I refer to the letter from Stephen Ho headlined, 'Unethical business claims unwary tourist' (South China Morning Post, May 20). Such malpractices by retailers are a major concern for the Hong Kong Tourist Association (HKTA), and I should like to take this opportunity to clarify what the HKTA can and cannot do in handling complaints.
If the complaint is against one of its members, the HKTA is normally able to resolve the issue directly. In the case of non-members, the complaint is referred to the Consumer Council.
With the limited information given by Mr Ho, we have been unable to trace his complaint. However, it most likely involved a non-member since neither of the two complaints lodged against HKTA-member camera shops so far this year fits Mr Ho's case. We would certainly have recommended that Mr Ho use the services of the Consumer Council, as it has had some success in handling such issues. It is unfortunate that his own efforts to obtain a refund were less than satisfactory.
Such incidents involving visitors are a blight on Hong Kong's image and the HKTA takes them very seriously. We already publish a Be a Smart Customer leaflet in Chinese, English and Japanese that lists telephone hotlines of the HKTA and Consumer Council, as well as points to note when shopping. The leaflet also encourages tourists to visit accredited shops displaying either the Quality Tourism Scheme logo or the HKTA logo, which are pledges of service excellence and recognition of value for money.
Naturally, this advice is equally valid for residents, who should pass it on to visiting family, friends and associates.
But that, of course, is only a means of avoiding the problem. We want to stamp it out. To that end, the HKTA Board of Management is establishing a taskforce of relevant bodies - including the Government, police and Consumer Council - to determine what further action can be taken to protect consumers against malpractice.
