Daco Secretary Luis Rivera Marin, said the agency has been active since 4 a.m., when some stores began to open, and said inspectors were specifically checking to see if businesses had products available in the quantities announced on their flyers. 

This year, Daco instituted new regulations, which have been strongly criticized by various sectors, among other things, because it supposedly limits the rights of consumers. 

Regarding the new regulation, Rivera Marín said businesses are not obligated to grant rain checks in those cases where an advertised item is unavailable. He said if the retailer limited the quantities of products in particular, once these run out, it is up to the retailer to offer the rain check. But if limits are not established, consumers are entitled to claim it.

The Daco chief specified that the regulation further orders stores to keep for one year the evidence that, upon opening the store, it had available the number of items advertised.

He also said businesses would be violating the regulation if they end sales in less than eight hours, which is the minimum period of time that a sale is supposed to last.

"[Consumers] can require the store to extend the sale and that prices are honored for the eight hours; if it begins at 5 a.m. it should run until 1 p.m.," he said.

Throngs of people flocked to island stores since 5 a.m. Friday — some began arriving earlier, at 4 a.m., when some stores began operating.

Police Superintendent José Figueroa Sancha said there had been no violent incidents, except at a shopping center where four people had been arrested for assault and improper conduct.