Consumer Council Warns of Drug, Health Product Sales Malpractices; Price Deception Case Leads to Conviction
Bastillepost · 1 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
The Consumer Council disclosed in its latest CHOICE Magazine that complaints regarding sales practices for pharmaceuticals, traditional Chinese medicines, and health products still represent about 25% of all related grievances in recent years. Key issues include deceptive branding that closely resembles specified products, insufficient product quantities, and ambiguous pricing units. The Council shared several representative cases and urged the industry to operate honestly and enhance professional standards.
Key Points
- A Macau resident bought 35 bottles of joint health supplements at a Hong Kong trade fair from Company B for about 12,500 yuan, but discovered some bottles contained only 88-89 pills instead of the labeled 90 .
- A tourist purchased medicines at Shop A and specified a particular brand, yet received a product with similar but distinct packaging and English name; one product's expiry was less than six months away .
- A complainant who ordered medicine online from Company C faced delivery delays and stock shortages, with the promised refund taking over a month to process .
- A tourist at Shop D was shown a price tag of "$280" for Black Node Grass without clear indication of the pricing unit; staff concealed this information until after grinding, revealing a total of 22,400 yuan—160 times the customer's expected 140 yuan .
- Hong Kong Customs investigated the "jin to qian" deception, arrested two staff members, and convicted one under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance for misleading omissions; the convicted person received 120 hours of community service and was ordered to compensate 11,000 yuan to the victim .
Why It Matters
These cases expose persistent vulnerabilities in Hong Kong's retail sector where tourists and local consumers remain at risk of deceptive sales tactics, undermining confidence in the city's reputation as a shopping paradise. The Consumer Council's recommendations emphasize that clear pricing disclosure and honest communication before transactions are fundamental to protecting consumer rights and maintaining market integrity. The successful prosecution in the price deception case demonstrates that enforcement under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance can hold wrongdoers accountable, but continued vigilance by both authorities and consumers is essential to deter future malpractices .
These cases expose persistent vulnerabilities in Hong Kong's retail sector where tourists and local consumers remain at risk of deceptive sales tactics, undermining confidence in the city's reputation as a shopping paradise. The Consumer Council's recommendations emphasize that clear pricing disclosure and honest communication before transactions are fundamental to protecting consumer rights and maintaining market integrity. The successful prosecution in the price deception case demonstrates that enforcement under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance can hold wrongdoers accountable, but continued vigilance by both authorities and consumers is essential to deter future malpractices .