More than three out of five restaurant vouchers sold on group-purchase Web sites fail to provide details of how customers can be compensated if a vendor fails to deliver what is promised on the voucher, the Consumers’ Foundation said yesterday.
Through popular Web sites such as Yahoo, PChome, ezHungry, Gomaji, Groupon, dotzing.com, LaShou and 17Life, consumers can buy vouchers for everything from restaurant meals to spa sessions and hotel rooms at a discount “bulk” price for those who buy as a group, the foundation said.
The vouchers are usually paid for either by credit card or ATM transfers, and consumers can receive the product or service by presenting the voucher to participating businesses. However, not all vouchers purchased online give consumers adequate protection, the foundation said.
A survey conducted by the consumer rights watchdog examined 16 restaurant vouchers sold through the Web.
It found that 10 of the 16, or 63 percent, did not give customers enough protection through such means as trust funds at a third-party banking institution that guarantees consumers compensation in the event that goods or services cannot be delivered as promised.
“If the vendors have insolvency issues and fail to give customers with what was promised on the vouchers, customers stand little chance of getting the compensation they deserve,” foundation chairperson Joann Su (蘇錦霞) said.
Su said that many of the vouchers that have photographs printed on them have fine print stating: “Photo for reference only,” which allows businesses to avoid the responsibility of providing goods and services that are exactly as advertised.
As a result, customers have no legal bargaining power when they are presented with products that are not what they expected and are suceptible to false advertising, the foundation said.
Certain restaurants also indicate on their vouchers that once a voucher’s expiry date had passed, it can no longer be used.
The foundation said such a condition was unreasonable, because vouchers or gift certificates that have been purchased by customers — as opposed to giveaways — should be exchangeable for the goods and services promised at the time of purchase and expiration dates should not apply.
Online shops should do their part in protecting customers by preventing vendors from imposing unreasonable terms and conditions on their vouchers, the foundation said.
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