The new crown pneumonia epidemic has been raging for more than two years. Many enterprises are catering to the trend of digital transformation and further using innovative technology for their daily operations. The same is true for the Consumer Council.
Earlier, the Director-General of the Consumer Council, Wong Fung-han, mentioned in a radio program that the government will allocate more than 20 million yuan to help the Council update its complaint handling system, which involves handling disputes between merchants and consumers, data analysis, risk alerts, etc. Described as "the most advanced system in Asia Pacific".
In addition, in recent years, the Consumer Council has advocated legislation for a "statutory cooling-off period" and regulation of overseas property sales.
However, due to social movements and the outbreak of the epidemic, the legislative work of the former has been put on hold, while the latter is only at the consultation stage.
In an exclusive interview with Hong Kong 01, the Chairman of the Consumer Council Lam Ting-kwok explained the current and future work of the Consumer Council one by one.
Regarding the accusation of "toothless tigers", he reiterated that he never intended to become a law enforcement agency, "We are not tigers, and we are not tigers when we give birth, and we have never played such a role."
There are more than 50 staff chairmen in the Complaints Department: It's not about me being lazy
With the advancement of technology, many large enterprises have added online systems, and customers no longer need to communicate over the phone or in person.
The Consumer Council also has a similar plan to set up an online dispute resolution platform in the future, allowing complainants to communicate directly with merchants. The Consumer Council will monitor the situation in the background and come forward for mediation when necessary.
Lin Dingguo emphasized that the platform is a voluntary participation, and complainants can still choose the original method, and the staff of the Consumer Council will handle disputes. He also clarified that there are currently more than 50 staff in the Complaints Department, and the system is not updated due to lack of manpower. If we are too lazy to do it, we must continue to watch it, and it may take a lot of effort instead.”
Lin Dingguo pointed out that the system will use big data and artificial intelligence to analyze and store data, which can further improve the complaint data, help the Consumer Council understand the current social environment, and identify issues of concern; and enhance the security of the system , to protect the financial information of the complainant.
He believes that updating the system is the general trend, "I think any organization in the world has this need. If it doesn't, it can't keep up with the pace. We are all too late, and I have already talked about it when I took office, but until now Call it success first.”
When asked if more than 20 million yuan is enough to update the system, Lin Dingguo said frankly that he was relieved that he was able to obtain the required amount from the government. "I think I have achieved what I need to do basically." He revealed that the project is currently being carried out step by step, because computers are involved. It is believed that the replacement of the system will not be completed in a short time, and the details will be announced in due course.
▼In recent years, many Hong Kong people have purchased overseas properties▼
The success rate of overseas property complaints is only 30%. It is expected that the new government will promote regulation after taking office
In fact, in addition to launching a new system in the future, the Consumer Council also published a research report on overseas property sales at the end of last year. The content also involves legislation or amendments to relevant laws and the introduction of a mandatory licensing system to regulate the territory of Hong Kong. Real estate agents handling and selling properties overseas.
Lin Dingguo revealed that it is still in the early consultation stage, and has actively communicated with different stakeholders, including the estate agency industry, and received positive responses. It is expected that the new government will promote relevant issues to the authorities after the internal structure of the new government is stabilized.
Lin Dingguo believes that the epidemic will end one day. Although the speed is not as expected, he emphasized that the number of complaints from citizens buying properties overseas has increased instead of falling under the epidemic, and the risk has never changed.
He also revealed that due to the complexity of the relevant complaints, involving factors such as "unfinished properties", foreign laws, financial problems of developers, and sales and purchase contracts, the success rate of the Consumer Council's mediation of overseas property complaints is only 30%, which is far lower than the average. 66%.
Referring to the immigration wave that has occurred in recent years, Lin Dingguo said that he did not delve into the reasons for citizens to buy properties overseas. He pointed out that the complaint cases included the mainland, the United Kingdom, Thailand and other places. Among them, a real estate project in Zhuhai involved dozens of cases accounting for the most.
"I can't see in principle that there will be a delay or a shelving situation. On the contrary, no matter what the objective circumstances are, we should not delay the work in this area, because the public will still continue to participate in this activity."
Does the "Statutory Cooling-off Period" come to an end?
Chairman: Take the ice tray and return it to the ground
In addition, the Consumer Council has been advocating "statutory cooling-off period" legislation a few years ago, that is, a cooling-off period of no less than 7 days for consumers in the fitness or beauty industry, and has successfully entered the consultation stage in recent years.
Lin Dingguo said frankly that the law had already been drafted, but due to social movements and the epidemic, the legislative work was put on hold. There are still complaints about bad sales practices, proving that the problem has not changed due to the epidemic.
He also pointed out that the elderly and people with intellectual disabilities have been among the victims for a long time, so the education work for specific groups will be strengthened.
However, did the legislation of the "statutory cooling-off period" come to an end?
Lin Dingguo responded, "Is it a good idea to put it in the refrigerator during the cooling-off period? Simi helps him melt the snow, at least in the ice tray before returning it." He emphasized that he understands that the beauty industry is concerned that the "legal cooling-off period" will affect business. Amount, but he said that some bad elements take unfair business practices in order to make a living when the economy is sluggish. He believes that legislation will enhance consumer confidence, create a healthy competition environment, and stifle the living space of unscrupulous businessmen.
"The purpose of our legislation is not to create unnecessary obstacles for legitimate businessmen, but to protect the rights and interests of consumers."
Refuting the "Toothless Tiger": Merchants who encounter bad business practices can be named and criticized
For a long time, the Consumer Council has been criticized as a "toothless tiger". The former and current Director-General of the Consumer Council also responded that "a tiger with no teeth will know how to bark." Lin Dingguo, however, had another opinion, reiterating that he never intended to As a law enforcement agency, it only hopes to find the root cause of the problem between consumers and merchants, and to formulate solutions to resolve disputes.
"We are not tigers ourselves, nor are we born tigers, we have never played such a role."
Although the Consumer Council has no real power, its "Choice" monthly magazine regularly publishes survey data, which has attracted much attention from the public.
For example, in recent months, the ingredients of lobster balls sold by shops do not contain lobster, but the ingredients of cuttlefish balls are actually squid.
Lin Dingguo encouraged the public to report illegal merchants, revealing that there have been about two cases, because the ingredients of the packaging were obviously misleading to consumers, and Customs has followed up.
Lin Dingguo also believes that the Consumer Council has a high degree of credibility. It does not have the power to enforce the law, but it reduces the sense of oppression. The way of handling things is not difficult, but it is sincere to talk to the merchants.
He bluntly stated that the most important thing for merchants is their reputation. If there are extreme situations, such as merchants with bad business practices, the Consumer Council can also publicly name and criticize them.
"Our success is based on the credibility we have built up over decades, and it is easy to accept no matter what the public decides to do. I think this is an effective method, and it is also an advantage that ordinary law enforcement agencies may not have."
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