HÀ NỘI – The Việt Nam Competition Authority (VCA) received and handled more than 1,200 requests and complaints from consumers in the first half of this year.

Of the total, VCA’s call centre hotline 1800.6838 (free of charge), which supports and advises consumers, received 3,953 calls from consumers, most of which were complaints about violations of consumers’ rights.

As for industries and sectors, finance, banking and insurance received the highest number of requests and complaints from consumers with 372, accounting for 37.68 per cent of the total requests and complaints. Most cases involved the consumer lending services of financial companies.

This was different from previous years when the daily consumer goods group often received the highest number of requests and complaints from consumers.

In the first half of the year, the phone and telecommunication sector ranked second with 108 requests and complaints from consumers, representing 10.94 per cent.

Household electronics products came third with 100 requests and complaints, accounting for 10.13 per cent.

According to VCA, among 987 calls to VCA, 17.12 per cent made requests and complaints about quality, quantity and time delivery. Consumers also complained about warranties (13.57 per cent) and information provision (6.38 per cent).

Hà Nội and HCM City were the cities with the highest number of requests and complaints on violating consumers’ rights (288 and 185 cases), accounting for 29.17 per cent and 18.74 per cent of the total requests and complaints.

Southern provinces of Đồng Nai, Bình Dương, Cà Mau, Long An and Cần Thơ followed with the number of requests and complaints accounted for some 1-4 per cent of the total. - VNS