Drug stores urged to change ways as grouses top 1,000

The Consumer Council is urging drug and supplement stores to address questionable sales tactics following a sharp increase in complaints. As of the first seven months of the year, the number of complaints against such products rose 50.6 percent compared to the same period last year, reaching 1,190. One such complaint involved a tourist whose purchased goods were allegedly switched with counterfeit products upon his return to the city.

Another incident involved a product billed at HK$140 but discovered to have been ground into powder, costing 160 times more at HK$22,400. Consumer Council chief Alaina Shum advised shoppers to verify pricing details and unit of measurement before purchasing, and to confirm total costs before having medication processed. Sellers should, Shum said, be transparent about pricing and any price changes, and not withhold information about product shortages.

An online platform for handling cross-border consumer disputes is set to launch on October 1 to help protect shoppers. The Consumer Council is also upgrading its complaint management system to streamline cross-border dispute handling and sharing case progress with partner councils.