Shopping online tops complaints list in 2013

Online shopping was the subject of the most consumer complaints received last year by the Shanghai Industrial and Commercial Administrative Bureau.

Dissatisfied with after-sales service, late deliveries and product quality, members of the public made 20,420 complaints about online shopping, an increase of 18 percent from 2012, the watchdog said yesterday.

Food took the No. 2 spot, with safety concerns accounting for the bulk of the complaints, while malfunctioning mobile phones, poor signals and unreasonable charges secured the No. 3 position for communications products and services.

Among the highest climbers in last year's list were air conditioning and autos, which both made the top 10, while the number of complaints about education and training institutions, and culture and entertainment service both rose 50 percent, the bureau said.

Complaints about prepaid services, mostly related to beauty, fitness and catering services, ranked fifth on the list.

The bureau also yesterday named and shamed eight companies for consumer rights infringements. Among them was Shanghai Gecheng KTV, which was fined for running advertisements during karaoke sessions paid for by its customers.