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Bank denies wrongdoing in credit card tie-in case

Taishin International Bank (台新銀行), Taiwan's second largest credit card issuer, denied any wrongdoing in a business tie-up with a Chinese carrier, and will modify the content of a controversial TV commercial that was accused of promoting the Chinese product in Taiwan, a company official said yesterday.

"Consumers' rights will not be affected, as any problem might lie in the advertisement's content, but not the product itself," Taishin's public relations manager Sarita Hao (郝名媛) told the Taipei Times in a phone interview.

Taishin's new credit card privilege program, which was introduced early this month, has raised government concerns because of the sensitivity of promoting Chinese businesses, according to a report from a Chinese-language newspaper yesterday.

Under the scheme, the bank's credit card users can sign up for membership for NT$3,980 a year, and be entitled to purchase air tickets from China Eastern Airlines (東方航空) to 16 Chinese destinations at a discount rate.

The new service is targeted at the aviation market, as there are around 1.2 million Taiwanese businesspeople visiting China every year.

However, the TV commercial highlighting the promotion has attracted the attention of local authorities, including the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) and the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC), as it appears to be promoting the aviation company, which is still banned in Taiwan.

In response, Taishin reassured consumers that the privilege program is set to go on.

As the bank only partners with China Eastern Holiday (東假旅行社), a local travel agency that handles tickets specifically for China Eastern Airlines, Hao said that there was no direct connection between the bank and the airline.

She said Taishin had conducted research on the regulations before launching the program and gained approval from the FSC.

The bank is waiting for formal instructions from the council, and will abide by its orders and modify the advertisement content if it is deemed inappropriate, Ho said.
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