Thai Govt Fails To Address Consumer Complaints: Group

[webfact]

Govt fails to address consumer complaints: Group

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Fraudulent fitness-club memberships, difficulty in claiming compensation from insurers, poor public transport services and harmful uncertified cosmetics are among the most common subjects of complaints filed with consumer-protection groups, the Foundation for Consumers (FFC) said yesterday.

Unannounced fees for using cash machines, denial of service to overweight passengers by taxi motorcyclists, double-charging for airline tickets bought online, and overcharging for utility bills during floods, meanwhile, are some of the odd or newer types of cases brought to the attention of groups under the consumer-protection network, FFC secretary-general Saree Aongsomwang said at a seminar in Bangkok yesterday.

The network outlined six issues that have been lodged with the government or the Office of Consumer Protection Board, but which it said have yet to be addressed: a bill introducing independent consumer-protection measures; complaints by clients of California Wow fitness centres; standardisation of healthcare services; fees charged to prevent expiry of cards for pre-paid services of all kinds; first-class life and accident insurance for passengers on all forms of public transport; and fair prices for LPG used for transportation, petrochemical and household use.

Saree said greater sanctions could be put in place to protect consumers if and when the consumer-protection bill was passed into law, something called for under Article 61 of the Constitution.

The complaints were lodged with the FFC at its offices in six regions of Thailand and with other consumer-protection groups between January and November this year, she said. She did not say how many complaints there were in total.

In the health-related sphere, the largest number of complaints - 680 - concerned allegedly fraudulent practices by the California Wow fitness club, she said. Complaints were also filed about medical-treatment standards, transfers of emergency cases between hospitals and varying service quality at hospitals.

Clients of commercial banks complained about being sued for payment for services or loans they never used or obtained. A common new complaint involved cash-machine transaction fees deducted from clients' accounts without any notification on the machine being used. There were a number of cases in which people complained of taxi motorcyclists refusing to take them to their destination, citing their weight.

-- The Nation 2012-12-22

[chainarong]

The problem is not how many consumer complaints , but how many consumers didn't bother to complain and there lies the problem, they'll still keep ripping people off and what better example is being set by none other than the present day Government.

[Halion]

Total waste of time complaining in a society that does not give a dam about service quality.

These groups are pure window dressing and the best you can expect are the endless statements that measures will be put in place to avoid further occurance, until the next time.

[ricardofel]

Let them complain...they elected this incompetent government. Do we really think anything will change...no government cares about the people...they only care about enriching their lives.

[rubl]

There were a number of cases in which people complained of taxi motorcyclists refusing to take them to their destination, citing their weight.

Never had that problem. Mind you, I normally pay 10 Baht extra just to keep the drivers happy :-)

[impulse]

Geez, some of these issues are so trivial, it's like treating a guy that's on fire for his ingrown toenail.

[drdoom6996]

PTP does not care about any of the things mentioned in the article. None of them want to get on the bandwagon and bring Taksin back with amnesty. So they don't care. And won't do anything about any of it. Except have some newspaper reporter write a sound bite for them to look good and not be good.

[maidu]

Are the complaints by farang or Thais or both? Where can a farang complain, and what action might be taken (I think I know the answer to the 2nd part of that question).

a few things that bug me: yogurt containers which are 65% full (or 1/3 empty). Liquids don't settle.

girls I meet who don't answer the phone when I call them the next day (Ok, you don't have to comment on that) .

MSG in nearly every restaurant and most snack foods. Thais don't care because they claim they're not affected. So what (they think) if 30 to 60% of farang feel ill after ingesting a little bit of the stuff. Perhaps Thais think it's just another weird thing about farang, and it's another big 'mai pen rai' to chuckle about.

shopkeepers invariably put everything purchased in plastic bags, without a 2nd thought. Never a question, like: 'would you like it in a plastic bag?' At least New Delhi got smart: they outlaw plastic bags for consumer goods and purchases.

Edited December 22, 2012 by maidu

[trainman34014]

The only time a Thai political party wants to know about 'the people' is when it's time to vote. Other than then they don't exist....period.

[Udox]

Several times I have asked Thai friends who or where I can complain to for one reason or another - and they have always told me "don't waste your time and effort"

Rather worryingly - they told me the same thing about making a report to the police when I was the victim of a crime.

What a sad attitude, that they feel there is nobody to turn to when things go wrong