Shoddy products still bug buyers
( 2002-08-13 09:42 ) (1 )

Fake and shoddy goods still irked consumers in the first six months of this year, although buyers' purchasing enthusiasm seems to have recovered slightly, said a China Consumers' Association official in Beijing on Tuesday.

Gripes about the poor quality of goods comprised 66.2 per cent of the 309,231 consumer complaints filed with the association in the first half of this year, said Wang Qianhu, director of the association's complaints and legal affairs department.

People complained most about items such as houses, cars, mobile phones and computers, followed by food and services, Wang said.

"Commercial housing has become the target of complaint because of various problems, instead of household electrical appliances," said Wang.

Between January and June, Wang's association received 16,848 complaints about housing, which was 38.3 per cent higher than the same period last year.

Consumers complained that the quality of houses was poor, real-estate advertising misled buyers and property management was not satisfactory.

Wang admitted that some real-estate complaints have not been settled years after they were initially made due to various reasons.

"Homebuyers are too weak compared to real-estate developers, some of whom are protected by the local authorities," said Wang.

Some local government departments have a decisive say in housing development. Wang urged them to behave in line with the relevant laws and regulations.

Wang said cars sparked 1,417 complaints in the first half of the year.

The majority of the complaints were about component quality, poor maintenance service and problems in the component market, such as unfair competition and overcharging.

The 309,231 complaints received by the association and its branches represented an 8.9 per cent year-on-year decrease.

The association handled 296,678 consumer complaints in the first two quarters of the year, down 8.1 per cent from the same period last year.

More than 90 per cent of complaints dealt with were settled to the satisfaction of consumers, according to the association.

Out of the total, 2,031 complaints involved foreign-made products, up 31.1 per cent from the same period last year.

The association also helped consumers get compensation of 282.87 million yuan (US$33.97 million).