Consumers from the city of Guangzhou will no longer have to return to Macao to deal with consumption disputes over purchases they made in the city. 

On March 13, the Guangdong capital launched an online mediation and arbitration platform where consumers, merchants in Macao, and a judge come together to deal with disputes.

The new online platform offers a solution for Guangzhou customers who want to handle consumption disputes related to their purchases in Macao without leaving the city. [Photo/Nanfang Plus]

The platform was established by the Guangzhou consumers commission and is the first online mediation platform for consumer disputes between Guangzhou and Macao.

To solve disputes, Guangzhou customers will be placed in a private room at the office of the Guangzhou consumers commission. The room will be equipped with a computer, a camera, and instant messaging software for remote mediation and arbitration.  

In the past, if there was a consumer dispute related to shopping in Macao, consumers would need to go to the local consumer rights organization to file a complaint. During the mediation process, they would also need to go to the place of purchase to present their case. Now, consumers can simply handle their disputes in Guangzhou over the internet, said Zhang Kaishi, deputy director of the Guangzhou consumers commission.

Zhang noted that his commission has signed an agreement with Macao to strengthen cross-border cooperation between Guangzhou and Macao in consumer rights protection.

Consumption disputes can be solved online and no longer require consumers to return to Macao. [Photo/Nanfang Plus]