HONG KONG: The owner of a Hong Kong wedding services company, who was accused of collecting more than HK$500,000 from about 50 pairs of brides and grooms-to-be before the closure of his firm on Sunday, has been arrested by customs officers.
The 55-year-old man was picked up when officers from the Customs Department’s Unfair Trade Practice Investigation Group raided his home in Edward Mansion in Nathan Road, Mong Kok, on Wednesday night.
“He was suspected of having no intention to supply a product or offer services when he accepted payments,” a source with knowledge of the investigation said.
“This is in violation of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance under the wrongly accepting payment section, which carries a maximum fine of HK$500,000 and five years in jail.”
At about 10am on Thursday, the suspect, who was covering his head with a jacket, was escorted by customs officers to his flat for a search. It is understood that some documents and receipts were seized during the search.
The man was released on bail in the afternoon because officers needed more time to collect evidence.
The arrest was made after 53 complaints were lodged with the Customs and Excise Department earlier this month.
A spokesman for the department said it earlier received complaints alleging that a wedding services company “failed to provide the required wedding services and refused to give refunds” after customers had paid fees for the services.
The complainants, who had paid the company for wedding services over the past few months, were understood to have sought help from the Customs Department after they discovered the company’s Mong Kok office in Golden Plaza in Nathan Road had closed on Sunday, and they were unable to contact its staff and owner.
“Initial investigations showed the complainants paid between HK$3,000 and more than HK$10,000 each for wedding services that included special car rentals, photo-taking services and the rental of wedding gowns,” the source said.
It is understood that the company folded after a newlywed couple wrote online that they had rented a London-style taxi from the firm, but on the wedding day, another car came. This prompted clients to make inquiries or demand refunds from the company.
Another source said it was possible more victims might come forward. Investigations are ongoing, according to a spokesman for the department.
Figures from the Consumer Council show there were 35 complaints about wedding services in the first 11 months of last year, compared with 27 in the same period of 2014. There were 60 complaints in the whole of 2014.
