Members affiliated to various diamond, gold and silver jewellery traders associations from all over Tamil Nadu have urged the consumers to beware while buying gold jewellery.
According to the office-bearers who converged here on Sunday, a large number of consumers in the recent times from all over the State have preferred to register complaints with them against a number of jewellery showrooms for misleading the buyers by means of advertisements. In the past six months, Madurai District Diamond, Gold and Silver Jewellery Traders Association is said to have received as many as twenty complaints from the public for having been misled by the jewellery showrooms, which sold gold ornaments that reportedly weighed lesser than what they were supposed to.
“Generally, there are lot of advertisements that promise gold ornaments with discount. The jewels sold at discount are always the ones with stones and they misled the consumers by manipulating the weight of the stones”, claimed Jayanthilal J. Salani, president of Madras Gold and Diamond Jewellery Traders Association.
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“These jewels might have BIS and 24 karat marks, but the stones weigh heavy than what they ought to be, whereas the weight of the gold was less. Most of the consumers realise they have been tricked only when they bring the jewels for resale”, he added.
The members of the trade associations said they are contemplating legal action on such jewellers. “It brings a bad repute to all jewellery traders”, Mr. Jayanthilal said.
In a resolution passed at the end of the meeting, the traders urged the State and the Union governments to reduce the import duty levied on gold.
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“Every consumer pays at least Rs.210 tax for each gram of gold. The centre should reduce the tax which is as high as six per cent at present”, he added.
In order to create awareness among the public, the trade associations will hold monthly meetings in all the districts interacting with the public, it was stated.