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Launch of the Consumer Council’s WeChat Official Account Aims to Be a “Handy Consumption Encyclopedia” for Consumers

  • 2022.06.01

This year marks the 25th Anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administration Region (HKSAR), representing a milestone in the development of Hong Kong and an opportune moment for new ventures. As a statutory body for consumer protection in Hong Kong, the Consumer Council officially launches its WeChat official account today (1 June), comprehensively strengthening the communications and connections with WeChat users in the region through versatile and practical consumer information. Currently with over 1.2 billion active users globally and over 4 million users in Hong Kong, WeChat is one of the most commonly used social media platforms amongst consumers. The Council believes that as the pandemic situation starts to ease and the borders reopen, Hong Kong's ties with the Mainland, especially the Greater Bay Area (GBA), will grow closer than ever. According to the development policy of the country, more Hong Kong people will live and work in the “one-hour living circle” of the GBA in the future. The Council’s newly launched WeChat official account will serve as a source of objective and practical consumption information for consumers on both sides of the border.

The Council’s official account will disseminate a broad range of consumption information to meet the needs of both locals and tourists, aiming to become a handy “consumption encyclopedia at your fingertips” for consumers. The official account has 4 major highlights, including shopping guides, articles on hot consumption topics, revealing common consumption traps and complaints, as well as price comparison tools to empower the public to become smart consumers.


4 Major Highlights

  1. 450 Free Articles on “Shopping Guide”

The WeChat official account will link to the “Shopping Guide” section of the Council’s website, featuring product tests, surveys, and recommendations reworked and consolidated from past issues of CHOICE Magazine. These consumer guides cover a wide range of categories, including “Home Appliances”, “Tech-savvy”, “Food and Cooking”, “Silver Hair Market”, “Family and Kids”, “Life and Financial Planning”, “Green Living”, “Health and Beauty”, “Leisure and Entertainment”, etc. Additionally, a number of “Trivia” pieces, “Tips” articles and “Features” share consumption tips in highly readable and easy-to-digest formats. All of these articles are free to access. 

  1. Topical Articles at the Fingertips

In response to the topical consumption issues in society and seasonal happenings, the official account will publish timely articles on all aspects of daily life, from clothing, food, to household matters and travelling, keeping consumers up-to-date with the latest consumption trends. To coincide with the summertime launch of the official account, the first series of feeds will be on swimming precautions for children. More content will soon be available, such as mosquito repellent product test reports, high sugar summer food and beverage traps, and the hidden details when ordering takeaway food. In the future, the official account will share timely nuggets of consumption wisdom on clothing, food, household matters and travelling for consumers to elevate their quality of life.

  1. Shop Smart Using Price Comparison Tools

The official account enables consumers to browse the different price comparison tools on the Council’s website, which include “Online Price Watch” (a handy supermarket price comparison tool) and “Infant Formula Price Survey” (showcasing the infant formula price information from various retail outlets), as well as useful alerts such as “Sanctioned Traders” and “Named Firms”. With these useful tools and information accessible via a simple tap of their smartphones, consumers are empowered to shop smart, easily comparing product prices and paying heed to sanctioned traders before transactions.

  1. Case in Point References

If consumers encounter an unfair transaction and are unable to resolve the dispute directly with the shop, they could lodge a complaint with the Council. Furthermore, to enable consumers to stay vigilant about common consumption traps and spend smartly, the Council’s “Case in Point” articles are readily accessible via the WeChat official account. The official account will soon support consumers to check the progress of their complaint case and submit supplementary documents, making it extra convenient for Mainland and overseas consumers to enquire about the progress of their complaint case and submit related documents remotely.

The Council understands that in order to effectively safeguard consumer rights, proactive dissemination of information on ever-changing consumption issues and tips to the public is necessary and should be conducted through channels that fit their habits and means of receiving information. The Council launched the Facebook Page and YouTube Channel of CHOICE Magazine in 2016 and 2018 respectively. To encourage WeChat and Facebook users to follow the WeChat official account of the Council, users will have the opportunity to win a prize by joining the game on WeChat and Facebook from now till 7 June.

“A New Era – Stability. Prosperity. Opportunity” is the theme of the 25th anniversary celebration of the establishment of HKSAR. Upholding its vision while paving the way for the future, the Council is dedicated to expanding and enhancing its online publicity and educational efforts through social media, consistently injecting fresh energy to such endeavours so that the public can receive the latest and useful consumption information, anytime and anywhere, and enjoy shopping with peace of mind.