The Consumer Support office of the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Commerce has relaunched their web site with a new business blacklist feature. The site offers consumers a database where they can look up a business’ history, including consumer complaints, law suits, and arbitration proceedings. The Ministry will also publish a “blacklist” of the businesses that have had the most consumer complaints and government sanctions against them.

Site - www.consumo.go.cr - more features:

• Consumer credit calculator - find out how much you really pay when buying appliances on credit.
• Purchasing Department - The Ministry will publish government purchase and service contracts they have authorized.
• Credit Card Comparison - Compare credit cards offered locally by features, prerequisites and rates.
• Black List - Look up that company you are thinking of buying from to see if they are on the blacklist or if they have been willing to settle fairly in arbitration.

The Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) yesterday presented an ambitious publicity campaign it plans to launch in Germany, taking advantage of the Costa Rican national soccer team La Selección’s presence in the World Cup.

Tourism Minister Carlos Benavides said the campaign, which costs $4.2 million, will be diffused through German television channels and newspapers and seeks to attract tourists.

“We want to take advantage of this special and historic moment,” Benavides said.

One of the campaign’s key elements is a 30-second promotional video highlighting Costa Rica’s tourist attractions to air five minutes before and five minutes after the inaugural game between Germany and Costa Rica June 9.

The video shows off the Costa Rica’s rainforests, flora, fauna, beaches, waterfalls, volcanoes and rivers, emphasizing the country’s focus on democracy and the warmth of its people.

Ads showing Costa Rican children playing soccer will also circulate in three major German dailies, and the Foreign Trade Promotion Office (PROCOMER) is hosting an exposition called Costa Rica Arena in Munich. The exhibit includes Costa Rican art, music, food and products (TT, May 26).

-ACAN-EFE