With ever increasing sums being paid out on expensive items, such as houses and cars, there is a lot at stake when things go wrong.

Last year saw over 60,000 group complaints, Chen Jian, a leading official with the China Consumers' Association (CCA), said yesterday.

Most of those complaints concerned housing, cars and public utilities, such as electricity, natural gas, heating systems, communications and cable television, she said.

By far the highest number of complaints, about 80 percent, related to housing and cars.

"With housing and automobiles costing tens of thousands of yuan (1,000 yuan is equal to US$120), the moneys involved might, in many instances, mean a person's life savings," said Chen.

For that reason more and more consumers are becoming concerned with issues which once mattered little, for example, product quality and after-sale service, she said.

Another factor is that it is only in recent years that housing and cars have both become affordable for the average Chinese consumer, and consequently few have any real understanding of these markets or the potential pitfalls.

This, combined with a vacuum in relevant service standards, leaves many consumers easy prey to unscrupulous dealers.

Against such a backdrop, if consumers want their lawful rights protected, individuals need to present a united front to offset their disadvantages in funds and knowledge, said Chen.

The CCA received 690,062 complaints from consumers in 2002, 4.3 percent down from that of the previous year.

It is the second marked fall in consumer complaints since 1985, the first was in 2000.

Explaining this drop Chen said stepped-up government efforts to protect consumers' rights, especially in regulating the market, had been a major contributory factor.

Changes in the law have also had a significant effect, particularly the introduction of a set of simplified procedures, which allow consumers to have speedier hearings of their claims with the help of the association. The CCA assists with gathering relevant evidence and provides legal advice to consumers.

"Tougher competition has also brought more dealers to realize the importance of their reputation. More and more are choosing self-regulation, eager to win customers with improved product quality and better after-sale service," said Chen.

Electronic and electrical appliances account for 19.6 percent of complaints, while groceries, agricultural production materials and construction materials also take their fair share.

(China Daily January 30, 2003)