Watchdog gets to grips with Hong Kong claw machines after 760% rise in complaints
Consumer Council data shows number of grievances involving claw machines has gone from 16 to 138 over three years
Complaints against Hong Kong claw machine operators have skyrocketed by more than 760 per cent over the past three years, driven by anger over misleading displays, rigged settings and poor-quality prizes, the city’s consumer watchdog has said.
At a press conference Monday, Consumer Council chief executive Alaina Shum Jiu-fai said the sharp uptick in complaints within a short period could be mainly due to rapid market expansion in shopping centres and retail outlets.
“While the industry is rapidly expanding, the complaints we see indicate that its mechanism design, information disclosure, and after-sales support are falling short of consumer expectations, making the complaints both more frequent and complex,” Shum said.
She added that the government was launching a public consultation to tighten claw machine regulations, focusing on machine design and information transparency to safeguard consumer interests.
The watchdog also highlighted a case involving a complainant who spent HK$200 (US$25.50) on a claw machine stocked with both miniature toy suitcases and boxes that appeared to contain the same items.