The reaction is because the incident of the 4 scallops is not only about whether O.D restaurant is ripping off customers or not, but also affects the image of the locality in the eyes of tourists.
Many opinions say that it is necessary to clarify the information about price gouging, if the restaurant violates, it will be punished.
In the article "The story of 3 bowls of vermicelli soup for 1.2 million and 4 scallops for 1.4 million" published on February 2, Lao Dong Newspaper reported that local authorities had reviewed records showing that the price of Japanese scallops imported by this facility was 920,000 VND/kg.
Surveying the listed prices on February 1 at some other restaurants in the area, Japanese scallops of 4 pieces/kg cost more than 1.36 million VND. Thus, the selling price of 1.2 kg for more than 1.4 million VND is reasonable, not as slashed as information on social networks.
Not to mention, O.D restaurant has posted prices for dishes, clearly stating that 1kg of Japanese scallops costs 1,200,000 VND. The restaurant posts the price, the customer agrees before ordering, that is an agreement between the two parties, the restaurant cannot be blamed for overcharging.
The information about O.D restaurant ripping people off has been clarified, the remaining task is to verify the information of the person who reported the restaurant ripping people off. Besides the information posted online, is there any other evidence?
The owner has the right to request the competent authority to handle according to the provisions of the law any individual who has affected the reputation of the business establishment or his/her own honor.
If people post false information on social media, not only will the business’s brand be affected, but the image of Ba Ria - Vung Tau will also be tarnished in the eyes of tourists. A tourist city with a reputation for price gouging will certainly not be well received by tourists.
Therefore, verifying information about the 4 scallops case is to protect business establishments and protect the reputation and image of the locality, especially the tourism industry of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province.
The law stipulates penalties for those who take advantage of social networks to spread false information, distort, slander, and insult the reputation of agencies, organizations, or the honor and dignity of individuals. For this violation, according to Article 101, Decree 15/2020/ND-CP, the fine will be from 10 to 20 million VND.
Information must be transparent and cases of spreading false rumors must be handled to create a civilized social network environment, while protecting the reputation, honor and interests of individuals and organizations.
