A logistics company and its male director were each fined $2,500 today (November 9) at West Kowloon Magistrates' Court for engaging in commercial practice involving misleading omission, in contravention of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO).
Hong Kong Customs earlier received information alleging that a logistics company was suspected of engaging in unfair trade practices in the sale of removal services.
Investigation revealed that the company offered a set of unclear quotations and charged for extra items in the subsequent course of provision of service.
Customs reminds traders to comply with the requirements of the TDO and consumers to procure services at reputable shops.
Under the TDO, any trader who engages in relation to a consumer in a commercial practice that omits or hides material information and as a result causes, or is likely to cause, an average consumer to make a transactional decision that the consumer would not have made otherwise commits an 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 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).
Ends/Friday, November 9, 2018