito, meaning written confirmation that the contract or debt has been settled. Online and social-media sales remain subject to consumer protection rules. The provider should disclose an email address, telephone number or physical address. Save screenshots, the order, chats, payment confirmation, delivery information and the advertised terms. The Electronic Commerce Act, Decreto 149-2014, recognizes data messages, but Honduras has no evidenced special consumer e-commerce alternative dispute system and no general 14-day return right for every purchase. Financial complaints follow a sector-specific procedure. First file a Hoja de Reclamación with the supervised financial institution. The institution normally has 10 working days to answer and may receive a written extension of up to another 10 working days. If the answer is missing or unsatisfactory, contact the CNBS Gerencia de Protección al Usuario Financiero through the applicable SIGER process. A published CNBS report gives the authority up to 40 working days after it has complete information. The procedure is free and concerns the financial consumer relationship rather than general banking matters. For telecommunications, complain first to the provider and keep the complaint code, contract and bills. Under NR004/21, the complaint period is stated as 90 calendar days from learning of the problem, and the provider has up to 10 working days to answer. If the answer is missing, late or unsatisfactory, CONATEL can be contacted from the following day through the Protección al Usuario portal or 185. CONATEL information has also used a 90-working-day wording, so the current deadline should be checked before filing. For electricity problems, contact the relevant distributor, such as ENEE or another local distributor, and keep the management number. If the response does not resolve the issue, use the CREE complaints portal. The procedure covers supply interruptions, repeated or prolonged outages, bills more than 75% above the historical average, meter problems and safety irregularities. Deadlines depend on the type of case and service area, and no automatic refund applies to every interruption. ARSA handles safety-related complaints involving food, drinks, medicines, medical devices, health establishments and other products of sanitary interest. Use its complaints, pharmacovigilance or technovigilance channels according to the product. A contractual or refund dispute can also require a complaint to the supplier. Seek medical care first in an emergency; an administrative complaint does not replace treatment. For ordinary travel services, start with the contracting provider and use the DGPC where the issue concerns a commercial consumer dispute. Honduras has no evidenced general travel ombudsman. For air travel, complain to the airline first; AHAC may intervene when the airline does not respond. Baggage loss, damage or delay can involve statutory SDR liability limits, and compensation should be paid no later than 30 working days after the complaint when the applicable conditions are met. A commercial supplier violation can be reported to the DGPC. Suspected estafa, other fraud, usury or agiotage should also be reported to FEP-CAM or the Ministerio Público, and the Policía or DPI may be relevant. Contact the bank, payment service or financial institution immediately, preserve messages, links, account details and transfer records, and do not assume that a payment can be recovered. Sector procedures may replace the general DGPC process, so confirm the responsible authority, current channel and deadline before submitting the case.