A total number of 7,222 cases were received by Consumer Council in 2012. The top 5 categories of complaints received were telecommunication services, telecommunication equipment and supplies, food and beverages, electrical appliances and clothing and apparel.

Consumer Council indicated that a total number of 7,222 cases were received in 2012, which was 5.43 percent more than the 6,850 cases received in 2011. Among all the cases received, 1,609 were complaints (which amounted to 22.28 percent of the total number of cases received and 4.74 percent less compared to 1,689 complaints received in 2011), 5,520 were inquires (which amounted to 76.43 percent of the total number of cases received and 10.69 percent more compared to 4,987 inquires received in 2011), and the rest of 93 cases were suggestions from consumers (which amounted to 1.29 percent of the total number of cases received and 46.55 percent less compared to 174 suggestions received in 2011).

The top 5 categories of complaints were telecommunication services (231 cases, 14.36 percent of total), telecommunication equipment and supplies (202 cases, 12.55 percent of total), food and beverages (124 cases, 7.71 percent of total), electrical appliances (89 cases, 5.53 percent of total) and clothing and apparel (87 cases, 5.41 percent of total) respectively. The top 5 categories of complaints received in 2012 were similar to those in 2011 except that public transportation had been replaced by electrical appliances.

Consumer Council indicated that telecommunication services still marked the top of the 5 categories of complaints, cases concerning this category mainly involved issues such as 3G mobile phone charges and data fees, and the number of cases received in 2012 had been decreased by 11 percent compared to 2011. Telecommunication equipment and supplies marked the second top category and mainly involved quality and prices of 3G mobile phones and business practices, the number of cases received in 2012 had been increased by 27 percent compared to 2011. Food and beverages, which marked the third, mainly involved pastries, milk powder, and frozen food, and the number of complaints had been decreased by 16 percent. Electrical appliances replaced public transportation and became fourth in the top 5 categories of complaints and the number of complaint cases, which included television, air conditioner and washing machine, etc., had been increased by 17 percent. The number of cases received under clothing and apparel category was similar to that from 2011 and cases mainly included garments, handbags and shoes, etc..

A total number of 862 cases were received from tourists. Among all these cases, 361 were complaints, 499 were inquiries and 2 were suggestions. In comparison to the numbers from 2011, number of complaint cases had been decreased by 4.75 percent and inquiries had been increased by 3.1 percent.

A detailed analysis of the number of cases received in 2012 will be published later by the Council in its monthly magazine Consumer Report.