AutoSmart GuidebooksWhat this guidebook covers
In 2024 the Ministry of Consumer Affairs (Consumo) fined five airlines €179 million for charging separately for what should have been in the price. A dealer that adds compulsory charges at signing, such as a preparation fee, faces fines of up to €1 million for a very serious infringement, which can rise to 4 to 8 times the illicit profit. The regions (comunidades autónomas) inspect and fine dealers and workshops.
This guidebook covers 6 consumer standards for showrooms, used cars and workshops, with 15 checkpoints: the full final price, discounts shown against the lowest price of the last 30 days, a true description of the car, the legal warranty and complaints, workshop estimates and warranty, and the 14-day right to cancel distance sales. The guidebook PDF is in Spanish.
The 6 consumer protection standards
Open a standard to see the law behind it, what is checked, what it can cost and the evidence. Ideal fix times are counted from audit submission.
CON-01Final price, no hidden charges72 hours
- The law
- Consolidated General Law for the Defence of Consumers (RDL 1/2007, amended by Law 4/2022) · TRLGDCU arts. 20 and 60: full final price · Law 3/1991 on Unfair Competition
- What we check
- The advertised price includes every mandatory cost (preparation, registration, transport). Extras and insurance are added only if the customer asks for them.
- What it can cost
- Up to €1 million (or several times the profit) and refunds to every customer.
- Evidence
- Adverts + contracts
CON-02Discounts against the 30-day price72 hours
- The law
- Consolidated General Law for the Defence of Consumers (RDL 1/2007, amended by Law 4/2022) · art. 20 of Law 7/1996 on Retail Trade: the previous price in reductions
- What we check
- Every reduction shows as the previous price the lowest price of the previous 30 days. "Crossed-out" prices are real.
- What it can cost
- A serious-offence fine of €10,001 to €100,000; more if widespread.
- Evidence
- Screenshots
CON-03True description of the car72 hours
- The law
- Consolidated General Law for the Defence of Consumers (RDL 1/2007, amended by Law 4/2022) · Law 3/1991 on Unfair Competition: misleading acts and omissions
- What we check
- A car's mileage, service history, damage and origin are checked and described truthfully in the advert and the contract.
- What it can cost
- A consumer fine of up to €1 million, and the contract cancelled in the customer's favour.
- Evidence
- History reports
CON-04Legal warranty and complaints72 hours
- The law
- Consolidated General Law for the Defence of Consumers (RDL 1/2007, amended by Law 4/2022) · TRLGDCU arts. 114–127: legal guarantee · art. 21: complaints answered within a month
- What we check
- New cars: a 3-year legal guarantee. Used cars: at least 1 year agreed. Complaint forms and the notice are available, and complaints are answered within a month at most.
- What it can cost
- Refusing the guarantee or the complaint form: a fine and a free repair.
- Evidence
- Complaints log
CON-05Workshop: estimate and warranty72 hours
- The law
- Consolidated General Law for the Defence of Consumers (RDL 1/2007, amended by Law 4/2022) · Royal Decree 1457/1986: vehicle repair workshops
- What we check
- A written estimate (unless the customer signs a waiver), a deposit receipt, replaced parts handed to the customer, an itemised invoice, a 3-month or 2,000 km repair guarantee and the workshop plate on display.
- What it can cost
- A fine from the regional government and a refund of anything overcharged.
- Evidence
- Repair orders + photos
CON-06Distance sales: 14 days7 days
- The law
- Consolidated General Law for the Defence of Consumers (RDL 1/2007, amended by Law 4/2022) · TRLGDCU arts. 102–108: withdrawal from distance contracts
- What we check
- For online sales or home delivery, the customer gets the pre-contract information and can withdraw within 14 days. Refunds within 14 days.
- What it can cost
- Without the information, the customer can withdraw for a further 12 months.
- Evidence
- Sales files
How to run a Spanish consumer protection and workshop audit, step by step
- Confirm what applies. Sales to businesses (B2B) are generally outside consumer law, and amounts vary by region: confirm which sales are to consumers and which region's rules apply to each site.
- Walk the site, standard by standard. Score each of the 15 checkpoints Pass, Fail or N/A. N/A only where the standard rules it out, with the reason recorded. Compare 10 ads with their contracts, 10 promotions, 10 used car ads with their history reports, 10 repair orders and 5 online sales, and ask for the complaint form at reception.
- Capture the evidence. A pass counts only with proof captured at the time of the audit: ads and contracts, screenshots of promotions, history reports, the complaints log, repair orders, photos of the workshop reception and online sale files.
- Give every fail an owner and a fix time. Record what you saw and who owns the fix. Each standard carries an ideal fix time, from 72 hours to 7 days, counted from audit submission (see the table above).
- Fix it, then prove it. The site fixes the cause and uploads proof of closure; the auditor checks the proof before closing the finding.
- Re-check at the next audit. Confirm closed findings stay closed, and look for the same fail at your other sites so one gap doesn't repeat across the network.
Who this guidebook is for
- Management: understand the financial risk
- Sales, used car and workshop teams: know what every price and document must include
- Auditors: review ads, contracts and repair orders
A reference document, not legal advice. Fines and rules change: check the current text with the regulator or your legal adviser before acting.
