A jewellery shop proprietor was fined $6,000 today (October 19) at Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts for supplying jade pendants, in the course of business, to which a false trade description was applied, in contravention of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO). Four pieces of jade pendants in question, with a total value of $2,620, were confiscated.
The Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) earlier received a complaint from a member of the public against a jewellery shop which was alleged to have made a false claim to consumers. Customs officers conducted a test-buy operation in the said jewellery shop in August. In the course of test-buy, the proprietor of the jewellery shop alleged that the test-buy jade pendants were of type A jade, which was natural, no dyeing and no resin impregnated. Upon examination by a certified gemologist, it was confirmed that those jade pendants were of type B jade which were chemically treated and resin impregnated, deviating from the said trade description.
The C&ED reminds traders to comply with requirements of the TDO. The department will continue to crack down the supply of goods with false trade description to protect consumers’ interests.
Under the TDO, any person who supplies goods with a false trade description in the course of trade or business, or that has in his possession for sale any goods with a false trade description, commits a criminal offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.
Members of the public may report any suspected violations of the TDO to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 2545 6182.
Ends/Wednesday, October 19, 2016