Nghe An has a phenomenon of renting houses to organize seminars and sell goods at high prices.

Prevent in time

On the morning of October 12, the People's Committee of Thanh Chuong town (Thanh Chuong district) received a report that a group of people had borrowed a resident's house in block 2A to provide health consultations and introduce products. Immediately, the authorities were present at the resident's house to check. At that time, there were more than 30 people, mostly elderly people, listening to a group of 3 young men providing health consultations, introducing products, and giving them free detox tea, without permission from the competent authority.

“After checking, we asked the people to disperse and invited the three people who were giving health advice to the people to the office to work. Because we discovered and checked in time, this group had not yet brought out the products to sell to the elderly. We then asked this group to disperse and at the same time organized propaganda and warnings for the people,” said Mr. Tuong Dang Hao - Chairman of Thanh Chuong Town People's Committee, adding that after receiving a document from the Provincial People's Committee prohibiting the lending or renting of communal halls and cultural houses of blocks and hamlets to organize product introductions,sell, the town government has also strongly implemented. Therefore, this may be the reason why this group of people turned to borrowing people's houses to organize.

Not only in Thanh Chuong district, according to the reporter's investigation, in recent days, similar situations have appeared in many localities, from urban to rural areas.

In Vinh City, a block leader who asked to remain anonymous said that a few days ago, a group of people came to her house to ask to borrow her house to "organize a seminar". Every day, the block leader was paid 300,000 VND along with some products that the group sold. Not only did they rent the block leader's house as a location, the group also used her reputation to attract elderly people in the area to attend the "seminars". Here, after hearing the group boast about the miraculous effects of the products, many elderly people spent money to buy them. The incident only stopped after the homeowner's child discovered and stopped it.

The "no purchase but still get a gift" trick

Also in Vinh City, for many days now, a house on Phan Sy Thuc Street (Truong Thi Ward) has become a place for a group of people who specialize in attracting the elderly to introduce products and sell goods. The products that this group introduces are very diverse, mainly "Korean ginseng" and "anti-stroke medicine". To attract more customers, this group of people has a rule that every person who attends the "seminars" will receive a gift, regardless of whether they buy the product or not. Usually, the gifts are cheap items, such as MSG packages. In addition, those who introduce and bring other people along will also receive additional gifts. Therefore, twice a day, many elderly people come to attend and buy goods from this group of people.

At the house rented by this group of people, there was a board of rules posted in front, which stated that those who entered would not be allowed to take photos or film. According to the reporter's records, in front of the house there were 2 people from the company whose job was to welcome the elderly. These people usually only welcomed the elderly, and they would tactfully refuse the young. Each "seminars" usually had about 30-50 elderly people participating. When everyone was present, the front door was closed. The group began to show off and introduce the miraculous effects of the products. After a few hours, the elderly people left looking very excited, each carrying many products in their hands. Some were given for free because they had attended, and some were bought with their own money after hearing the advertisement.

“Our house is almost full because my mother brings home a few products every day. Among them are boxes of ginseng bought for more than 2 million VND, then rice cookers, dishwashing liquid… everything. We tried to stop her but to no avail, we were helpless,” said Ms. Lien (34 years old, Truong Thi ward).

According to Ms. Lien, since the first time she attended the “seminars” and received gifts, her mother-in-law has been attending every day. Not only that, she also invited many other people to come in the hope of receiving more gifts. After each “seminars”, she brought home many products that she had paid for, despite the fact that many things were already in the house.

Out of curiosity, Lien once wore a mask and disguised herself as an old person to accompany her mother to a “seminars”. “In there, they talked very well, as if pouring honey into her ears. They called everyone dad and mom. They continuously boasted about the uses of the products, then said they were on sale at low prices. When someone picked up their phone, the other group thought they were being filmed, turned around and shouted, asking them to put their phones away. If there was nothing shady, why would they be afraid of taking pictures or filming?” Lien said that the items her mother bought, after bringing them home to learn about, were all priced much higher than the market price. However, she and her family members still could not stop her from continuing to buy.

Discussing this issue, a leader of the People's Committee of Truong Thi ward said that the locality has not received information from the people and will soon send functional forces to inspect the above location.

The People's Committee of Nghe An province has just issued a document on strengthening State management in consumer rights protection activities to relevant departments, branches and People's Committees of districts, cities and towns. In particular, the People's Committee of the province requires districts, cities and towns to direct commune-level authorities to notify blocks, hamlets and villages to absolutely not allow businesses and individuals to rent or borrow halls of People's Committees of wards, communes and towns; cultural houses of blocks, hamlets and villages; stadiums to organize product introductions, sales, organize seminars combined with sales, the organization of sales of businesses, production and business units must be carried out at business locations according to regulations. Arrange forces to receive information, conduct inspections, checks, resolve complaints and denunciations and handle violations of the law on consumer rights protection according to their authority. At the same time, coordinate with functional forces to strengthen inspection and supervision of commercial activities, promotion, and introduction of products at restaurants, hotels, and hall rental locations... showing signs of violations; strengthen supervision of conference and seminar activities introducing products that are functional foods, colostrum products advertised as having the ability to cure diseases... Timely handle organizations and individuals violating regulations...