City consumer pains rise 18% year-on-year

Online shopping, food safety and Internet service disputes topped the 118,658 consumer complaints filed to Shanghai Administration of Industry and Commerce last year, a figure that increased by 18 percent year-on-year, the authority said Tuesday, ahead of World Consumer Rights Day tomorrow.

Online shopping problems accounted for 9.73 percent of the complaints, while food safety concerns and Internet service conflicts comprised 8.23 percent and 6.68 percent of the reports, respectively, the administration said. Also included among the top 10 complaints were reports about poor telecommunication and courier services, and poor kitchenware and computer products.

Food safety complaints rose to second place last year from fifth the previous year, with reports on pastry products comprising the largest number of charges in the category at 22 percent, dairy products next at 18 percent, and soft drinks in third at 11 percent. The sale of spoilt food was the biggest grievance among consumers.

The authority failed to disclose the number of individuals or businesses disciplined as a result of the complaints Tuesday, but revealed 10 atypical cases that included penalties for wrongdoings, which were discovered by authorities after receiving tips from the public.

Among them, Ajisen Ramen noodle restaurant chain was punished 200,000 yuan ($31,600) for falsely advertising their soup contained high levels of calcium, while a small-business owner was sentenced to a year in jail with a reprieve and given a 300,000 yuan-fine for selling outdoor brand-name knockoffs, which included The North Face and Columbia.