Cacau Show ordered to pay R$ 100,000 in Brazil for consumer transparency violations

A court in São Luís, Maranhão, has ordered Cacau Show and its related business entities to pay R$ 100,000 in collective moral damages. The ruling follows a public civil action brought by the Maranhão Public Prosecutor's Office regarding irregularities at a store location.

An inspection conducted in July revealed that while customer-facing monitors were present at the checkout terminals, they were turned off, preventing customers from verifying product prices, quantities, discounts, and totals before payment. The court ruled that providing prices on shelves or issuing receipts after the transaction does not fulfill the consumer's right to real-time information and transparency under the Consumer Defense Code.

The company has 90 days to install and maintain continuously functioning monitors at all checkout terminals. Failure to comply will result in a daily fine of R$ 1,000. The indemnity and any fines collected will be transferred to the State Fund for the Protection of Diffuse Rights.