Recurring situation of taking advantage of gift giving to sell high-priced goods to the elderly
Recently, in many localities, companies have been using gift giving and product introduction programs to sell products at high prices to the elderly. In particular, local authorities have allowed these people to use village cultural houses to introduce products, even though the Provincial People's Committee had previously banned it.
Another trick of giving gifts to sell products
In early March, many people in Nghia Dung commune (Tan Ky district) reported to the police about signs of fraud through a program of giving gifts to show gratitude to sell goods at high prices. "There were 8 people, divided into 4 groups, who went to the halls of 4 villages at the same time to sell goods. After selling a lot of products, they quickly left. Up to now, we estimate that about 60 people have filed a complaint," said Mr. NTY, a resident of Nghia Dung commune.
The incident took place on February 27. This group of people went to the village hall and then notified the elderly in the area to come and receive gifts, bringing a letter of introduction signed by the leader of the People's Committee of Nghia Dung commune. This letter stated that VINMART Consumer Chain Development Company Limited would come to the elderly associations in the hamlets to give 25 gifts, each gift was a package of seasoning powder. The company also pledged not to sell products during the gift giving session.
However, according to local residents, after distributing the gifts, the group began to introduce the "health-enhancing" milk product. After hearing about its benefits, many elderly people spent large sums of money to buy the milk.
According to Mr. NTY, he was at home when he received news that his mother spent a large amount of money to buy milk, so he chased after this group of people.
When I got to the field, I stopped their car and told them that I had reported the matter to the police and asked them to stop to settle the matter. However, when I learned that my mother had spent 2.5 million VND to buy 3 boxes of milk and 2 bottles of fish oil for 2.5 million VND, one of the group took the money and paid me and took back the milk. I asked them to stay and wait for the police to settle the matter, but the man still drove straight into me and ran away. Luckily, I avoided it in time.
Mr. NTY, a resident of Nghia Dung commune, Tan Ky district
Checking online, Mr. Y. discovered that each box of this milk costs only 120,000 VND/box. In the complaint, another resident said that on the morning of February 27, at the Cultural House of Truong Tho hamlet, a person claiming to be a saleswoman of a milk company located in Ho Chi Minh City came to consult on selling milk. The woman introduced Nutrition-Mk7 colostrum as helping to increase calcium and improve bones and joints.
"After listening to the advice, I trusted them and ordered 2 boxes for 2.5 million VND. After that, this group of people gave me 2 more boxes of milk from the same brand, 2 bottles of fish oil to help brighten eyes and 3 packs of seasoning powder. When I got home, I discovered that this milk did not have the effect as they had advised. After that, I brought the milk out to return it, but these 2 people got in a car and fled," a resident said, hoping that the authorities would investigate and clarify the matter.
Regarding this incident, after receiving the complaint, the police are investigating. This is a lesson for the locality. Before that, this group proposed to give some gifts, I also do not know clearly. They worked with the Vice Chairman of the Commune People's Committee to sign a paper to borrow the cultural houses of the hamlets to give gifts. Unexpectedly, they sold goods at high prices to the elderly.
Mr. Hoang Ngoc Hanh - Chairman of People's Committee of Nghia Dung Commune, Tan Ky
Many localities do not comply with regulations
In recent days, in Thanh Chuong district, there has been a group of people who regularly go to the halls of villages and hamlets to introduce products and then sell them to the elderly. In Dong Van commune, this group of people brought a letter of introduction from the commune leaders to the Chairman of the Commune Elderly Association and the village chiefs, then went to the halls to publicly introduce the health protection product "CANXI Moc Viet". Each box costs up to 1.5 million VND.
“We all believed in the product after hearing the introduction from the commune. They gathered the elderly at the village hall and started to appeal to the elderly’s fear of illness. Then, they continuously boasted about the product’s benefits. Anyone who needed it could register, they would send the product and collect the money later,” said a resident of Dong Van commune, adding that many people believed the introduction and registered and bought the product.
In addition to Dong Van commune, this group was also introduced to village halls in many other communes in Thanh Chuong district to introduce products. This made many people angry, because previously the Provincial People's Committee strictly prohibited renting halls and cultural houses to introduce products and sell goods.
The leaders of the commune People's Committee signed an introduction for this group of people to go to the villages, using the village hall to introduce their products. We also received an introduction letter from the district People's Committee for them to advertise and introduce their products. The commune People's Committee also carefully sent commune officials to accompany them, to supervise so that they could not sell to the people but only introduce the products. But unexpectedly, they did not sell directly in the hall but sold by registration. This is also a lesson.
Mr. Nguyen Quoc Chuong - Chairman of Dong Van Commune People's Committee, Thanh Chuong District
Mr. Nguyen Huu Hien - Vice Chairman of Thanh Chuong District People's Committee said that he was the one who signed the document sent to the People's Committees of communes and towns in the area so that this company could come down to introduce the product. "They have full legal documents and records to carry out advertising activities. In the document, I also requested the People's Committees of communes and towns to inspect and supervise the advertising and product introduction process of the company", Mr. Hien said and said that he did not know that the Provincial People's Committee had a document prohibiting the use of village halls to introduce products.
Previously, on September 28, 2023, Nghe An Provincial People's Committee haddocumenton strengthening State management in consumer rights protection activities to relevant departments, branches and People's Committees of districts, cities and towns. This move took place after the Department of Industry and Trade reported that recently, a number of organizations and individuals have taken advantage of the guise of "giving gifts of gratitude", organizing conferences and seminars to introduce products to sell products of unknown origin, not ensuring quality, false advertising, exaggerating product uses, causing outrage among people and local authorities.
In this document, the Provincial People's Committee requests the People's Committees of districts, cities and towns to direct the commune-level authorities to notify the blocks, hamlets and villages to absolutely not allow businesses and individuals to rent or borrow the halls of the 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...
