"Shanghai Market Supervision" WeChat WeChat official account news, at present, with the rapid development of community group buying, it has played a positive role in ensuring people’s livelihood, but there have also been some operators who use the community group buying model to implement unfair price behaviors such as price gouging and price fraud. To this end, the market supervision department, while strengthening the warning to the organizers and operators of community group buying, continues to severely crack down on illegal acts according to law, earnestly safeguard the market price order and protect the legitimate rights and interests of consumers. A new batch of typical cases of illegal community group purchase prices are now announced.
Case 1: Zhezang (Shanghai) Catering and Entertainment Management Co., Ltd. bid up the prices of edible oil and other commodities.
Minhang District Market Supervision Bureau recently received a report clue, and law enforcement officers immediately inspected Zhezang (Shanghai) Catering and Entertainment Management Co., Ltd. After investigation, the parties carried out community group purchases through WeChat group and sold commodities such as grain, oil and milk to residents. Among them, the highest price difference between edible oil and milk is 105% and 90%, which is much higher than the price difference between similar products in the surrounding markets at the same time.
The behavior of the parties concerned violates the relevant provisions of Item (3) of Article 14 of the Price Law of People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Guiding Opinions on Determining the Illegal Behavior of Driving Up Prices during the Epidemic Prevention and Control Period, which constitutes the illegal behavior of driving up prices. At present, the case is being handled quickly.
Case 2: Li’s case of driving up vegetable prices
Changning District Market Supervision Bureau recently received complaints from the public, reflecting that Li sold vegetables at high prices during the epidemic. After investigation, Li purchased vegetables from wholesalers at low prices and sold them to residents in surrounding communities through WeChat. In the case of no obvious change in the purchase cost, Li significantly raised the sales price of vegetables. Among them, the purchase price of green vegetables is 3 yuan /500g, the sales price is 10 yuan /500g, and the price difference between purchase and sale is 23.3%; The purchase price of ginger is 5 yuan /500g, the sales price is 15 yuan /500g, and the price difference between purchase and sale is 200%. The price difference rate of the above vegetables is much higher than that of similar products in the surrounding markets at the same time.
The behavior of the parties concerned violates the relevant provisions of Item (3) of Article 14 of the Price Law of People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Guiding Opinions on Determining the Illegal Behavior of Driving Up Prices during the Epidemic Prevention and Control Period, which constitutes the illegal behavior of driving up prices. At present, the case is being handled quickly.
Case 3: Pork belly becomes sandwich meat, Zhao Moumou’s price fraud case.
On April 30th, the market supervision bureau of Putuo District received public opinion, reflecting that the pork belly bought by a certain community was not pork belly.
After investigation, Zhao Moumou, as a pork supplier, still bought pork from a meat business department at a price of 14 yuan /500g, and sold it as pork belly at a price of 23 yuan /500g, with a total illegal income of 2,268 yuan. At present, Zhao has refunded the overcharged money to the residents in full.
The behavior of the parties violates the provisions of Item (4) of Article 14 of the Price Law of People’s Republic of China (PRC), which constitutes an illegal act of price fraud. Putuo District Market Supervision Bureau intends to impose a fine of 9072 yuan on the parties for price violations.
Case 4: The case of changing cold meat into frozen meat, and the price fraud case of Yehuan Food Business Department.
On April 29th, Minhang District Market Supervision Bureau received reports from many residents in a certain district, reflecting that the package of chilled pork purchased in community group purchase was actually frozen pork. Minhang District Market Supervision Bureau immediately dispatched case handlers to conduct on-the-spot investigation.
After investigation, this community group purchase was initiated by the party Ye Yuan Food Business Department through the head of the group, Wang, in the group purchase applet. The "Cold Fresh Pork Package" is marked as: cold fresh forelegs 1kg/ bag, cold fresh pork belly 1kg/ bag, cold fresh soup in small rows 1kg/ bag and cold fresh slices in large rows 1kg/ bag. However, the products sold by the actual parties are all frozen pork, which is deliberately marked as "cold and fresh" pork with inconsistent quality with the actual situation.
The behavior of the parties violates the provisions of Item (4) of Article 14 of the Price Law of People’s Republic of China (PRC), which constitutes an illegal act of price fraud. At present, the case is being handled quickly.
Case 5: Yuanhao Comprehensive Business Department carried out the case of unclear price tag for community group purchase.
Minhang district market supervision bureau recently received a report clue, and law enforcement officers immediately inspected Yuanhao comprehensive operation department. After investigation, the parties set up a WeChat group for community group purchase during the epidemic period, and sent photos of the list of sales commodities to the WeChat group every day, so that community residents could make purchases through group solitaire. However, in the community group purchase WeChat group, the parties only marked the product name, but did not indicate the price, pricing unit and other related contents.
The behavior of the parties violates the provisions of the first paragraph of Article 13 of the Price Law of People’s Republic of China (PRC), which constitutes a price violation that is not clearly marked. Minhang District Market Supervision Bureau has served a notice of administrative punishment, and intends to make an administrative punishment of ordering it to correct the illegal act and fined 3,500 yuan.
Reminder: Organizers and operators of community group buying should strengthen price self-discipline, standardize the price tag, and operate according to laws and regulations. Do not use false or misleading price means to trick consumers or other operators into trading with them; It is not allowed to fabricate and spread information about price increases, hoard and drive up prices, push commodity prices to rise too high and too fast, and disrupt market price order.