Core Insights - The report from the Sichuan Consumer Rights Protection Committee indicates a significant increase in consumer complaints related to education and training services, which accounted for 7.35% of total complaints in Q3 2025, marking a year-on-year increase of 3.53 percentage points, the highest among service categories [1] Group 1: Complaint Statistics - A total of 17,758 complaints were received by consumer committees in Sichuan during Q3, with a resolution rate of 72.67%, recovering economic losses of 5.92 million yuan for consumers [1] - The top three complaint categories were quality issues (5,594 complaints, 31.50%), after-sales service problems (3,244 complaints, 18.27%), and pricing issues (2,082 complaints, 11.72%) [1] Group 2: Specific Complaint Cases - Complaints in the education and training sector were driven by misleading marketing tactics, such as false income claims and hidden fees, leading to disputes over refund policies [2] - Notable cases included a consumer being charged a 10% penalty for withdrawing from a painting course despite promises of easy refunds, and another consumer facing pressure to upgrade a course after initial dissatisfaction [2] Group 3: Broader Consumer Issues - Complaints regarding prepaid consumption in sectors like beauty, fitness, and education remain high, primarily due to businesses failing to honor commitments and imposing unreasonable fees [3] - Issues in live-streaming sales include false advertising, refund barriers, and difficulties for minors in making purchases, with several consumers successfully recovering funds through mediation [3] Group 4: Recommendations and Measures - The Sichuan Consumer Rights Protection Committee proposed measures to address the complaints, including stricter regulations on false advertising in education and training, and the establishment of third-party escrow for prepaid funds [4] - Recommendations also included promoting virtual reality for hotel bookings, implementing overselling alerts, and enhancing consumer education to avoid scams related to high-income job offers [4]

Core Viewpoint - The introduction of monthly gym memberships in Jinan provides consumers with more flexible payment options, addressing concerns over prepayment risks associated with annual memberships [3][10]. Group 1: Monthly Membership Options - Many gyms in Jinan now offer monthly memberships alongside annual and seasonal options to cater to diverse customer needs [4][5]. - GT Gym offers monthly memberships priced at over 600 yuan, while another location offers a monthly rate of 399 yuan, with installment options available for annual memberships [5]. - Latte Gym provides a monthly membership for 299 yuan, with a continuous monthly option at 180 yuan, contingent on a 12-month commitment [7]. Group 2: Prepayment Security Measures - The "Jinan Prepayment Treasure" initiative was launched to enhance the security of prepaid consumer funds, with 15 gyms participating in this program [10][12]. - The program ensures that consumer funds are monitored by a platform, releasing payments to merchants as services are rendered, while also allowing merchants to apply for loans based on prepaid funds [10][12]. - As of May 25, 2185 businesses have successfully joined the "Jinan Prepayment Treasure," including 15 in the fitness sector [12]. Group 3: Government and Market Regulation - The Jinan market supervision authority encourages businesses to join the "Prepayment Treasure" platform to implement trust-based regulation for prepaid consumption [15]. - The introduction of monthly memberships is a strategic decision by businesses, with no mandatory requirements imposed by government authorities [15].