Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, August 10, 2026 – Complaints that jewelry offered on the Malecón as genuine silver allegedly fails to match what buyers were promised have resurfaced, reviving an issue documented on the waterfront at least two years ago.
Visitors have complained at tourism information modules about alpaca pieces allegedly marketed as silver and persistent approaches by itinerant sellers.
So how do you know if the silver you purchased in Puerto Vallarta is real, and how do you report being scammed by a fake silver purchase?
Mexico’s official jewelry standard, known as NOM-033/1-SE-2020, states that jewelry advertised as silver must contain at least 925 parts silver per 1,000.
That purity is commonly marked as 925 or Sterling. A piece may also carry the letters Ag, the chemical symbol associated with silver.
The standard requires three types of information when the article’s size permits.
- The quality or purity mark
- A brand or mark identifying the responsible business
- The country of origin
Some information may appear on an attached label when the piece is too small to carry every marking.
The absence of a 925 or Sterling mark is a warning sign when an item was sold as solid silver. A stamp alone does not confirm purity, as markings can be applied to metals that do not meet the standard.
Descriptions such as silver-plated, silver-tone, alpaca, or nickel silver do not mean the piece is solid sterling silver. Mexico’s standard treats precious-metal jewelry, plated products and costume jewelry as different product classes.
Get the piece professionally tested
No visual inspection or simple home test can confirm that an item meets the 925 threshold.
Mexico’s jewelry standard recognizes several methods for determining metal content. These include X-ray fluorescence and laboratory analysis. X-ray fluorescence can examine a piece without cutting or substantially damaging it.
A reputable jeweler may be able to conduct an initial assessment or direct the buyer to a testing service. Ask for a written result identifying the piece, the testing method, and the measured silver content.
Avoid acid tests, deep scratching, filing or other destructive checks before seeking a refund. Mexico’s consumer law allows a seller to reject certain claims when a product has been seriously altered or damaged by the buyer.
Keep the piece in the condition in which it was purchased until the seller or Profeco has reviewed the complaint.
Preserve evidence identifying the seller
Article 12 of Mexico’s Federal Consumer Protection Law requires sellers to provide an invoice, receipt or other proof containing specific details about the transaction.
Keep anything that establishes what was purchased and who sold it.
- The receipt or invoice
- Credit or debit card records
- Photographs of the jewelry and its markings
- A written appraisal or metal test
- Photographs of the store, stall or sales location
- The seller’s name, business card, telephone number or social media account
- Messages describing the piece as genuine silver
- The date, approximate time and exact location of the purchase
A payment slip may prove that a charge occurred, but it may not show that the item was represented as sterling silver. A receipt or written message describing the metal is stronger evidence.
If the seller did not provide a receipt, document the location as precisely as possible. Profeco’s complaint process asks buyers to identify the business and provide its address, or explain where the seller can be found.
Ask the seller to refund the purchase
Mexico’s consumer law gives buyers the right to request a replacement or refund when a product does not match the quality, brand or specifications under which it was sold, or when it fails to comply with an official Mexican standard.
The law also provides compensation of at least 20 percent of the amount paid when the applicable requirements are met.
A product claim under Article 92 should be presented to the seller, manufacturer, or importer within two months of receiving the item. The business then has up to 15 days to respond.
Make the request in writing when possible. State the purchase date, amount paid, description used during the sale, and test result. Keep screenshots, emails, and any response from the seller.
Do not surrender the jewelry without obtaining a signed record showing who received it and why. If the seller issues a refund, the law states that it should use the original payment method unless the buyer agrees to another method.
File a complaint with Profeco
If the seller refuses to resolve the dispute, a complaint can be submitted to the Federal Consumer Protection Agency through its complaint and reporting process.
Profeco generally requests the following documents.
- Official identification
- Receipt, invoice or other purchase evidence
- Seller’s name and location
- A brief account of what happened
- Documents supporting the claim
- The remedy being requested
The Profeco regional directory lists the Zona Bahía de Banderas office at Avenida Paseo de los Cocoteros 55, interior 2450, in Nuevo Vallarta. The agency’s national consumer telephone numbers are 800 468 8722 and 55 5568 8722.
The regional office handles retail enforcement around the bay. In May, PVDN reported that Profeco suspended sales at a Nuevo Vallarta pharmacy after inspectors documented pricing violations.
People who have already left Mexico can use Profeco’s Concilia desde el extranjero service. The required form, identification, purchase evidence, and supporting documents may be emailed to [email protected] in files totaling less than 5 MB.
Federal law generally allows one year to file a consumer complaint, although the shorter two-month period applies to the direct product claim described above.
A missing purity mark may warrant suspicion, but confirmation requires testing. Preserve the jewelry, identify the seller, obtain a written assessment, and submit the complaint before the applicable deadline.
