Consumer Council releases Consumer Report no. 264 Contents include detailed analysis about the cases handled in Q1 and Q2

Consumer Council received over 3,500 cases in the first half of this year (2015). The total number of cases of the top 3 categories of complaints, namely telecommunication equipment and supplies, telecommunication services and public transportation amounted to around 900. Result of a quality test on infant underwear can also be found in the current issue no. 264 Consumer Report for consumers’ reference. The Council handled a total of 3,556 cases in the first half year of 2015, including 2,655 enquiries, 887 complaints and 14 suggestions. Out of all the cases handled, around 75% were enquiries. The top three categories of complaints were telecommunication equipment and supplies, telecommunication services and public transportation respectively. 137 complaints about telecommunication equipment and supplies were received, which was an increase of 35% compared to the number of complaints received under the same category in Q1 and Q2 of 2014. The main concern of the complaints were the quality and after sales services on 3G mobile phones, and the complaints on prices received in this first half year had dropped sharply to only 7 cases. This reflects that the promotion work carried out by the Council and its cooperation with the competent departments have achieved, to some extent, the result of deterring those retailers from adopting dishonest sales practice such as raising the retail prices. The number of complaint cases of telecommunication services had dropped by about 18 percent compared to the first half year of 2014. 79 complaints were filed about telecommunication services, of which, most were on the charges of various telecom services. As for the complaints about public transportation, 50 out of the 76 cases received were related to the MERS outbreak in Korea. The complaints involved were mostly about refund or cancellation of flight tickets, and most of them had been resolved. 9 other complaints about public transportation were on taxis service, and this was an obvious decrease compared to same period last year. A detailed analysis on the cases handled by the Council is available in the latest issue of Consumer Report. The Council randomly chose infant underwear and conducted a comparative test on their quality. With reference to the Mainland’s “National General Safety Technical Code for Textile”, 16 samples were tested. The samples were also tested for azo dyes banned in EU. Results showed that all the samples passed the test. Details of the comparative test and suggestions on choosing infant underwear can be found in the current issue of Consumer Report. Issue no. 264 Consumer Report also features details including the workshop held earlier by the Council and the Portuguese Economic and Food Safety Authority (ASAE). Consumer Report is now available free of charge at the Consumer Council (Av. Horta e Costa, N.º 24-A, Edf. Cheung Heng, R/C), and the service counter of the Council at Macao SAR Government Service Centre (Rua Nova da Areia Preta, Nº52), Public Information Centre at Vicky Plaza, libraries and bookstores. Consumers may also access the magazine online on the Council’s official website (http://www.consumer.gov.mo). For enquiries, please call 8988 9315.