Shoppers' complaints hit Chinese herb stores

Law enforcers are taking a closer look at confusing price tags on Chinese herbal medicine.

Since the amendment to the Trades Descriptions Ordinance came into effect on July 19, the Consumer Council has received 14 complaints and 97 inquiries about potential breaches. Among them were six complaints about herbal medicine retailers.

Under the new law, it is an offence for traders to omit important product specifications or to display prices in a misleading way. All complaints have been referred to the Customs & Excise Department, which has the task of enforcing the law.

"It's the same old problem with unclear price indications," said the Consumer Council's chief executive Gilly Wong Fung-han. "People were led to believe the price was for a catty (about 600 grams), while it was really for a tael (38 grams). They didn't notice until it was time to pay."

In most cases, the shops ground up the herbs before presenting the bill, making it hard for the customers to refuse the purchase, said council chairman Professor Wong Yuk-shan.

Other complaints to the council concerned "bait and switch" tactics used by shops selling electronic goods - they promoted bargain items which were not offered in-store. Customers were told the item being advertised was an old model and were persuaded to buy other products.