WELCOME TO HONG KONG Storekeepers protest refund rules

Posted on 01/13/2016 | About

The Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong developed new guidelines that took effect 01 January in a measure to protect inbound tourists. The rules for the refund protection scheme became tighter and retailers were told that violating the law would result in their licenses being revoked.

Tourism industry groups reacted swiftly with over a thousand people taking to the streets on Tuesday to demand the resignation of newly elected council chairman Jason Wong Chun-tat. The Refund protection scheme states, ”Group visitors who are taken to shops registered with TIC by their travel agents are entitled to a full refund if they are not satisfied with their purchases and make a refund request within six months (for mainland visitors) or 14 days (for overseas visitors) after purchase. “Tour group shoppers seeking a full refund must produce the original receipt and return the purchased item, which must be undamaged and on which there must be no wear and tear because of use.”

The Travel Industry Council said that tourist attractions would undergo spot checks to ensure their adherence, and that strict penalties would be enforced. This angered the tourism groups who deemed the rules too harsh and whose main concern is that a shop’s registration could be suspended on a suspicion and members would be required to stop arranging for inbound tourists if only suspected of breaching the regulations. “The unjustified guidelines made by industry bosses have caused great suffering among tourist guides, retail shop operators and other industry practitioners.” said Lam Siu-lun, honourary president of the Hong Kong Tourism Practitioners’ Union.

“The tolerance of industry practitioners has reached a critical point today.” Lam was supposed to deliver a petition to the council before the protest march, but decided to burn it outside the Fortress Hill building where the council meets. Council executive director Joseph Tung Yao-chung promised to add a note to the guidelines stating that the council would only punish shops suspected of breaching the rules after the council’s own investigation had confirmed the suspicion.

“The council is not the emperor,” he said. “We have no right to deregister a shop as soon as it’s suspected [of breaching the rules].” He considered it an act of goodwill to investigate allegations before imposing penalties but he said, “There is no way that the Travel Industry Council will make any concessions,” and that the council “can’t and won’t stop those opposed.”

South China Morning Post reported that most of the demonstrators were middle-aged women taking part in a well-organized event. Every 50 or so protestors were led by a demonstrator in a blue uniform who used a loud speaker to call out instructions. The SCMP said demonstrators wore red uniforms with “Welcome to Hong Kong” slogans on their shirts.