Hong Kong watchdog receives 22 complaints from Coldplay concertgoers about blocked views
Hong Kong's consumer watchdog received 22 complaints from Coldplay concertgoers who said their views were obstructed and that they were not warned in advance when buying the tickets.
Advertisement
But at least two customers who filed the complaints had been informed of the blocked views during the purchase of the British band's show at Kai Tak Sports Park, according to the ticketing operator.
Meanwhile, the city's customs authority said on Saturday it was notified of the complaints and promised to take action if there was any violation of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance.
The Consumer Council said it received 22 complaints about obstructed views from Coldplay concert seats as of Friday afternoon.
One of the complainants reportedly said that they only knew their seat views were obstructed when they received the physical tickets, which had been printed with the wording 'seat with restricted view'.
Advertisement
One complainant reportedly paid HK$2,099 (US$270.60) to buy a ticket to watch the show.
The Consumer Council on Saturday warned organisers and ticketing platforms that they should be transparent with information, including about seat views, so that customers could make an informed choice.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTHK
a day ago
- RTHK
Final bash set to end Bezos wedding party in Venice
Final bash set to end Bezos wedding party in Venice The newlyweds kiss on the third day of their wedding festivities. Photo: Reuters A "No Space for Bezos" banner drapes over the iconic Rialto Bridge. Photo: Reuters Newlyweds Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez left their luxury hotel on Venice's Grand Canal on Saturday for a final night of partying, crowning a three-day star-studded wedding extravaganza. Saturday's evening bash -- wrapping up celebrations for 200-250 guests estimated to have cost some US$50 million -- was due to take place in the Arsenale. Bezos and Sanchez kissed on the boat while greeting those around them. Around 1,000 people marched against the event on Saturday, groups of activists and residents who object to the wedding and to seeing Venice being gift-wrapped for the uber-wealthy. Protesters carried banners including one proclaiming 'Kisses yes, Bezos no', playing on Venice's reputation as the city of love. Venetian businesses and politicians, however, welcomed the event, hailing its major boost for the local economy. "Those who protest are in contradiction with the history of Venice, which is a history of relations, contacts and business," Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said. "Bezos embodies the Venetian mentality. He is more Venetian than the protesters." The city has hosted scores of other VIP weddings, including that of actor George Clooney and human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin in 2014. (Reuters)
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- South China Morning Post
2 arrested, 1,075 fake tickets seized ahead of Jay Chou Hong Kong concerts
Hong Kong police have arrested two people and seized more than 1,000 fake tickets with a face value of over HK$2 million (US$256,410) in total for concerts by Mandopop superstar Jay Chou this weekend. The force said on Saturday that officers arrested a man, 23, and a 17-year-old girl during an operation the previous afternoon at Hung Hom MTR station when members of a local syndicate were allegedly making a deal. Two counterfeit tickets were seized from the pair. Officers also found another 1,073 fake concert tickets with a face value of HK$1,880 each, or more than HK$2 million in total, in a hotel room in To Kwa Wan. The pair were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and possessing a false instrument and had been detained for investigation, the force said. The fake tickets were of poor quality. Photo: Handout A preliminary investigation had revealed that the syndicate used hotel rooms to store fake concert tickets and arrange for their distribution, Chief Inspector To King-sang said.
HKFP
2 days ago
- HKFP
Monsters and memes: Labubu dolls ride Chinese soft-power wave
Small, fuzzy and baring sharp teeth, Chinese toymaker Pop Mart's Labubu monster dolls have taken over the world, drawing excited crowds at international stores and adorning the handbags of celebrities such as Rihanna and Cher. Beijing-based Pop Mart is part of a rising tide of Chinese cultural exports gaining traction abroad, furry ambassadors of a 'cool' China even in places associated more with negative public opinion of Beijing such as Europe and North America. Labubus, which typically sell for around US$40 (HK$314), are released in limited quantities and sold in 'blind boxes', meaning buyers don't know the exact model they will receive. The dolls are 'a bit quirky and ugly and very inclusive, so people can relate', interior designer Lucy Shitova told AFP at a Pop Mart store in London, where in-person sales of Labubus have been suspended over fears that fans could turn violent in their quest for the toys. 'Now everything goes viral… because of social media. And yes, it's cool. It's different.' While neighbouring East Asian countries South Korea and Japan are globally recognised for their high-end fashion, cinema and pop songs, China's heavily censored film and music industry have struggled to attract international audiences, and the country's best-known clothing exporter is fast-fashion website Shein. There have been few success stories of Chinese companies selling upmarket goods under their own brands, faced with stereotypes of cheap and low-quality products. 'It has been hard for the world's consumers to perceive China as a brand-creating nation,' the University of Maryland's Fan Yang told AFP. Pop Mart has bucked the trend, spawning copycats dubbed by social media users as 'lafufus' and detailed YouTube videos on how to verify a doll's authenticity. Brands such as designer womenswear label Shushu/Tong, Shanghai-based Marchen and Beijing-based handbag maker Songmont have also gained recognition abroad over the past few years. 'It might just be a matter of time before even more Chinese brands become globally recognisable,' Yang said. TikTok effect Through viral exports like Labubu, China is 'undergoing a soft-power shift where its products and image are increasingly cool among young Westerners', said Allison Malmsten, an analyst at China-based Daxue Consulting. Malmsten said she believed social media could boost China's global image 'similar to that of Japan in the 80s to 2010s with Pokemon and Nintendo'. Video app TikTok — designed by China's ByteDance — paved the way for Labubu's ascent when it became the first Chinese-branded product to be indispensable for young people internationally. Joshua Kurlantzick from the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) told AFP that 'TikTok probably played a role in changing consumers' minds about China'. TikTok, which is officially blocked within China but still accessible with VPN software, has over one billion users, including what the company says is nearly half of the US population. The app has become a focus of national security fears in the United States, with a proposed ban seeing American TikTok users flock to another Chinese app, Rednote, where they were welcomed as digital 'refugees'. A conduit for Chinese social media memes and fashion trends, TikTok hosts over 1.7 million videos about Labubu. Labubumania Cultural exports can 'improve the image of China as a place that has companies that can produce globally attractive goods or services', CFR's Kurlantzick told AFP. 'I don't know how much, if at all, this impacts images of China's state or government,' he said, pointing to how South Korea's undeniable soft power has not translated into similar levels of political might. While plush toys alone might not translate into actual power, the United States' chaotic global image under the Trump presidency could benefit perceptions of China, the University of Maryland's Yang said. 'The connection many make between the seeming decline of US soft power and the potential rise in China's global image may reflect how deeply intertwined the two countries are in the minds of people whose lives are impacted by both simultaneously,' she told AFP. At the very least, Labubu's charms appear to be promoting interest in China among the younger generation. 'It's like a virus. Everyone just wants it,' Kazakhstani mother-of-three Anelya Batalova told AFP at Pop Mart's theme park in Beijing. Qatari Maryam Hammadi, 11, posed for photos in front of a giant Labubu statue. 'In our country, they love Labubu,' she said. 'So, when they realise that the origin of Labubu is in China, they'd like to come to see the different types of Labubu in China.'
