Shopping in Honduras

Groceries and fresh household supplies are mainly available in supermarkets, small neighborhood shops (Pulperías), and local markets (mercados). Supermarkets such as Walmart HN and La Colonia offer web- or app-based orders with delivery or pickup depending on the city, delivery area, stock, and time slot. Personal-care and household products are available in supermarkets, pharmacies, specialty stores, and online. For cosmetics and hygiene products, check the label, origin, contents, warnings, and, where applicable, the sanitary registration; oversight is carried out by the sanitary authority (ARSA). Clothing is sold in department stores, specialty stores, markets, and through social commerce. For used, repaired, or reconstructed goods, the condition must be clearly apparent before purchase. Electronics can be bought from specialty retailers such as Jetstereo, in department stores, through import channels, or secondhand. The serial number, original or refurbished status, warranty, access to service and spare parts, and the receipt affect the actual value of a device. Online contracts and electronic messages are generally valid under the Electronic Commerce Law (Ley sobre Comercio Electrónico, Decreto 149-2014). For local webshops, apps, and sales through WhatsApp or social networks, save the offer, order, chat, invoice, payment receipt, and delivery confirmation. Cross-border orders also involve foreign terms and conditions, return procedures, customs duties, taxes, and courier costs. The final price should therefore be compared including shipping, sales tax (ISV), customs duties, and the courier fee. Cash, debit and credit cards, bank transfers, e-banking, and mobile payment and electronic-money services are common. The instant clearing service (ACH-PRONTO) must be accepted or rejected by participating banks and supervised institutions within no more than 30 minutes; after that, it is cancelled or returned. For card payments, timely payment of the full amount generally incurs no interest. The price must be stated in Honduran lempira (HNL); for foreign currency, the equivalent in lempira must also be shown. The cash price includes the legally required taxes. The general sales tax rate is 15 percent, while certain goods and services are taxed at 18 percent. Financial products are subject to special rules. Small non-commercial family shipments by courier are subject to special conditions: the shipment must come from a natural person, must not be commercial, and is generally limited to one shipment every six months and a threshold of 500 Central American pesos (pesos centroamericanos). Above the threshold, taxes may be assessed and regular import procedures may be required. Commercial courier shipments up to 1,000 Central American pesos may be cleared under simplified procedures, although taxes may apply. Restricted goods may trigger additional controls. Providers must give clear and truthful information in Spanish. For packaged goods, the labeling includes, among other things, the name, origin, quantity, manufacturing and expiration dates, and warnings and instructions for use. A business must keep a complaints book (Libro de Quejas). Goods are covered by a warranty of at least 60 days from the manufacturer, importer, distributor, or retailer. The warranty covers parts and labor at no additional cost; the provider bears transport to the workshop as well as freight and insurance. A repair may take no more than two months and may be extended in writing by no more than one additional month. If the repair fails, replacement, return at the current price, or a price reduction may be available. For distance, mail-order, and comparable purchases, withdrawal can generally be declared within five working days from receipt of the goods or conclusion of the contract, whichever is later. The provider bears the return shipping costs and must refund the payment no later than five working days after withdrawal. Services may be withdrawn from if their performance has not yet begun. Unsolicited goods do not create an automatic payment obligation. For a consumer complaint, the directly affected consumer may contact the Directorate General for Consumer Protection (Dirección General de Protección al Consumidor (DGPC)) of the Secretariat for Economic Development (Secretaría de Desarrollo Económico) free of charge. The usual requirements are a copy of an identity document, invoice or contract, evidence, provider details, a statement of the facts, and a specific request. The complaint can be submitted through the complaint portal (SDE-SOL), by telephone at 115, by WhatsApp at 8863-1086, or in person in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula; no general processing deadline is documented. For financial complaints, a formal complaint form (Hoja de Reclamación) must first be filed with the financial institution. The institution responds within ten working days and may receive a justified extension of no more than ten additional working days. If the result is unsatisfactory, the National Banking and Insurance Commission (CNBS) can be contacted through the reporting system (SIGER). Unrecognized card transactions must be disputed within 30 working days after the account statement. Waste is governed by national rules on the integrated management of solid waste. Responsibilities lie, among others, with municipal authorities, the relevant environmental body (SERNA), the relevant waste body (CESCCO), manufacturers, importers, distributors, users, and private waste operators. No uniform nationwide deposit or take-back system is documented in the primary sources reviewed. For waste electrical and electronic equipment (RAEE), durable and repairable products should be preferred, and devices should be taken to verified collection points or formal waste operators. Municipal services differ considerably. Reducing packaging and buying used goods only when their condition is clearly stated reduces costs and the risk of later complaints.