November 27, 2012

A supermarket chain was fined $15,000 by Kowloon City Magistracy today for supplying pork bones with a false trade description, in contravention of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance.
 
Customs officers investigated a branch of the supermarket in Wong Tai Sin in June and found it was selling packs of pork chest and neck vertebrae and limb bones bearing the false label ‘pork tail bones’. Seven packs of bones, worth about $140 and sold at a reduced price of $89, were confiscated.
 
The retail price of pork tail bones is generally higher than chest and neck vertebrae and limb bones. Such a misrepresentation could mislead customers, letting them think they were getting a bargain on more expensive goods.
 
The department said it will spare no effort in cracking down on the misrepresentation of goods, irrespective of the size of the shops or value of the transactions involved.
 
If consumers suspect that goods they have bought bear a false trade description, they should keep the goods, the invoices and receipts and report it to the department by calling 2545 6182.