Consumers list their top 2017 grievances

Fraudulent health-care products targeting elderly people topped the list of complaints from Chinese consumers in 2017, a survey showed on Monday.

Sham advertisements and quack medical experts have tricked many older citizens into buying fake products, leading to consumer complaints and tough measures from drug regulators, according to the survey released by China Consumers Association and a public opinion monitoring center under people.cn.

A McKinsey report showed last November that Chinese consumer confidence reached a decade high in 2017, while the CCA survey showed that market development still lags behind consumers’ growing demand for better products and services, especially in online consumption.

Micro-credit services targeting cash-strapped college students also drew public criticism as some micro-lending platforms forced borrowers to pay back deposits and interest by means of coercion or violence.

In June, China’s top banking regulator and the ministries of education and human resources introduced strict measures to crack down on unscrupulous micro-credit services targeting campus consumers.

Bike-sharing became the third most complained about service last year as some companies had difficulty returning users’ deposits after fierce competition and overexpansion drained them financially.

Other major concerns for Chinese consumers in 2017 included food safety in online takeout services, hygiene in hotel rooms, price hikes by car-hailing services, and risks in prepaid card use.