Beware of the tactics of salesmen who come calling at your door to sell digital TV set-top box.
Despite repeated cautions through different channels, consumers are still falling prey of these door-to-door salesmen.
Complaints lodged with the Consumer Council concerning their dishonest sale practices have continued unabated in the first 4 months (January to April) this year.
During the period, the Council recorded some 170 cases involving 6 to 7 companies and a total amount of $390,000.
According to the complaints lodged with the Council, their "best customers" were mostly the elderly, housewives and even students who were alone at home at the time. Their usual targets are public housing estates and old tenement housing blocks where security was lax and entry easy. Once inside, they would knock on the door of each household to find their victims.
Taking advantage of their victims' general lack of technical knowledge of digital terrestrial TV, the salesmen would fabricate misleading and false information to persuade them into buying TV set-top box.
The salesmen were alleged to falsely represent themselves as sales agents appointed by the authorities or the owners' association of the housing estate to undertake high-definition TV reception installations.
Further, they would make various claims to mislead their victims into believing that a set-top box is necessary for better overall TV reception, and that if it is not immediately installed the existing free analogue TV channels would be terminated.
Highlights of the complaints were outlined in this May issue of CHOICE.
The Consumer Council reserves all its right (including copyright) in respect of CHOICE Magazine and Online CHOICE ( https://echoice.consumer.org.hk/ ).