An attempt by a local-level commerce authority to shame unscrupulous vendors by hanging a sign reading "dark-minded shop" outside their premises has stirred up discussion among members of the public.

Fruit vendors in Sanya, South China's Hainan Province, who overcharge or give short weights to customers will face fines as well as the embarrassment of having a sign hung outside their shops.

In the first case, local industry and commerce officials shut down the shop of a vendor who had had two complaints filed against him and hung one of the "dark-minded shop" signs out front.

The vendor, identified only as Wu, also lost his sales license.

"We received two complaints from two tourists on April 27, both alleging Wu had given them short weights," Wan Congyun, an official from the local industry and commerce bureau, said.

In one case, a tourist who paid for 17.5 kg of mangos but was given only 13 kg, he said.

Wan said the authorities caught Wu red handed by disguising themselves as customers and buying fruit.

"In a bid to warn the other shopkeepers at the market to deal fairly with customers and also to make customers aware of the fraud, we handed out our first black-heart shop sign," Wan said.

"We did it (hung the sign) as a warning to the other vendors and to remind tourists to be careful," he said.

The effect was immediate, Wan said. The bureau has not received a single complaint since the sign appeared.

Vendors are not allowed to take down the signs until the bureau says so, Wan added.

The signs have inspired discussion.

"Vendors who break the rules should receive warnings, fines, have their illegal income confiscated or even have their business license revoked," Cai Chunwei, a lawyer from Hainan, said.

However, local citizens and tourists have come out in support of the policy. Many people said they could let down their guard when buying fruit and that they expected more harsh measures for dealing with unscrupulous activities.

(China Daily 05/29/2007 page5)