Many old people in the district town were tricked into buying goods at high prices.
(Baonghean.vn) - Not learning the lesson from just a few months ago, the elderly in Tan Ky town were once again tricked into buying high-priced goods through customer appreciation seminars.
On September 18, Mr. Nguyen Cong Trung - Chairman of the People's Committee of Tan Ky town (Tan Ky) said that the authorities are still counting the number of people in the area who were tricked into buying high-priced goods from a company through organizing seminars. "Not only people in the town, but also many victims in neighboring communes. This behavior shows signs of fraud," Mr. Trung said.
Previously, from September 14 to 16, at Dai Phu Gia Hotel (Block 4, Tan Ky town), Viet Anh Investment and Trade Development Company Limited (headquartered in Hanoi) organized a "workshop" in the form of "customer appreciation", displaying, introducing and selling civil products.
The company's team distributed invitations to the elderly. They promised that whoever invited a customer to attend the seminar would receive a package of seasoning. As a result, hundreds of elderly people attended the "seminars".
According to a local resident who attended the "workshop", the group initially gave away packages of MSG, seasoning powder, electric kettles, fish sauce, broth powder, etc. to the attendees. After that, the group started selling 20 pairs of chopsticks, 10 spoons, and an electric kettle for 200,000 VND. However, the group later returned the money to the people and said it was a gift of gratitude. To make the people trust them more, the group continued to use the trick of adding 2 million VND to receive a rice cooker and would return the same amount.
“By the morning of September 15, they said that anyone who deposited 2 million VND would receive a rice cooker and a frying pan. Those who deposited money were given a rice cooker and the money was returned. Up to 15 people received the gifts,” the witness added.
By the afternoon of the same day, this group again quoted prices for the items many times higher than the market price, specifically a pressure cooker for 5.1 million VND; a hot pot for 2.1 million VND; a grill for 11 million VND; a pan for 1.1 million VND.... Thinking that this time they would also get their money back, many elderly people did not hesitate to spend 5-10 million VND to receive the above products. However, after receiving a large amount of money, this group did not return it and quickly got in their cars and left, surprising hundreds of people.
There was even a person who paid 5.1 million VND to buy a pressure cooker, but before he could receive the pot, the sales group ran away, causing him to faint on the spot. A local resident who attended this "seminars" said that at that time, there were more than 300 people attending. The total amount of money the elders spent was estimated to be up to billions of VND.
According to the Chairman of the People's Committee of Tan Ky town, immediately after receiving information that this company organized a seminar in the area, due to lack of authority, on September 13, the People's Committee of the town sent a document requesting the Economic - Infrastructure Department of Tan Ky district to guide and coordinate with the People's Committee of the town and the police agency to inspect.
The leader of the Economic - Infrastructure Department said that immediately after receiving the information, the unit prepared to go check. "However, before we could check, the group of people had already run away," he said.
According to the reporter's investigation, this company sells high-priced products in many provinces and cities under the guise of seminars and gift giving. This group of people often targets rural areas and the elderly. A few months ago, hundreds of people in Lao Cai province also denounced this company with similar tricks.
Previously, in mid-April 2023,also at Dai Phu Gia Hotel(Block 4, Tan Ky town), another company rented a hall to hold a seminar, inviting the elderly in the area to attend. Here, hundreds of elderly people were also tricked into buying items at prices many times higher than the market price. When they brought them home, they discovered that the quality was low and their children objected, many of them returned the items but only received a much smaller amount than they paid for them. After the press reported, the authorities stepped in to inspect and fined the company 1.5 million VND for not posting prices.
Regarding this situation, the People's Committee of Tan Ky district has also directed relevant units not to issue documents introducing communes and towns to businesses that have activities of introducing products, organizing conferences and seminars combined with sales, promotions and giving away accompanying goods.
Tan Ky District People's Committee also requested communes and towns to proactively coordinate with relevant agencies to grasp the situation of multi-level marketing activities of enterprises and individuals in the area; ensure effective implementation of preventive measures, provide information or report to competent authorities to strictly handle illegal multi-level marketing activities. Do not allow enterprises and individuals to rent or borrow the halls of the People's Committees of communes and towns, cultural houses of blocks, hamlets, stadiums to organize product introductions, sales, organize seminars combined with sales. At the same time, direct blocks and hamlets to propagate and mobilize people not to participate in seminars, product introductions, sales introductions, etc.
