CHINA will improve consumer rights protection in 2018 through intensified quality supervision and better law enforcement.
In the latest consumer trend, Chinese shoppers are complaining less about merchandise and more about services.
To mark World Consumer Rights Day on Thursday, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) released a report based on five years of data analysis showing that complaints about tangible goods, while still rising, have been growing at a slower pace since 2013.
As a share of the total, such complaints fell from 64.1 percent to 50.3 percent last year. By contrast, complaints about services have been accelerating, rising from 35.9 percent to 49.7 percent since 2013.
The SAIC launched an updated web-based national platform Thursday to better deal with consumer complaints and consultations regarding product quality. Consumers will receive timely feedback.
“China will continue to step up efforts in quality supervision and law enforcement to protect consumer rights this year,” said Zhang Mao, head of the SAIC. “The complaints channels for consumers will be improved, and the supervision of market players will be tightened.”
As domestic consumption is expected to become a stronger force driving economic development, the need for better product quality and protection of consumer rights is firmly in the spotlight.
Chinese authorities recovered economic losses worth 3.57 billion yuan (US$566 million) for deceived consumers last year, up 95.6 percent year on year, SAIC data showed.
Despite improved laws and growing consumer awareness of their rights, there is still a long way to go to consistently right the wrongs of dishonest market players.
More than 8.98 million complaints were lodged with China’s consumer rights watchdogs last year, up 11.2 percent year on year.
Mobile phones, home appliances and recreation-related products were among those that received frequent consumer complaints.
Meanwhile, online shopping complaints rose significantly, up 184.4 percent year on year.
The report also noted that rural residents have lodged more complaints as their incomes have increased. In 2017, complaints from rural areas rose to 73,500, a 66.4 percent increase year-on-year. The figure was 20.5 percentage points higher than that of urban residents.
(Xinhua)