Hong Kong watchdog urges removal companies to drop hidden fees, offer transparent pricing

Consumer Council says ‘increasingly diversified service packages and quotation methods offered by removal companies’ can confuse customers

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The Consumer Council has advised the public to check the terms and conditions before accepting removal service contracts. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 1:18pm, 15 Jul 2024Updated: 4:27pm, 15 Jul 2024

Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog has called for more transparency over the pricing of home removal services after finding that final charges can vary widely from the initial quotes.

The Consumer Council on Monday said that while moving companies had provided more quotation methods compared with five years ago, they had failed to improve on transparency, while the cost of similar services from different businesses could vary by as much as 600 per cent

“As the increasingly diversified service packages and quotation methods offered by removal companies can be confusing, the final bill may differ from the quotation, thus exceeding consumers’ original budgeting, and may even lead to disputes with traders,” the council said.

The watchdog said it had reached out to more than 126 companies providing removal services, with only 20 responding – a rate of 16 per cent.

In comparison, 19 per cent of companies responded to the survey conducted in 2019.

The poll found that respondents generally offered services based on “per item,” “per vehicle” and “all-inclusive”.