A Hong Kong tourist faced an excessive claim for damages of nearly HK$4,000 when returning a rental car in Thailand, while the case marked just one of the numerous complaints related to cross-border consumption, the Consumer Council revealed.
The case emerged as the watchdog reported receiving 177 cross-border complaints in the first nine months of this year. Although it marks a decrease from 297 cases in 2023, disputes remain significantly higher than the 67 recorded in 2022.
A Hong Kong traveler, surnamed Fung, rented a car for five days in Thailand for about 5,000 baht (HK$1,194). His contract stated that without purchasing additional insurance, his maximum liability for damages would be 16,050 baht (HK$3,832) in case the vehicle was damaged.
However, the car rental company did not provide Fung with compensation standards or actual charges for vehicle damage.
Upon returning the vehicle, a staff member pointed to a tiny chip the size of a rice grain in the front windshield and demanded the maximum compensation amount.
Faced with a language barrier and an imminent flight, Fung reluctantly made the payment, though he questioned why the compensation standards were not disclosed at the time of collecting the vehicle.
He later complained to the Consumer Council, questioning why no specific repair cost standards were provided at the time of rental. He suspected the company of using unfair practices.
The Council referred the case to its Thai counterpart for mediation. Following discussions between the two consumer bodies, the rental company agreed to a full refund.
There were also complaints about failing to repair or replace a faulty product purchased from a foreign online shop, and disputes arising from custom-made furniture ordered from the mainland that did not meet expectations, the consumer watchdog added.
The Council noted that it has established case referral mechanisms with consumer protection organizations in 36 jurisdictions to strengthen consumer protection for cross-border consumption. These include popular destinations like Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Macau, and over 30 mainland Chinese cities.
