Hong Kong Customs today (May 25) arrested a female owner of a foot bath healthcare centre suspected to have wrongly accepted payment, in contravention of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO).
Customs earlier received information alleging that a foot bath healthcare centre in Fanling had closed down suddenly after accepting payments. It was unable to provide relevant services and failed to return the payments to customers. After investigation, Customs officers today arrested a 51-year-old woman. Investigation is ongoing and the arrested woman has been released on bail pending further investigation.
Customs reminds traders to comply with the requirements of the TDO and consumers to procure services at reputable shops.
Under the TDO, any trader commits an offence if at the time of acceptance to payment, the trader intends not to supply the product or intends to supply a materially different product, or there are no reasonable grounds for believing that the trader will be able to supply the product within a specified or reasonable period. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment of five years.
Members of the public may report any suspected violations of the TDO to the Customs 24-hour hotline 2545 6182.
Ends/Thursday, May 25, 2017