Complaints Linked To Consumption Voucher Dropped

The Consumer Council said on Monday that the average number of complaints linked to the electronic spending voucher has dropped significantly, probably because retailers and e-wallet providers are now more familiar with how the scheme works.

The government handed out the first round of e-vouchers in August and the second round in October.

The council’s chief executive, Gilly Wong, said it received 31 complaints since the second installment was distributed, compared with around 300 cases recorded in relation to the first batch.

"With all the lessons learnt from the first batch, the transfer of the consumption voucher was very smooth, so there were much less problems," she said.

Wong said the majority of the 31 cases are related to disputes between consumers and shops on matter such as shops setting a minimum spend on using the vouchers.

"Out of the 31 cases, seven are related to the platforms. The rest are related to trades dispute. For example the situation of surcharge and minimum spending amount still exist. We will continue to follow up with the platform," she said.

One of the cases involved a Chinese restaurant which said it only accepted electronic payment if the bill was over HK$100, and refused to let a customer settle her HK$42 bill with her voucher in early August.

The council said all four e-wallet providers taking part in the scheme have confirmed that they might cease partnership with shops that set a minimum spend.

The council also advised people to check their transaction records regularly and keep all receipts to facilitate negotiation if there's a dispute.