16% jump in complaints during 3-day Qingming break
THE Shanghai Industry and Commerce Administration said it had received 426 complaints during the three-day Qingming Festival, up 16 percent from the same period last year.
There has been a significant rise in complaints regarding online booking of air and railway tickets, the administration said.
One consumer complained about the delay in getting the tickets after she paid 100 yuan (US$16.13) to buy bus ticket online; another person bought a train ticket costing 50.5 yuan online but was charged 140.5 yuan, the administration said.
The online platform, which the administration did not name, refused to refund the cash.
Unmatched promotion, quality and poor after-sales service were among the other complaints. A consumer who had purchased a bedding online said it did not match the advertisement, while the vendor ignored the messages. Another firm refused to replace or refund a kitchen table which had crack on it.
A consumer filed a complaint about the delay in the delivery of a pair of leather shoes bought online in early March. Another person said he bought a 400-yuan film card from a website but found that he could not use the card. A consumer paid 500 yuan for private classes at a gym but the gym instructor quit midway. The gym refused to pay back the money.