A football legend’s absence from an exhibition match and the sudden closure of a local gym chain have largely driven a rise in complaints filed with Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog over the past year.
The Consumer Council reported on Monday that it received a total of 40,839 complaints in 2024, marking a 20% increase compared to 2023.
When excluding complaints about mainland online shopping platforms, the number of complaints was 37,590.
The council attributed the rise in complaints to two major incidents that caught public attention and impacted many consumers. These included football star Lionel Messi’s controversial no-show at an exhibition match in February, and the unexpected shutdown of the Physical Fitness gym chain in September.
Complaints related to these two incidents involved approximately HK$210 million, the council said. There were 1,476 complaints about Messi’s absence, and 5,619 complaints regarding the fitness chain’s closure.
For the third consecutive year, “food and entertainment services” remained the category with the highest number of complaints, totaling 5,810 cases, with losses exceeding HK$15.2 million.
Even when excluding high-profile incidents like Messi’s no-show and the gym’s closure, food and entertainment-related complaints still made up the largest share of all complaints, the council noted.
The watchdog observed that factors such as the global economic downturn, the rise of the digital economy, increased northbound travel, and the resumption of the multi-entry visa scheme for Shenzhen residents all influenced consumer behavior in the city.
As new businesses entered the market, some industries faced both opportunities and challenges, with some companies opting to shut down. This led to a surge in related consumer complaints, the council explained.
The council urged businesses to improve the quality of their services and products to remain competitive and attract more consumers.
