Hong Kong Customs combats unfair trade practices at ginseng and dried seafood shop

26 Nov 2016

Hong Kong Customs yesterday (November 25) arrested a salesperson of a ginseng and dried seafood shop suspected of adopting unfair trade practices involving misleading omission, in contravention of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO).

A Customs officer disguised as customer and conducted test-buy operation at a ginseng and dried seafood shop yesterday. A salesperson was suspected to have misled her to purchase one catty of dried Korean red ginseng believing that the unit price was calculated per catty. After the ginseng was sliced, the salesperson revealed that the goods were priced per tael. The charged amount was 16 times more than expected. Customs officers then arrested a 28-year-old man. Investigation is on-going and the arrested person has been released on bail pending further investigation.

Customs reminded traders to comply with the requirements of the TDO and consumers to purchase products from reputable shops. Consumers should be cautious about the unit price and ask for more information, including the total price of the goods selected, before making a purchase decision.

Under the TDO, a trader who engages in relation to a consumer in a commercial practice that omits or hides material information or provides material information in a manner that is unclear, unintelligible, ambiguous or untimely, and as a result causes, or is likely to cause, an average consumer to make a transactional decision that the consumer would not have made otherwise, commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.

Members of the public may report any suspected violations of the TDO to the Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182.

Ends/Saturday, November 26, 2016

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