2000 bottles of health products|5 complaints in 5000 years The Trade Descriptions Ordinance is not sufficient to protect the elderly

Highlights: Granny Chan (pseudonym), who is in her seventies, was interviewed by Hong Kong 01. She pointed out that beauty and health companies have been selling hard for many years, and that they need to continue shopping and consignment services. As Hong Kong society ages, the case of Granny Chan may be just the tip of the iceberg, with the Council receiving nearly 5000,1138 consumer complaints from the elderly in the past five years. Complaints relating to "beauty services" and "medicine and health equipment" also on the rise.

Granny Chan (pseudonym), who is in her seventies, was interviewed by Hong Kong 01 and pointed out that beauty and health companies have been selling hard for many years, and that they need to continue shopping and consignment services, resulting in the purchase of more than 5,000 bottles of unwanted health products.
As Hong Kong society ages, the case of Granny Chan may be just the tip of the iceberg, with the Council receiving nearly <>,<> consumer complaints from the elderly in the past five years, with complaints relating to "beauty services" and "medicine and health equipment" also on the rise.
LegCo member Kong Yuk-hwan believes that more than <> years after the amendment of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, it is time to review. She also pointed out that the Government should strengthen the protection of the elderly and establish a friendly environment for them, and the business community, non-governmental organizations and other organizations should also cooperate in this regard.

Ageing society Consumer complaints among the elderly are on the rise

According to data released by the Statistics Department, by the end of 2022, there were more than 156,6,65 elderly persons aged 21 or above in Hong Kong, accounting for 3.<>% of the total population.

From 2018 to March this year, the Council received 3,4860 consumer complaints from the elderly aged 65 or above, with a slight upward trend in the number of complaints in 2021 and 2022.

Among the nearly 5000,1138 complaints, the most related were to telecommunications services with 163,135, followed by those relating to "Electrical Appliances", "Travel Services" and "Furniture", while "Medical Services" ranked fifth with 134 complaints. Complaints relating to "beauty services" and "pharmaceutical and health equipment" also showed an upward trend, recording <> and <> cases respectively.

Price contention is the most

Over 460% of the elderly complaints received by the Council in the past five years were related to "price/charge disputes", while <> cases involved "sales practices".

The Council pointed out that the age group of complainants provided information was voluntary, and the statistics of complaints could only count the cases in which relevant information was provided.

Jiang Yuhuan: It's time to review the Trade Description Regulations

The Trade Descriptions Ordinance (Unfair Trade Practices) (Amendment) Ordinance 2012 expands the scope of the original legislation by adding six new offences relating to unfair trade practices. LegCo member Kong Yuk-hwan believes that more than <> years after the amendment of the Ordinance, it is time to review it.

For example, Jiang Yuhuan pointed out that under the current ordinance, the defense of merchants' exemption may be too broad and not protective enough for consumers: "Merchants can argue that there is no problem with consumer acceptance, but consumers may be reluctant to accept additional goods or conditions." She also pointed out that if the Ordinance is to be amended, consideration should also be given to a seven-day cooling-off period for contracts with larger amounts and longer durations.

LegCo member Kong Yuk-hwan believes that more than 10 years after the amendment of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, it is time to review. (Photo by Lu Yiming)

The Council has recommended that the Government take the lead in setting up an age-friendly consumption environment

In 2018, the Council also published a study on Risks and Opportunities – Building an Age-Friendly Consumption Environment, which not only analysed the consumption patterns and vulnerabilities of the elderly, but also studied the experiences of various countries, such as the EU taking into account the age of vulnerable consumers when providing legal protection, and Japanese law also allowing consumers to cancel contracts for purchasing excessive products.

The report points out that to build an age-friendly consumption environment in Hong Kong, it is necessary to bring together the efforts of all parties under the leadership of the Government, and also puts forward a number of suggestions for the Hong Kong government and the business community.

According to a 2021 Legislative Council document, the Government commissioned the University of Hong Kong in 2010 to conduct a study to explore the development of Hong Kong's silver market. However, there has not been much discussion about creating an age-friendly consumption environment since then.

Kong Yuk-huan also believes that the Government needs to strengthen the protection of elderly consumers, and at the same time work with the business sector, non-governmental organisations and other organisations to establish an age-friendly consumption environment and enhance consumption information for the elderly. She also pointed out that many elderly people are afraid to talk to their relatives and friends when they are in trouble, and think that family members should pay more attention to whether the elderly have any abnormalities.

With more than 20% of Hong Kong's elderly population already constituting more than 20% of the population, the Council has published a study suggesting that the Government and all parties should work together to build an age-friendly consumption environment. (Profile photo / Photo by Liao Yanxiong)

Last year, a dedicated telephone for the elderly was set up

In March 2021, the Council launched the Smart Ageing Consumer Education Ambassador Scheme to provide consumer education training to prospective retirees aged 3 to 50 and conduct consumer rights seminars for the elderly in the community, helping them enhance their self-protection capabilities and strengthen their network support, providing basic training to more than 64 people so far.

The Council also pointed out that in early 2022, the "Smart Ageing Council Hotline" (i.e. Elderly Hotline 2110 2288) will be launched to provide friendly and direct customer service to elderly consumers and accept complaints and enquiries.

Granny Chan (pseudonym) (right), who is in her seventies, accused the beauty and health company of selling hard products for many years, resulting in the purchase of more than 1,000 bottles of unwanted health products. (Photo by Zheng Zifeng)

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