Low prices in the city's air conditioner market may not mean good bargains, as complaints about low-priced products are on the rise, Youth Daily has reported.
The Shanghai Consumer Association said it received 71complaints about air conditioners during the first two weeks of June, exceeding the total complaints it got in the previous month.
More than 70 percent of the complaints are about products priced below 2,000 yuan (US$242).
These prices are usually a product of the fierce price competition in the local home appliance market, according to an unidentified official with the association.
He cautioned local consumers that these cheap products are sometimes old models. And some dealers offer poor after sales services.
The market price of an air conditioner is around 2,500 yuan to 3,000 yuan in Shanghai, he added.
The price war in the city's air conditioner market has been raging since March,as many home appliance manufacturers resort to low pricing strategies to woo buyers and cut stockpiles.
At local retailer,Yongle Home Appliance Co., most of the air conditioners are more than 500 yuan cheaper than the same period of last year, the Youth Daily report said.
(eastday.com June 24, 2002)
