Consumer complaints about real estate, automobiles, computers and telecommunications products and services are on the rise, consumer protection advocates have said.

"Though the number of consumer complaints has declined in the first six months year on year, the number of complaints about houses and automobiles are rising, and they are getting more complicated," Wu Hangao, deputy secretary-general of All China Association of Consumers, said.

Brokers for major real estate projects have been known to over exaggerate the products on offer, leaving purchasers angry and disappointed when they discover the house they have bought is of low construction quality.

Other complaints include poor property management services, contract violations and instances where the release of property ownership certificates have been postponed.

In one case, more than 200 households from one community in Huhhot, capital of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, complained about the developer for refusing to hand out their property ownership certificates, since their settlement in 2000.

Moreover, instances of extreme hyperbole and fraud have been uncovered in television advertisements, some involving high-profile celebrities who have acted as the product's spokespersons.

In March, crosstalk performer Guo Degang was involved in a scandal when a weight-loss tea he promoted was found to be ineffective.

Wu made the remarks yesterday during the official launch of "Good Faith Prospering Commerce Publicity Month", a national campaign involving 15 ministerial-level departments.

Events promoting "good faith commerce" will be held starting from next week, including a high-level forum in Shanghai on Tuesday, and a press conference on September 13 on the progress made in credit system construction among different industries.

Price supervision departments will keep a close eye on festival markets as the Moon Festival and National Day, two important Chinese holidays, draw near; customs will publicize import and export companies in appearing on the black and red lists in 2006; and industry and commerce departments will expose a number of fake, illegal advertisements.

To further strike at commercial swindle and defend customer rights, the ministries, headed by the Ministry of Commerce, has established an anti-commercial fraud website: www.antifraud.gov.cn.

"All consumers who feel cheated can submit their complaints on the website, and we will transfer the information to the relevant government departments, or provide necessary legal suggestions," Wen Zaixing, an official with the commerce ministry, said.

Departments involved must respond to complaints within 10 days.

(China Daily August 31, 2007)