In recent years, the popularity of gold consumption has "swept" young people, but this "investment product" that is favored by thousands of people has given many people a headache.

Recently, some consumers reported to reporters that the gold bracelet they bought for more than 13,000 yuan was actually worth only more than 8,000 yuan after weighing. Only then did they realize that they had purchased gold at a "fixed price".

　　The relevant complaints released by the China Consumers Association in 2023 disclosed that the "fixed price" gold pricing model is not transparent, and operators deliberately conceal the weight or replacement restrictions of gold jewelry during sales, which has become a hot spot for complaints.

On March 7, reporters visited a number of offline gold stores in Chengdu and found that the weight of gold jewelry sold at a "fixed price" was not clearly marked, and the store clerk also said that "fixed price" gold jewelry could not be weighed.

　　Is the “fixed price” reasonable?

Staff from relevant departments told reporters that gold can be sold reasonably as long as the price is clearly marked and meets the regulations, but if the salesperson deliberately conceals it and induces consumption, he or she can complain.

Consumer complaints: I don’t know the difference between piece-based gold and gram-based gold

　　Before the Spring Festival this year, Ms. Wang, who lives in Lingshui, Hainan, was planning to buy new jewelry, so she bought a gold bracelet priced at 13,579 yuan from a store called Hong Kong Golden Luk Fook Jewelry, which she exchanged for an additional price of 5,500 yuan from the original bracelet.

When she happily bought it home, her family asked her to weigh it and found that the bracelet weighed 14.7 grams. If calculated based on the gold price of 550 yuan/gram at the time, the bracelet was only worth more than 8,000 yuan.

　　"Only then did I realize that I had bought gold at a 'fixed price'. When purchasing, the clerk did not give any prompts or tell me the weight of the product. He only repeatedly emphasized that the 13,579 yuan bracelet is a good value and that you can exchange it for gold jewelry at will in the future. "Subsequently, Ms. Wang wanted a refund, but the clerk refused.

After many negotiations, the store clerk said that he could pay a depreciation fee of 2,500 yuan to replace the gold jewelry with the same weight.

　　In fact, there are many people who have the same experience as Ms. Wang, and there are countless cases of "fixed price" rights protection on social platforms.

Many consumers believe that before purchasing gold jewelry, they do not know the difference between piece-rate gold ("fixed price" gold) and gram-based gold. Through the recommendation of merchants, they become the "big mistake" of spending high prices to buy gold.

　　The reporter asked many consumers about their attitudes towards buying gold at a "fixed price", and there were also different voices.

Consumer Ms. Qin said that if the style is good-looking, she will pay for the "fixed price" gold, because buying gold jewelry is for decoration, not investment. If she wants to invest, she will buy gold bars directly.

Industry “hidden rules”: Offline stores claim “fixed price” jewelry without weighing it

　　On March 7, reporters visited some gold shops in Chengdu and found that the prices of jewelry in each gold shop were different, ranging from 500 yuan to more than 600 yuan per gram.

At the Laofengxiang Gold Store located on Chunxi Road, many consumers are shopping for gold jewelry. Because of Women's Day, the store clerk said that the discounts are relatively large.

　　The reporter pretended to buy a gold necklace, and the clerk immediately took the reporter to the "fixed price" area. When the reporter asked about the weight of a necklace, the clerk said "I don't know" and said that "fixed price" jewelry cannot be weighed. .

Another clerk said: "Piece-based gold is more cost-effective because it can be replaced later according to the original price of the label, while if you want to exchange jewelry priced by gram, you will have to pay extra labor costs."

　　At Luk Fook Jewelry, less than 100 meters away from the store, the reporter encountered the same situation. The "fixed price" gold jewelry had no obvious weight label and could not be weighed.

　　According to data released by the China Gold Association, in 2023, national gold consumption will be 1,089.69 tons, a year-on-year increase of 8.78%.

Among them, gold jewelry was 706.48 tons, a year-on-year increase of 7.97%; gold bars and gold coins were 299.60 tons, a year-on-year increase of 15.70%.

As the scale of gold jewelry consumption continues to increase, the number of related complaints has also increased significantly.

The "Analysis of Complaints Accepted by National Consumers Association Organizations in 2023" recently released by the China Consumers Association mentioned that the "fixed price" gold pricing model is not transparent, and operators deliberately conceal the weight or replacement restrictions of gold jewelry during sales, which is misleading. Consumption, price gouging and other issues.

Expert advice: Do your homework in advance when buying gold jewelry

　　How is the sales price of gold jewelry determined?

Is the “fixed price” reasonable?

A staff member of the 12345 hotline responded to reporters saying that if the "fixed price" gold has a clear price tag and meets relevant regulations, it can be sold. If consumers feel it is unreasonable, they can buy gold jewelry priced by weight.

　　Yang Hong, president of the Chengdu Gold Industry Development Promotion Association, said in an interview with reporters that there is no unified standard for pricing gold consumer goods. The "fixed price" is to unify prices and taxes to ensure that merchants make profits.

　　"Gold jewelry is a handicraft. The inherent value of a handicraft includes design and manufacturing, and the price is determined by quality." Yang Hong believes that the "fixed price" of gold jewelry includes the quality level of design and manufacturing, as well as the value-added tax. , consumption tax and other taxes.

Consumers need to pay attention to doing their homework before buying gold jewelry, understanding the "fixed price" of gold in advance, and purchasing according to their own needs.

　　The China Consumers Association recommends that relevant administrative departments should strengthen supervision and inspection of the gold jewelry market and severely crack down on false propaganda, fraudulent sales and other behaviors that infringe on consumer rights.

At the same time, strengthen the quality and safety supervision of jewelry, establish and improve the quality monitoring, inspection and testing, identification and evaluation, traceability management and other systems of jewelry, standardize the information disclosure and labeling of jewelry, and improve the quality credibility and trustworthiness of jewelry. Retrospective.

　　"When consumers purchase jewelry, they should ask the operator for formal invoices, quality inspection certificates, appraisal certificates and other documents to use as evidence in the event of disputes. If they find that the goods have quality problems or are inconsistent with the contract, they should communicate with the merchant in a timely manner . If negotiation with the merchant fails, you can complain to the Consumers Association or report to the administrative department, or you can protect your rights through other legal channels." said a relevant person from the China Consumers Association.

　　West China Metropolis Daily - Cover News Reporter Zhu Zhu