Watch out before you buy that gold necklace!

Are you planning to purchase gold ornaments attracted by impressive ‘offers’ advertised by jewellery shops during the festival season? Then, watch before you buy that expensive gold necklace. It has come to light that most jewellery shops giving special offers are deceiving customers using unstamped weighing machines and charging excess prices. The fact was revealed by the Legal Metrology officials who found that more than 50 per cent of jewellery shops were using weighing machines without clearance and infringing rules and regulations. SA Huda, additional director general of police, controller of Legal Metrology told Express that the festival season was not only an auspicious time for customers to purchase gold ornaments but also prime time for jewellery stores to rob customers by using faulty weighing machines. For instance, Kalpana, a homemaker purchased necklace paying Rs 95,000 at a jewellery shop in Basheerbagh a few months back. After it was polished twice and tested at a hallmark centre, it was found the shop had duped her by giving less weight and using fake gold. “Legal Metrology officials have booked 676 cases in various festival seasons till September 2010. As many as 33 jewellery shops in Hyderabad were found violating the Weights and Measures Act while at least 46 cases were registered in Ranga Reddy,” he added.  He said jewellery shop managements dupe customers by collecting additional VAT, making extra charges and counting weight of gold ornaments along with studded stones. “We will take action against fraudulent jewellery shops if a customer files a complaint,” Huda added. “Before purchasing gold ornaments, customers should observe clearly the assaying centre logo, purity of gold, Bureau of Indian Standards logo, keeping house logo and year of manufacture. During the festival season, we receive a number of complaints from customers of being duped by jewellery shops. Customers can lodge complaints in consumer courts if they have bills issued by jewellery shops,” said Rajam Ganeshan, consumer activist and secretary of the Consumer Care Centre. The department registered 775 cases in 2009-10, 1,222 in 2008-09 and 1,234 in 2007-08.

By Mouli Mareedu