Parking for ten minutes, charging fifty yuan? Illegal!
Compiled from: Dachaidan Release, Qingfengxia, China Daily, Beijing Daily
Case review
On August 5, a netizen posted a video claiming that while self-driving in Dachaidan, Haixi, Qinghai, they mistakenly entered a station in Haixi Galaxy Valley, parked for 10 minutes, and were charged 50 yuan by the merchant based on the number of people in the car. The incident sparked widespread attention.
[1] Image source from the internet; if infringement occurs, please delete!
On August 6, the involved Ms. Xiao stated in an interview that the location was a mining area, and they had accidentally entered the station's premises, but were blocked by the owner when leaving. Ms. Xiao said they only parked for 10 minutes, and when they came out, the gate was already blocked. "That guy wanted to charge us, and it was 10 yuan per person, plus 10 yuan for the car, totaling 50 yuan." The merchant involved told the media that the place was a jade mine scenic area and hotel zone, and the tourists had picked up jade there. In the video, he was overly angry and mistakenly called the jade fee a parking fee, causing misunderstanding. "We don't charge parking fees here, never have." In response, Ms. Xiao denied this, stating that her group absolutely did not pick up any jade.
Around midnight on August 7, the Dachaidan Administrative Committee announced that on August 5, 2023, a netizen's video titled "Haixi Galaxy Valley Ziluo Station Owner Overcharging" sparked widespread attention. The Dachaidan Industrial and Commercial Committee of Haixi Prefecture attached great importance to this and immediately formed a joint investigation team to look into the incident. The handling results are now announced as follows—
After verification, the involved enterprise is Dachaidan Yinhe Valley Ziluo Station, which was found to have illegally charged parking fees. On August 6, the Dachaidan Administrative Committee Public Security Bureau issued a warning to the responsible individual, who subsequently released a public apology video. In accordance with Article 39 of the Price Law of the People's Republic of China, the Dachaidan Administrative Committee Market Supervision Administration legally confiscated the enterprise's illegal gains, imposed a fine five times the amount of the illegal gains, and ordered a 60-day suspension for rectification.
Moving forward, this incident will serve as a lesson. We will draw deep insights and carry out a comprehensive rectification of the tourism market in the region, strictly investigating and addressing market irregularities such as arbitrary charges and poor service attitudes by drawing inferences from this case. We welcome supervision from tourists and netizens.
Price Law of the People's Republic of China
Article 39
Operators who fail to implement government-guided prices, government-set prices, or statutory price intervention and emergency measures shall be ordered to correct their actions, have their illegal gains confiscated, and may be fined up to five times the amount of the illegal gains. If there are no illegal gains, a fine may be imposed. In severe cases, a suspension for rectification shall be ordered.
[1] The author's perspective
As the pandemic gradually subsides, the tourism industry, which has been dormant for several years, is beginning to recover. However, with the reopening of tourist attractions, instances of arbitrary charges have reemerged.
It is hoped that scenic spots and homestay operators will take this as a warning, learn from this incident, and regulate their business practices while engaging in tourism market activities. Relevant departments should strengthen supervision and management, and once any illegal or non-compliant behavior is discovered, it must be actively addressed. In particular, market irregularities such as arbitrary charges and poor service attitudes that severely impact the tourism market must be strictly investigated and rectified. Tourists are also encouraged to actively supervise and contribute to creating a favorable market and tourism environment.
Around midnight on August 7, the Dachaidan Administrative Committee announced that on August 5, 2023, a netizen's video titled "Haixi Galaxy Valley Ziluo Station Owner Overcharging" sparked widespread attention. The Dachaidan Industrial and Commercial Committee of Haixi Prefecture attached great importance to this and immediately formed a joint investigation team to look into the incident. The handling results are now announced as follows—
After verification, the involved enterprise is Dachaidan Yinhe Valley Ziluo Station, which was found to have illegally charged parking fees. On August 6, the Dachaidan Administrative Committee Public Security Bureau issued a warning to the responsible individual, who subsequently released a public apology video. In accordance with Article 39 of the Price Law of the People's Republic of China, the Dachaidan Administrative Committee Market Supervision Administration legally confiscated the enterprise's illegal gains, imposed a fine five times the amount of the illegal gains, and ordered a 60-day suspension for rectification.
Moving forward, this incident will serve as a lesson. We will draw deep insights and carry out a comprehensive rectification of the tourism market in the region, strictly investigating and addressing market irregularities such as arbitrary charges and poor service attitudes by drawing inferences from this case. We welcome supervision from tourists and netizens.
Price Law of the People's Republic of China
Article 39
Operators who fail to implement government-guided prices, government-set prices, or statutory price intervention and emergency measures shall be ordered to correct their actions, have their illegal gains confiscated, and may be fined up to five times the amount of the illegal gains. If there are no illegal gains, a fine may be imposed. In severe cases, a suspension for rectification shall be ordered.
[1] The author's perspective
As the pandemic gradually subsides, the tourism industry, which has been dormant for several years, is beginning to recover. However, with the reopening of tourist attractions, instances of arbitrary charges have reemerged.
It is hoped that scenic spots and homestay operators will take this as a warning, learn from this incident, and regulate their business practices while engaging in tourism market activities. Relevant departments should strengthen supervision and management, and once any illegal or non-compliant behavior is discovered, it must be actively addressed. In particular, market irregularities such as arbitrary charges and poor service attitudes that severely impact the tourism market must be strictly investigated and rectified. Tourists are also encouraged to actively supervise and contribute to creating a favorable market and tourism environment.
