4. How can consumers tell whether the approaches adopted by gas safety equipment businesses to market their products are illegal? 

1. Gas safety equipment businesses normally call the products they sell “gas breakers,” “gas safety valves,” “automatic excessive gas flow shutters,” “gas explosion prevention devices,” etc. Such products do have the function of shutting excessive gas flows but the marketing approaches adopted by certain businesses can cause disputes. Therefore, the Fair Trade Commission has established the “Fair Trade Commission Disposal Directions (Guidelines) on Sales of Gas Safety Devices” to provide references for gas safety equipment businesses and consumers as well as to maintain trading order, ensure fair competition and protect consumers’ interests. However, whether a business is in violation of the Fair Trade Act depends on the situation in each case.
2. According to the Fair Trade Commission’s experience, illegal practices adopted by gas safety equipment businesses to sell gas safety devices include the following types and consumers are advised to be cautious and to refuse to make purchases if they are in any doubt:
   1. Using false, untrue or misleading representations or symbols about the price, quantity, quality or function of gas safety devices in advertisements
   2. Using pretexts such as giving presentations on gas accident prevention, making gas safety inspections, working with public interest groups and providing service under government funding to mislead consumers
   3. Not telling or lying about the price, quantity, quality, function, features, or limitations of use of gas safety devices to mislead consumers
3. As set forth in Article 19 of the Consumer Protection Act, consumers who change their minds about products they have purchased through mail order or door-to-door sales may return the products or cancel the contracts in writing within 7 days after receiving the products without giving any reasons or being responsible for any expenses. Therefore, if consumers intend to cancel purchase contracts after having gas safety devices installed, they can act according to the said regulation and send written notices (such as legal attest letters) to request that gas safety equipment businesses remove the devices and return the funds.