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What can consumers do if they find quality problem in the purchased goods and seller ignores their claim for refund?
(02/17/2004)

According to Article 40 of "Law on Protecting Rights and Interests of Consumers", if operators intentionally put off or reject ungrounded the demand from consumers to repair, redo, exchange, refund for the purchased goods or make for the loss of goods, the operators should undertake civil responsibilities. By saying "intentionally put off or reject ungrounded", it refers to the activity in which operators are fully aware that they are responsible for such obligations as refunding goods, etc., but they don't implement the responsibilities promptly or they reject to do it without any acceptable reason, which results in the fact that consumers can not realize their legal rights and interests. It is the behavior of violating against legal rights and interest of consumers if operators intentionally put off or ungrounded reject the consumers' reasonable demand for refunding, and consumers can settle the dispute by asking consumers association for mediation or submitting the case to arbitral organ for arbitration, or going to the people's court for legal action and asking operators to bear civil responsibility.

Meanwhile, consumers can settle the disputes by going through administrative procedures. According to Article 50 of "Law on Protecting Rights and Interests of Consumers", if operators intentionally put off or reject ungrounded the demand from consumers to repair, redo, exchange, return back the purchased goods or make for the loss of goods, refund or claim for compensation, the operators will be punished by administrative department on industry and commerce. From the regulation, it reflects that administrative organs are protecting legal rights and interests of consumers. With the regulations, when sellers ignore consumers demand for refund, consumers can directly file in a complaint to administrative department on industry and commerce and ask for administrative punishment on the seller.