In 2002, the CCA received 649,09 complaints, a decrease of 4.3 per cent compared with the previous year.

It is the second year in which there was a marked fall in consumer complaints, the first was 2000.

CCA leading official Chen Jian attributed the drop to intensive government efforts to ensure a sound market order and improve the legal means consumer have at their disposal.

More than 90 per cent of complaints were settled properly and CCA retrieved 642 million yuan (US$78 million) in compensation for consumers.

Nearly 66 per cent of those complaints were related to product quality and after-sales service.

Electronic appliances, which accounted for 19.6 per cent of the complaints, mobile phones and agricultural production machines were the three items that attracted the most complaints.

Product quality has been a major problem for many years and the CCA has called for harsh punishments for those who produce fake goods to deceive consumers.

Experts have called on consumers to pay more attention to the quality of products, rather than just the price.

Group complaints, which focus on housing and automobiles, rose rapidly last year.

Housing and cars have gradually become affordable for the average Chinese consumer, but few have any real understanding of these markets or the potential pitfalls, experts warned.

Therefore, if consumers want their rights to be protected, individuals need to present a united front to offset their disadvantages in funds and knowledge.

"Many people buy a new apartment with their life savings, but what they just get are endless problems," said Chen.

CCA statistics showed that housing complaints related to quality, misleading advertisements, contract violations and other factors.

(China Daily March 16, 2003)