Wedding ring company violates TDO, director arrested

Customs detained the sole director of a wedding ring design company on Wednesday, suspecting him of accepting payments under false pretenses, a violation of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO).

The implicated company had been repeatedly delaying the delivery of wedding rings, citing various excuses, and recently ceased all communication with its customers, shutting down its retail outlet earlier this month. 

As of 8 am today, customs has received 57 complaints regarding the company. Customers reported that they had paid in advance for wedding rings but neither received the products nor refunds, with the total amount involved reaching approximately HK$520,000. The largest single reported loss was about HK$20,000.

Customs has contacted some complainants and begun taking statements to understand their purchase details. Among these are victims who ordered wedding rings as early as June of last year.

As the company claims to specialize in wedding ring design and has participated in numerous wedding-related exhibitions, many soon-to-be-married couples ordered their wedding rings from them.

In response to the abrupt closure of the business and its alleged breach of the TDO, customs swiftly formed a special task force to investigate the matter and took action by arresting the 41-year-old male director of the company. He has since been released on bail while the investigation continues.

The TDO stipulates that it is an offense for a trader to accept payment with the intention of not supplying the product, supplying a significantly different product, or when there are no reasonable grounds to believe the product can be supplied within a specified or reasonable time frame. Conviction can lead to a fine of up to $500,000 and/or up to five years in prison.

Customs advises all traders to adhere to the TDO and avoid engaging in deceptive trade practices.