On October 25th, the Guangdong Consumer Council released its analysis report on consumer complaints for the third quarter. According to the report, all levels of consumer councils in Guangdong received a total of 42,343 visits and inquiries, dealing with 187,004 complaints and recovering an impressive 183 million yuan in economic losses for consumers.
The report highlights a significant rise in complaints across various categories of goods and services during the third quarter. Complaints related to goods saw a year-on-year increase of 66.42%, accounting for 41.51% of the total complaints. The top three categories of product complaints were household electrical appliances, clothing and footwear, and daily consumer goods. Notably, complaints concerning agricultural production materials and household electrical appliances surged, rising by 203.08% and 162.73%, respectively.
In terms of service-related complaints, these exceeded 90,000, making up 48.63% of the total. Four main areas—internet services, telecommunications, educational training, and cultural and entertainment services—were particularly problematic, comprising 66.82% of service complaints. The report indicates that all service categories experienced an uptick in complaints, with summer vacations and promotional activities likely driving the increased interest in online gaming and, consequently, related complaints.
When analyzing the nature of the complaints, issues with after-sales service, contracts, and product quality rose significantly, representing over 80% of the total. The most substantial increase stemmed from contract-related complaints, primarily within the realms of internet services, social life services, and household electrical appliances. The report also highlighted specific issues with online gaming contracts, particularly difficulties with refunds and account bans, as well as telecommunications products, which faced complaints regarding exchange policies and sudden price reductions.
