Failure to Provide Benefits to Retirees Tops the Complaints at Acodeco.
The Consumer Protection and Competition Authority (Acodeco) received 1,693 complaints between January and August 2026 regarding potential violations of consumer protection regulations. Among the main issues reported were those related to the failure to provide benefits to retirees, pensioners, and senior citizens. In the restaurant sector alone, these cases represent approximately 25% of all complaints, while fast-food franchises account for another 15% related to the same benefit.
Other frequent reasons include charging higher prices than advertised, misleading advertising, and failure to provide receipts, the institution reported. Given this volume of reports, Acodeco reiterated that complaints can be anonymous, but must include precise information to properly guide inspections. In this regard, it is recommended to provide the business name of the establishment, its exact address, the approximate date and time of the incident, a clear description of what happened, and supporting evidence such as photographs, videos, invoices, or receipts.
This information is crucial, especially in cases involving senior citizen discounts, to identify the establishment and investigate the reported violations. Consumers can file complaints through the official website www.acodeco.gob.pa (under the “Complaint Procedure” option), by calling the Citizen Service Center 311 (available 24/7), or via direct message on Instagram (@acodecopma). Finally, the institution reiterated that citizen participation is key to detecting irregularities and ensuring the rights of all consumers.
