Undercover probe finds misleading sales of herbal pills
SingTao · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
An undercover investigation by Sing Tao found questionable sales tactics at some Hong Kong pharmacies ahead of the National Day Golden Week, when demand for Angong Niuhuang pills is strong. Reporters posing as customers asked specifically for Ma Pak Leung Angong Niuhuang pills, but in one Tsim Sha Tsui shop a staff member pushed a lookalike product and falsely described it as coming from a “secondary factory” with the same effect. After the reporter returned with a genuine product and confronted the shop, the assistant eventually agreed to a full refund of the HK$1,400 purchase
Key Points
- Sing Tao reporters visited pharmacies in several Hong Kong districts as customers and found some shops allegedly using “passing-off” tactics in selling Angong Niuhuang pills
- In a Tsim Sha Tsui pharmacy, a staff member tried to switch a request for Ma Pak Leung Angong Niuhuang pills to a similar-looking product
- The assistant claimed the alternative was made by a “secondary factory” and worked just as well, although the reporter later said no such factory existed
- The reporter bought the product for HK$1,400, about HK$200 cheaper than the genuine item, then returned hours later with an authentic box to dispute the sale
- Hong Kong Customs said lookalike goods may not legally be counterfeits, but false trade descriptions during sales are illegal and carry penalties of up to HK$500,000 and five years’ jail
Why It Matters
The case matters because consumers and visitors may rely on shop staff when buying popular proprietary Chinese medicines, especially during peak travel periods. It also underlines that even where a product is not legally counterfeit, misleading claims made at the point of sale can still expose buyers to financial loss and possible health risks if the item is only labelled as food rather than as a regulated proprietary Chinese medicine