Guangdong Consumer Association Recovered Approximately RMB 448 Million in Economic Losses for Consumers in 2025

Over One Million Complaints, Over 650,000 Cases Resolved Through Mediation

Xinkuai Bao News On March 14, the Guangdong Consumer Council released the 2025 Consumer Complaint Analysis Report for the Guangdong Consumer Council System. In 2025, consumer visits and inquiries across all levels of the Guangdong Consumer Council totaled approximately 111,200, handling 1,028,800 consumer complaints, with 656,775 cases accepted and resolved through mediation, recovering about 448 million yuan in economic losses for consumers.

In 2025, the Guangdong Consumer Council system processed a total of 1,028,753 complaints, a 6.98% increase year-on-year, with 656,775 cases accepted and mediated. Currently, Guangdong’s consumer market is shifting from primarily goods consumption to a balanced structure emphasizing service and experience consumption. Internet services, education and training, and cultural entertainment and sports are key areas reflecting consumers’ spiritual and cultural needs, with complaints in these sectors increasing significantly by 31,344 cases.

Facing large complaint volumes, numerous hotspots, and high difficulty, the provincial consumer councils have innovated methods and actively fulfilled their duties, employing mediation, interviews, and supporting litigation to properly resolve consumer disputes, recovering a total of 448 million yuan for consumers.

Among service complaints, internet services (148,546 cases), social services (65,897 cases), and education and training services (46,592 cases) rank top. Internet service complaints remain high, mainly involving online gaming and online payments. Meanwhile, complaints about telecom services, social services, and postal services have decreased significantly by over 43,000 cases year-on-year, indicating improvements in traditional service sectors, while rapidly expanding online services pose new challenges for consumer rights protection.

Guangdong Consumer Council Announces Six Major Complaint Hotspots and Difficulties

Xinkuai Bao News Based on last year’s complaint data, the Guangdong Consumer Council summarized six major hotspots and difficulties and released typical cases.

Difficulty 1

Gold Price Fluctuations Spark Consumer Boom

Hidden Price Traps in Gold Jewelry

In 2025, 11,717 complaints related to jewelry, mainly involving: merchants exploiting consumers’ attention to gold price trends, vague standards for “trade-in” exchange rates, craftsmanship fees, and pricing methods, even including unfair terms; some products had issues like insufficient weight or substandard quality, such as disguising false weight through inlay accessories or braided cords, damaging consumers’ financial interests and undermining market integrity.

For example, consumer Ms. Wang bought a gold bracelet from an online jewelry store, with the weight marked as 1.6 grams on the promotional page and certificate. Upon receipt, she weighed it herself and found the actual weight was only 0.896 grams, significantly inconsistent with the certificate. The merchant refused compensation, insisting the certificate was correct. After mediation by the consumer council, the platform refunded the weight difference.

Difficulty 2

Emotional Value Consumption Booms

Marketing Bubble in Blind Boxes

The explosive growth of “emotional value” consumption, represented by blind boxes, trendy toys, and card collections, has led to issues like over-marketing, opaque odds, inconsistent product quality, and lack of protection for minors.

For example, consumer Ms. Liu found her 7-year-old child spent over 400 yuan in a week buying multiple blind box cards at a stationery store near school. She questioned the legality of selling blind boxes to minors and requested refunds. After mediation, the merchant refunded 300 yuan.

Difficulty 3

Experiential Services Shrinking

Unsmooth Ticket Refund Channels

In 2025, 23,306 complaints involved cultural, entertainment, and sports services, and 6,181 complaints involved travel services. Main issues included: difficulty in refunding tickets under the “real-name” system, overly strict refund conditions, making it hard for consumers to protect their rights during emergencies; poor screening quality at cinemas, with damaged screens and forced sales of 3D glasses affecting viewing experience; accommodation services with discrepancies between actual conditions and platform descriptions, such as room types and facilities.

For example, consumer Mr. Sun purchased a movie ticket package at a cinema, but upon arrival, was told the session was sold out and could only exchange for a ticket the next day. When he returned the next day, he was asked to pay extra for 3D glasses. After mediation, the cinema compensated him with three movie tickets.

Difficulty 4

Transportation Services

Nearly 10,000 Complaints

In 2025, transportation service complaints totaled 8,897, including 1,116 taxi complaints. For example, consumer Mr. Gu took a ride-hailing car, paying 221.51 yuan for the trip, including 108 yuan for highway tolls. On the return trip along the same route and vehicle, the toll was only 58 yuan.

After raising the discrepancy, the consumer council mediated, and the platform refunded 50 yuan.

Difficulty 5

Fake Advertising Exceeds 30,000 Cases

“1 Yuan Trial for 5 Days” Tricks

In 2025, 32,677 complaints involved false advertising, with 190,525 complaints related to contracts. The most issues were in life, social services, and internet services.

For example, consumer Mr. Huang saw an ad for “1 yuan trial for 5 days” while browsing novels on his phone. He paid 1 yuan to purchase, but the next day was asked to continue paying, and after a week, automatically charged 59.9 yuan. He later discovered it was a monthly subscription service. After mediation, the merchant refunded him.

Difficulty 6

Harm to Elderly Consumers

Becoming More Hidden and Precise

With the deepening aging population and expanding “silver economy,” behaviors harming elderly consumers are becoming more covert and targeted. Main issues include: door-to-door services claiming “free” or “public welfare lectures” to induce high-priced, low-quality products; using family marketing and false advertising to exaggerate the healing effects of health products or devices; hiding terms in telecom and financial contracts to induce signing long-term high-cost packages and setting high exit barriers.

For example, Ms. Chen’s mother was recommended by staff to spend 50,000 yuan on a spectral device claiming to clear blood vessels, but it proved ineffective. Ms. Chen negotiated for a refund, but the store claimed it was her mother’s “lottery winnings” rather than a purchase. After mediation at Enping Consumer Council in Jiangmen, 38,000 yuan was finally refunded.

Reporter Wang Tong, Correspondent Yue Xiaoquan

【Source: Xinkuai Bao】