Carrefour and Wal-Mart stores in many cities of China have been confirmed to have been involved in price fraud and will be fined up to 500,000 yuan (75,987 U.S. dollars) by National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China News Service reported.
It is said that the fraudulent conducts, such as fabricating original prices and misleading customers with confused marked prices, have seriously infringed customers' interests.
The Carrefour Xinmin store in Changchun in northeastern China's Jilin Province sold some men's underwear with a promotion price of 50.7 yuan while claiming its original price is 169 yuan, but it was later confirmed to actually be 119 yuan.
Similar fraud cases also appeared in Carrefour supermarket in Shanghai and Wal-Mart store in Shenyang in northeastern China's Liaoning province.
In addition, another Carrefour store in Kunming in southwestern China's Yunnan province cheated customers on the price marker. A box of Pu'er tea was marked with 60 yuan, but customers were charged 120 yuan per box.
There are also price markers in some Carrefour and Wal-Mart stores appearing to mislead the customers.
NDRC urged local price regulators to confiscate all illegal profits and impose a fine of five times the illegal income. Those that cannot calculate their illegal income will pay a fine of up to 500,000 yuan, according to an announcement posted on NDRC's official website.
The Commission called on all supermarkets and retail stores across the country to carry out self-examinations in a bid to prevent such kind of price fraud cases from happening again.
It also warned customers to check price markers and promotion activities in stores during Spring Festival.
Customers can dial 12356 to report price cheats to local price watchdogs.
It is said that the fraudulent conducts, such as fabricating original prices and misleading customers with confused marked prices, have seriously infringed customers' interests.
The Carrefour Xinmin store in Changchun in northeastern China's Jilin Province sold some men's underwear with a promotion price of 50.7 yuan while claiming its original price is 169 yuan, but it was later confirmed to actually be 119 yuan.
Similar fraud cases also appeared in Carrefour supermarket in Shanghai and Wal-Mart store in Shenyang in northeastern China's Liaoning province.
In addition, another Carrefour store in Kunming in southwestern China's Yunnan province cheated customers on the price marker. A box of Pu'er tea was marked with 60 yuan, but customers were charged 120 yuan per box.
There are also price markers in some Carrefour and Wal-Mart stores appearing to mislead the customers.
NDRC urged local price regulators to confiscate all illegal profits and impose a fine of five times the illegal income. Those that cannot calculate their illegal income will pay a fine of up to 500,000 yuan, according to an announcement posted on NDRC's official website.
The Commission called on all supermarkets and retail stores across the country to carry out self-examinations in a bid to prevent such kind of price fraud cases from happening again.
It also warned customers to check price markers and promotion activities in stores during Spring Festival.
Customers can dial 12356 to report price cheats to local price watchdogs.
