Choco Cloud Kids, a baby daily necessities purchase company that opened in 2013, suddenly announced its closure on its website, stating that the company was “seriously insolvent and cannot continue to operate without new capital injections.” The company has laid off all staff and is arranging liquidation procedures, but said outsiders can still contact the company through company emails. Some owners have set up a group on a social platform, and more than 1,100 people have joined so far. Some people became suspicious after they found that the goods had not been received after payment, and the order status was shown as “in stock.” Some owners mentioned that the owner of the company was suspected of having immigrated to the UK to buy property earlier, and questioned whether he had “taken away all the customers’ money.” He was very angry and said, “Why can’t you be so unscrupulous towards a group of regular customers?” Some people said they had reported the incident to the police and customs.
“Hong Kong 01” reporter went to Choco Cloud Kids’ self-pickup point in Lai Chi Kok this evening (6th) and saw that the store had closed and there was a pile of cardboard and cardboard boxes outside the door. In response to “Hong Kong 01” inquiries, the Customs stated that it has received relevant reports and is actively following up. If any violation of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance is discovered, appropriate law enforcement actions will be taken. The Consumer Council responded that it has received a total of 14 complaints related to the closure of Choco Cloud Kids so far, involving a total amount of NT$15,603. The average amount involved in each case was NT$1,114, and the maximum amount involved was NT$4,784.
“Choco Cloud Kids”, a company that purchased baby daily necessities, announced its closure. Its self-pickup point in Lai Chi Kok has been closed, and there is a pile of cardboard and cardboard boxes outside the door. (Photo by Chen Haoran)
Customs stated that according to the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (the Ordinance), any merchant, when accepting payment, intends not to supply the relevant product or intends to supply a product that is materially different from the relevant product, or has no reasonable grounds to believe that it can be sold on a specified or reasonable basis. If the relevant products are supplied within the specified time, the merchant shall be deemed to have “improperly accepted payment”. Upon conviction, the merchant may be fined up to NT$500,000 and imprisoned for 5 years.
“Choco Cloud Kids”, a company that purchased baby daily necessities, announced its closure. Some netizens left a message in a group of victims on a social platform, saying they had been patronizing the company for more than 10 years and denouncing the company as “unscrupulous.” (Screenshot of the suffering group)
When handling cases suspected of violating the Ordinance, Customs needs to consider the actual circumstances of individual incidents and relevant evidence to determine whether the case violates the Ordinance. However, the circumstances of each case are unique and cannot be generalized.
Choco Cloud Kids, which purchases baby daily necessities, stated on its website that the company was seriously insolvent and could not continue to operate without new capital injection. It laid off all staff and closed down on April 4 in accordance with labor laws. (Screenshot of Choco Cloud Kids webpage)
Customs stated that it attaches great importance to protecting the rights and interests of consumers and reminds the public to patronize reputable merchants when purchasing products. After purchasing products, they should retain transaction receipts and related records, which can be used as basic information if they need to make appeals in the future. Merchants must also Comply with the provisions of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance. If members of the public discover activities suspected of violating the Ordinance, they can call the Customs 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or report via the dedicated crime reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).
2024-04-06 10:30:37
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