From now on, if cell phone maintenance charges exceed 180 yuan (US$21.7), customers can lodge complaints with the Shanghai Consumers' Association.

For the first time in the city, the Shanghai Electronic Products Maintenance Trade Association, together with the Shanghai Price Bureau and the consumer association, has issued a tariff for mobile phone repairs, setting a ceiling price of 180 yuan, in a bid to regulate the market.

"The market has been almost out of control for years now as many unqualified stores charge high but offer poor service," said Chen Guohua, secretary-general of the maintenance association. "This has partly led to increasing gripes, despite the inclusion of handsets within the purview of consumer protection rules two years ago."

According to the consumer association, it had received 3,205 complaints about mobile phones so far this year, up 33 percent year-on-year. Apart from poor quality, unsatisfactory maintenance was the main grouse.

A consumer named Fan grumbled that he had sent his handset for repairs but the charge jumped from 150 yuan to 750 yuan within days, as the repairer "found" various other problems.

"We often receive such complaints as only one-tenth of the 1,000-plus local maintenance firms are certified," Chen said.

To improve the situation, the association has issued a standard tariff based on a survey covering 20 big maintenance companies. In addition, it will carry out company qualification approval gradually.

The tariff divides the maintenance items into four groups according to the degree of difficulty. The price ranges from 3 yuan to 180 yuan, excluding spare part costs.

The tariff emphasizes that malfunctions like electrical leak, handsets soaked in water and integrated chip failure can only be repaired by the 100 certified companies which are equipped with testing instruments.

Later the association will issue a service rule for handset repairers, requiring them to repair the mobile phone in front of consumers and return the defective spare parts to them, Chen said.

"Consumers should select mobile phone repairers with certificates and a public price list," he advised.

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