‘Don’t just issue spending coupons as refund’

The Consumer Council said on Monday that if people try to get a refund from a consumption voucher purchase, the money should be returned to their e-payment accounts.

The watchdog’s chief executive, Gilly Wong, said in one complaint it received last week, a department store refused to offer a direct refund and was only willing to issue its own spending coupons.

“[A consumer] wants to make a refund, your right is to [get a] refund to the consumption voucher account instead of trade to other spending voucher or gift voucher from the merchant, that you’re forced to spend money there instead of some place else,” Wong said.

Besides, she said the complainant was told only after he made the HK$500 purchase that he wasn’t eligible to enjoy the store’s other offers because he was using the consumption voucher.

Wong said the watchdog will follow up on the case and try to mediate.

She also reminded consumers that there’s no minimum purchase required for the consumption vouchers.

The head of the Consumer Council said the case was among 102 complaints it has received so far since the administration’s consumption voucher scheme began at the start of the month.

Wong said most of the complainants were unhappy with the electronic payment platforms, saying they’ve come across technical and customer service issues, as well as problems with early-bird offers.