Private tutor suspected of making false claim in contravention of Trade Descriptions Ordinance

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     The Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) earlier received a complaint from a member of the public against a private tutor. He was alleged to have made a false claim of being a current chemistry panel head of a secondary school. The allegation constituted a suspected offence of applying a false trade description under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO).

     After initial investigation, Customs officers arrested a 50-year-old man in a private tutorial centre in Tsim Sha Tsui yesterday (August 10). The case is still under investigation and the arrested person has been put on bail.

     It is an offence for a trader, in the course of trade or business, to apply a false trade description to a service supplied or offered to be supplied to a consumer, or supply or offer to supply to a consumer a service to which a false trade description is applied. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.

     The C&ED reminded traders to comply with the statutory requirements of the TDO. Traders should not provide consumers with false or misleading information on their services or goods. If traders are uncertain whether the information is genuine, they should verify it before providing it to consumers.

     Members of the public may report suspected cases in violation of the TDO to the C&ED by calling the 24-hour hotline 2545 6182.

Ends/Thursday, August 11, 2016
Issued at HKT 12:07

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