Zhang Qian

zhqcindy@163.com

THE Shenzhen Consumer Council said Tuesday that it has been working with two district-level consumer councils in Futian and Longgang to send the information of four companies that had infringed on consumers’ rights to credit institutions.

All four companies had severely infringed on consumers’ rights, said staff members with the consumer councils that had an array of evidence of the complaints received against these companies over the past few months on display at a media conference Tuesday.

The four blacklisted companies had defrauded their customers mainly with tricks like Internet rebates and prepaid consumption. It is the second time that the Shenzhen Consumer Council has combated fraudulent companies by blacklisting them on credit institutions on behalf of consumers.

Among the four companies, one online e-commerce company based in Shenzhen had scammed customers out of a total of 2.43 million yuan (US$366,444). The city’s consumer council received six complaints against the company recently.

According to customers, the e-commerce company promised to return rebates to them if they purchase petrol cards on its app. However, the e-commerce company shut down the function for withdrawing points their customers accumulated by purchasing petrol cards on the portal.

On behalf of the customers that lodged complaints against the company, the Shenzhen Consumer Council attempted to mediate the conflicts, but failed to reach the company. It was also found that the company had canceled the tenancy contract with the landlord of its office and moved out of the building.

However, the company continued to sell petrol cards, even during the council’s inspection, causing economic losses to more customers.

The other three companies being blacklisted are a photography cultural firm, a fitness gym and a piano training center. All of the companies were reported for having caused economic losses to customers by requiring prepayment for consumption and shutting down the business and ceasing to provide the services.

All of the business owners refused to cooperate with the council to compensate the customers and attempted to avoid accusations.

The council has already sent over 10 firms’ information to both public and privately owned credit institutions including the Shenzhen Public Credit Center and Pengyuan Credit Service Co. Ltd.