LettersWhen cornered by pushy Hong Kong salesmen, just call the police
- While the Consumer Council cannot handle complaints if goods do not change hands, the police can and should step in
- Under Hong Kong law, touting that causes annoyance is an offence
As the Consumer Council explicitly states in its FAQ section, it handles complaints “on goods and services purchased from traders by individual consumers for private use or consumption”. This means it had every right not to accept Mr Wan’s report of his experience. In his case, neither goods nor services were purchased, and there was no actual transaction.
The same probably goes for the Customs and Excise Department. It is very likely that the said incident falls outside the jurisdiction of the department.
However, I am not satisfied with the police’s failure to offer assistance, as stated in the letter.
“6. Street cries for buying or selling
Any person who uses or utters cries for the purpose of buying or selling any article whatsoever, or who makes any noise whatsoever with the object of disposing of or attracting attention to his goods, wares or trade shall be liable to a fine of HK$50.