Hong Kong jewellery retailer banned for one month over coerced sales

A Hong Kong jewellery retailer will be barred from hosting mainland tour groups for a month after authorities found it allowed a guide to pressure Chinese visitors into buying products.

The Travel Industry Authority announced Tuesday that Kaiser Jewellery International will be prohibited from receiving any inbound tour groups from Wednesday through September 24. The suspension follows an incident involving a mainland tour group in February.

Zero-tolerance stance

"The authority adopts a zero-tolerance approach towards coerced shopping and any conduct that damages the reputation of Hong Kong's tourism industry," the TIA said in a statement.

The penalty targets the company's failure to prevent a tour guide from engaging in coerced sales tactics with mainland Chinese tourists.

Company operations under scrutiny

Kaiser Jewellery International operates two locations listed under the TIA's registry of approved shops, according to a South China Morning Post check. One branch trades as "KJI Super Mall" on the first floor of Hankow Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui, while a second location operates at Harbourside HQ in Kowloon Bay.

The Kowloon Bay branch carries a "registration suspended" designation on the authority's list. The company has filed an appeal for review, with a hearing already scheduled.

The 30-day ban represents Hong Kong's latest effort to crack down on aggressive sales practices that have long plagued the city's reputation among mainland tourists, particularly in the jewellery and watch retail sectors that cater heavily to tour group itineraries.

Source: South China Morning Post