Today is the 42nd "International Consumer Rights Day". On March 15th of the year, the Hongkou District Consumer Protection Committee handed over its annual "report card".
takes multiple measures to protect consumers’ demands and realize
The Consumer Protection Committee is the “native family” of consumers. When many consumers encounter consumer disputes that are difficult to resolve, they will immediately think of seeking help from the Consumer Protection Committee. The reporter learned from the District Consumer Protection Committee that in 2023, the District Consumer Protection Committee received 21,328 consumer complaints and 4,942 consultations, saving consumers a total of 17.88259 million yuan in economic losses.
In order to efficiently solve consumers' troubles, the District Consumer Protection Committee has broadened its thinking and explored new models of consumer rights protection. It has currently established multiple mechanisms and methods to ensure the realization of consumer demands.
To protect the legitimate rights and interests of consumers and allow consumers to consume with peace of mind, in the final analysis, it depends on the rule of law. The District Consumer Protection Committee uses "online mediation demonstration points" and "consumer dispute circuit trial points" to simplify work processes, break time and space constraints, provide "one-stop" litigation services, and give full play to "litigation and mediation docking" and "consumer civil litigation collaboration" Working mechanisms such as the "Prosecutor's Office" further smoothen the path for consumers to safeguard their rights. Among them, it is worth mentioning the "Contract Dispute Case of "High-Sum Consumption Loan" for College Students". This is a case in which the District Consumer Protection Committee used the litigation and mediation docking mechanism to support litigation. It was reported by CCTV in May 2023 and attracted widespread attention from the society. This case was also selected as a typical case of promoting core socialist values by the Shanghai Court of the High Court.
The smooth connection and efficient complementarity between administrative mediation of consumer disputes and judicial litigation provides strong support for the protection of consumer rights and interests. At the same time, the District Consumer Protection Committee also actively promotes the linkage between government and enterprises, continuously optimizes the working mechanism of networked units, standardizes the complaint handling process of networked units, resolves complaints and disputes at the source, and further protects consumers' "consumption with confidence". Up to now, the district has There are a total of 17 networked enterprises, which regularly receive guidance and training from the District Consumer Protection Committee on resolving complaints and play a "frontline role" in the field of consumer disputes.
Focus on people’s livelihood hot spots and protect the consumer market
In addition to the well-known resolution of consumer disputes and safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of consumers, the District Consumer Protection Committee has long focused on people’s livelihood hot spots and protected the healthy development of the consumer market.
In view of the characteristics of Hongkou District’s large elderly population base, high aging rate, and high empty-nest population, the District Consumer Protection Committee conducted an in-depth survey of the "Elderly Consumer Demand Questionnaire" in 2023, and summarized and analyzed the current elderly consumer groups from more than 4,000 questionnaires. Consumption characteristics and consumption problems, and provide improvement suggestions based on the survey report. In response to the common problem of electronic payments among the elderly, the District Consumer Protection Committee and Hongkou Community College organized and implemented a series of activities called "Hongkou Smart Helping the Elderly in the Community" to help the elderly bridge the digital divide.
Food safety has always been a hot topic of social concern. In order to better protect the "vegetable basket" at the doorstep of consumers, the District Consumer Protection Committee will carry out consumer observation activities in 2023 at 70 fresh food shops (vegetable shops) in 8 streets in the district. We further leveraged our work advantages through the rights protection contact point. During the inspection period, we collected a total of 700 consumer questionnaires from community fresh food stores (vegetable shops). We also analyzed the problems discovered during the visit, such as irregularities in clearly marked prices, meat brands/origins of origin, etc. Issue an observation report on situations such as failure to expressly disclose and use of "fresh food lamps".
In addition, in order to bring a better product experience to consumers and promote healthy competition among industry brands, the District Consumer Protection Committee also plays the role of the Municipal Consumer Protection Committee’s Health Consumption Professional Office, and has successively inspected cat litter, traditional Chinese medicine sachets, and wild mountains. We conducted consumer observations on three ginseng powder products and commissioned authoritative organizations to conduct data testing on the relevant ingredients and indicators of the products. Can you identify the age, quality and efficacy of wild ginseng? It is worth mentioning that in 2023, with the efforts of the District Consumer Protection Committee (Municipal Consumer Protection Committee Healthy Consumption Professional Office), the "Shanghai Wild Ginseng Quality Specifications Group Standard" was officially launched. Since then, consumers have purchased wild ginseng. This provides a reference basis and promotes the healthy development of Shanghai’s wild ginseng consumer market.
Experts "organize a group" to provide professional consumer knowledge
to help consumers stay away from consumption traps. This is also something that the District Consumer Protection Committee has been doing for a long time.In 2023, the District Consumer Protection Committee officially organized and established the "Xiaohongxin" consumer education propaganda group. The 16 lecturers of the propaganda group come from many fields such as medical care, finance, public security, and health care industries. They will visit Hongkou communities every month , bringing lectures on various aspects such as legal promotion, food safety science, health and wellness, and disease prevention to residents. "We elderly people are easily deceived. We have benefited a lot from learning from lectures." Many older residents are full of praise for the "Xiaohongxin" consumption promotion group. Data shows that in 2023, " More than 5,000 people have been educated through the "Little Hong Heart" consumer publicity campaign. This year, "Little Hong Heart" will continue to "tailor-make" consumer publicity and education activities based on the needs of Hongkou residents to effectively help consumers "avoid pitfalls."
At the 2024 National Two Sessions, "optimizing the consumption environment" and "safe consumption actions" have become hot words. The District Consumer Protection Committee said that with the boost of consumer confidence, it will next comprehensively improve the ability to protect consumer demands and maintain consumer legality rights; strengthen linkage with various industry associations, participate in promoting the formulation of industry guilds, help the healthy development of Shanghai’s consumer market, and create a consumption environment where consumers dare to consume, can consume, and are willing to consume.
(Source: Shanghai Hongkou)
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