The controversy over unsafe SK-II cosmetics
produced by Procter & Gamble (Japan) Co showed little sign of abating this
weekend, with industry experts warning quality inspection loopholes were putting
customers at risk.
As the company withdrew its SK-II products and shut its 96 sales counters,
customers expressed anger, as well as confusion about the overall safety of
cosmetics. "Who should be responsible for our loss?" one consumer asked.
"My skin was sore for several days after I used their eye cream. I made a
request for a refund days ago, but it was not answered. There is no way that the
brand can just withdraw from the market and give customers no compensation,"
said a middle-aged female consumer in Beijing surnamed Hu.
Hu's anger was shared by thousands of SK-II customers across the country,
especially after the brand suspended all refunds last Friday.
Over the weekend, there were reports that P&G's Chinese website was
hacked and clashes broke out at some of its stores.
Law experts believe the incident reflects loopholes in the country's Law on
the Protection of Consumer Rights.
"The current law states that the producer should be responsible for consumers
once the products have been proved harmful to their physical health," Qiu
Baochang, a senior lawyer in consumer rights with Beijing-based Huijia Lawfirm,
told China Daily.
"But in case of more ambiguous cases, which have not caused obvious harm to
customers, the law doesn't state clearly whether the producer should be
responsible for a refund," said Qiu.
Qiu suggested that the law be modified swiftly for the maximum benefit of the
consumers.
On the other hand, Qiu reminded consumers not to believe without scrutiny
what has been promised in advertisements. "Many adverts just exaggerate the
effect of the products. Customers should use common sense," said Qiu.
"I will never use an SK-II product again," said Hu, "and I will never be
duped by those exaggerating advertisements."
According to public relations experts, the company's poor handling of the
trouble could overshadow the test results themselves.
"It is an international norm that, when facing a brand crisis, the company
should first face up to the facts positively," Cheng Shi'an, dean of the
Advertising Department of Fudan University, was quoted as saying in
Shanghai-based Orient Morning Post.
"But P&G is doing the opposite. The company, at the very beginning,
rejected a fact already confirmed by the country's quality authority. But they
could not provide further evidence during the following days to prove itself on
the issue," according to Cheng. "Meanwhile, the company has set obstacles in the
refunding process. It is obviously not a goodwill decision as the company has
claimed."
An ongoing poll by Sina.com, one of the country's most popular websites,
shows that 98.8 per cent of 143,774 respondents say they will never buy SK-II
products again.
Many customers also blamed the country's quality inspection authorities for
their dereliction of duty.
"I read that the brand hasn't been inspected for eight years since its
entrance into the Chinese market in 1998. If that is true, it would be a great
mistake made by the country's quality authorities," said Li Ying, a 31-year-old
journalist who used to be a fan of SK-II products.
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