Consumer Council and the corresponding industry established the 'Code of Practice for Photographic Equipment Supplies and Photo Printing Services' and 'Certified Shops' of the involved industry are requested to abide by this code. The 'Code of Practice' also serves as a guideline in the Council's annual assessment to evaluate the service quality and business ethics of 'Certified Shops' in the involved industry. In order to raise the standard and credibility of 'Certified Shops' and provide better protection for both local and foreign consumers, Consumer Council has established codes of practice for popular retail industries since 2004. Such codes not only became a crucial foundation for the work of consumer protection but also became an important indicator for the evaluation of shops under the 'Certified Shops' mechanism. As demand of consumers, especially tourists in Macao, regarding the price and after-sales service of electronic products and photographic equipments expanded, Consumer Council established the 'Code of Practice for Photographic Equipment Supplies and Photo Printing Services' after consultation and discussion with Macau Photography and Printing Traders Association. This 'Code of Practice' regulates the retail, warranty, photo printing, photography and video services, as well as refund standard for the photographic equipment retail industry. The Council states that 'Codes of Practice', including the latest 'Code of Practice for Photographic Equipment Supplies and Photo Printing Services', have been tailor-made for different retail industries like telecommunication equipment and supplies, jewelers and goldsmiths, and intermediary services in real estate operations, etc., the Council will continue to set up codes of practice for other specific business sectors. Details of 'Code of Practice for Photographic Equipment Supplies and Photo Printing Services' has been published in issue no.218 Consumer Report. The current Consumer Report also runs a feature on a seminar held earlier for 'City Consumer Protection Alliance' in which attending parties gave speeches on the issue of prepayment consumption, as well as the signing of cooperation protocol between Macao Consumer Council and Consumers' Foundation, Chinese Taipei. Consumer Report is now available free of charge at the two offices of Consumer Council, Public Information Centre at Vicky Plaza and libraries. Consumers may also access the resources online at the Council's official website (http://www.consumer.gov.mo). For enquiries, please call 8988 9315.
