On January 20, the Chinese consumers' Association issued a consumption warning for the Spring Festival: low price ≠ affordable, and you need to avoid these pits to enjoy high quality and low price.

China Consumer Association said that with the approaching of the Spring Festival in 2022, shopping malls, supermarkets, travel agencies, e-commerce platforms and other operators have launched a variety of preferential activities, of which the most intuitive and common way of activity is price reduction and promotion. "However, low prices do not mean benefits. Some illegal operators may take the opportunity of low prices to sell fake and shoddy products, and even deceive consumers, adding congestion to consumers' spring festival life."

In this regard, the China Consumer Association has sorted out several "low price routines" that have been prominent among consumers in recent years, hoping that consumers will strengthen prevention and prevent "winning strokes":

Low price "problem" food has high safety risk and low nutritional value

The China Consumer Association has carried out the investigation and experience activities of rural market for three consecutive years from 2018 to 2020, and found that the food sold is mixed with some "Shanzhai" food and "three noes" food. Because most of these "problem" foods use unknown raw materials and the production process is not standardized, it is difficult to ensure food safety. However, due to the low price, it is easy for consumers to "win" if they only pay attention to the price.

Recently, the media publicly revealed the source of raw materials and the "way of survival" of low-cost dumplings and low-cost meatballs. By visiting a number of frozen product wholesale markets, large supermarkets and going deep into the front line of food production, it was found that individual quick-frozen food enterprises added chicken to pork dumplings and chicken neck mud and chicken rack mud to meatballs in order to reduce costs, which were not indicated on the packaging. Experts said that the use of bone mud such as chicken neck mud and chicken rack mud to replace the original meat is essentially adulterated and shoddy, which will reduce the nutritional and sensory quality of the product.

China Consumer Association tips: as the saying goes, "food is the first thing for the people, and food safety is the first". When consumers choose new year food, they should pay more attention to safety and quality while considering the price. First of all, it is necessary to check whether the business has business qualifications such as the food business license and the business license, and check whether the business scope specified in the food business license matches. It is recommended to buy food from regular businesses with complete licenses. Secondly, pay attention to the label information of food, especially the trademark, name, production date, shelf life, product implementation standard, food production license number, ingredient list and nutritional composition list, understand the basic situation of products, prevent "Shanzhai" food, "three noes" food and expired food, and reduce food safety risks.

Community group buying "wool collection", be careful to buy fake goods and inferior products

Community group buying is a group buying activity of consumer goods based on e-commerce platform, community and other tools. Consumers can buy cheaper goods in the form of collage.

It is understood that since the end of 2020, with the entry of many well-known e-commerce platforms into the community group purchase business, the community group purchase has developed rapidly. With the "price far below the market average", it has successfully attracted a large number of community consumers to "follow the group". At present, community group buying is all inclusive, from fruits and vegetables to daily necessities, from catering services to transportation. However, behind the "bright" of community group purchase, there are also many problems, such as poor commodity quality, false promotion, low-price dumping, non refundable deposit for returning to the store, among which the problem of low price and low quality is the most prominent.

China Consumer Association tips: when conducting community group purchase, consumers should carefully screen and check the qualification of merchants, understand the reputation and after-sales service of merchants, try to choose group purchase merchants with good reputation, standardized service and guaranteed after-sales, and carefully choose wechat group purchase groups of wechat merchants, social platforms and personal organizations. Second, carefully check the supply channels and supplier qualifications, and timely check the product quality when receiving the goods, such as whether the meat and poultry products have been inspected and quarantined, whether the agricultural and sideline products have been tested, whether they meet the national food safety standards, whether there is a product certificate, etc. Third, we should consume rationally according to our own needs, not blindly hoard goods for use within a time limit, resist the temptation of low prices, and avoid waste caused by excessive hoarding. Fourth, we should keep invoices, electronic orders, payment pages and other consumption vouchers, chat records with the "head" of the group purchase platform, product publicity and service commitments, and actively protect our rights when our legitimate rights and interests are infringed.

For the sake of "low price, false profit" and "real profit", the promotion is too greasy

Some obviously unreasonable low-price promotions are more "fishy", which seem to benefit consumers. In fact, they "catch big fish for a long time". They use "free", "0 yuan purchase", "second kill" and "how much to charge" as bait to induce consumers to "take the bait".

Some are substandard products with particularly poor quality or have shrunk in service quality; Some products are free, but you need to pay extra for using the product; Some have handled loans or installment payments without the knowledge of consumers; Some are to induce consumers to recharge a large number of prepayments; Some are to obtain the personal information of consumers, and then push various advertisements or sell them for profit; Some are hidden Trojan horse programs. Once consumers click the link or scan the code, they will face greater property security risks.

For example, on January 27, 2021, the five-star street branch of Ziliujing District Commission for the protection of consumer rights and interests in Zigong City, Sichuan Province received a complaint from Ms. yuan, a consumer, who said that when she was shopping in a shopping mall on January 27, 2021, she saw that some merchants were giving out gifts for free and publicizing the free receipt of learning machines. Ms. yuan thought that the children at home could be used to learn, so she asked the merchant about the situation. The merchant always said that there was no need to pay, So Ms. yuan received one, but after receiving it, the merchant asked her to recharge her 2499 yuan learning card to use it. Ms. yuan had to pay 2499 yuan to the merchant. Afterwards, consumers felt that businesses induced consumption, so they complained. After investigation, the merchants did not inform the consumers during the publicity that after receiving the learning machine for free, they have to recharge and pay to learn normally. After mediation, the merchant returned the full amount of 2499 yuan to the consumer.

China Consumer Association tips: first, consumers should be alert to the ultra-low price or even free promotion behavior of merchants, carefully identify the authenticity of promotion, especially whether there are other conditions attached. For those involving installment payment, we should fully understand the relevant rules and measure their repayment ability. Second, recharge rationally. For those who induce consumers to recharge in the form of "how much to charge", "high cash back", it is recommended not to recharge a large amount at one time in combination with the credibility of merchants, consumers' own economic ability and consumer demand. Third, protect the safety of personal information and personal property, and do not fill in personal information such as mobile phone number and address at will; Do not click unknown links or scan QR codes at will.

Stay away from "unreasonable low price tour" and be careful that "tour" becomes "buy"

In recent years, problems such as forced shopping, product quality disputes and insulting consumers caused by "unreasonable low-cost tourism" have occurred from time to time, seriously damaging consumers' rights and interests, damaging the image of scenic spots and affecting the healthy development of the tourism industry.

"Unreasonable low price tour" is often packaged with gimmicks such as "group purchase price", "zero group fee", "free tour" and "tourism subsidy". In fact, there are hidden "traps" that harm the interests of tourists, such as big discounts in travel routes, means of transportation, catering and accommodation, arranging various shopping links during the journey, or excluding the most exciting and paid scenic spots from the low-cost group fee when signing the contract. These behaviors seriously affect consumers' travel experience and are prone to consumer disputes.

For example, on April 22, 2021, the Tourism Quality Supervision Office of the Ministry of culture and tourism issued ten typical complaints of "unreasonable low-cost tourism". One of them is the case of "zero group fee" tour groups making profits through shopping. Tourist Wang complained that he signed up for Yixing five-day shopping group at a travel agency in Nanjing, and the group fee was 0 yuan. Outside the agreed itinerary, the tour guide increased the number of shopping without authorization. Wang spent a total of 500 yuan, and the purchased goods were seriously inconsistent with the quality and price. After the mediation of Gulou District Culture and Tourism Bureau of Nanjing, the travel agency agreed to handle the return procedures for tourists and advance the refund of 500 yuan in advance. The illegal acts of travel agencies will be investigated and dealt with separately.

China Consumer Association tips: when choosing tourism products, consumers should give up their desire for cheapness, not simply price oriented. They should pay more attention to the reputation of travel agencies and the quality of tourism products, consider their own physical condition and affordability, sign a tourism contract with travel agencies, read the terms of the contract in detail, and understand the travel schedule and the liability for breach of contract of both parties. If you find that the contract of the travel agency is unreasonable, you must negotiate with the travel agency in advance, and you must not sign the