Telecom Equipment News
- Cell phones a handful as new techs top gripe list
Date: 14-Mar-2007 Sources: (Xinhua Online)
Broken cell phones and their wonky warranties topped the list of city grievances last year, according to the consumers' rights watchdog.
The Shanghai Industrial and Commercial Administrative Bureau said yesterday it registered more than 7,000 complaints on mobile phones last year.
Shopping services, which include TV and telephone marketing and Internet purchases, came second on the list with 6,287 complaints. The list was published ahead of tomorrow's World Consumers' Day.
New technology took three of the top five spots on the list, with cell phones joined by telecommunication services (6,102 complaints) and Internet services (3,846). About 450,000 complaints were received last year, up 10 percent from 2005, the bureau said.
'We investigated 14 brands of cell phones in the local market, finding that their warranty terms were unfair to consumers,' said Chen Zuyao, director of the bureau's complaints center.
'Some cell phone companies refused to repair the products for free within the warranty period and some ordered consumers to provide detailed personal information, which has annoyed local consumers,' he said. Chen did not name the cellphone brands.
Shopping service complaints focused on direct-response TV marketing, Chen said.
'Consumers complained that the products they got were a lot different from those in the ads,' he said.
The bureau said complaints over new-technology industries had been high since 2000, partly because no quality standards were in place to protect consumers.
'We are planning to communicate with cell phone companies and Internet service companies this year to urge them to improve their warranty items,' said Chen.
The Shanghai Commission of Consumers' Rights and Interests Protection said yesterday that more than 30 percent of last year's complaints were caused by bad management or broken promises to consumers.
'Some companies promised to compensate consumers to settle disputes, but later seemed to forget about what they had promised,' said Zhao Jiaoli, secretary general of the commission.
The commission and the bureau will set up locations around the city on World Consumers' Day to take complaints from consumers.
If you have an complaint
Tomorrow Consumers can visit a number of locations around the city to lodge complaints.
Officials with the Shanghai Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision will set up shop at: No. 999, Changning Road, Changning District; Yuexing Furnishings, No. 168 Aomen Road, Putuo District; Wanda Shopping Mall, No. 608 Handan Road, Yangpu District; Luxun Park, No. 2288 Sichuan Road N, Hongkou District The Shanghai Commission of Consumers' Rights and Interests Protection will take complaints about specific products.
Jewel complaints will be heard at No. 81 Lishui Road, Huangpu District; construction-material complaints at No. 198 Caoxi Road, Xuhui District; furnishings complaints at No. 547 Tianmu Road W, Zhabei District
On March 23
Consumers can lodge complaints at the Friendship South Shopping Mall, No. 7388 Humin Road, Minhang District.
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