Seek compensation through documented channels; do not make payment conditional on your silence

A complaint through 12315 is free; court or lawyer costs depend on the route. Use a formal complaint, a civil claim, or a lawyer, and lawfully record any meeting you attend. Resist meeting the other side alone at a place they choose.

In the official Guo Li case, authorities announced in 2008 that some batches of Scient infant formula contained melamine. His daughter’s examination found several pinpoint strong echoes in the central collecting systems of both kidneys. He repeatedly sought compensation from the retailer and manufacturer and contacted the media. In June 2009, the parties reached a settlement for RMB 400,000 and he signed a statement abandoning further claims. The company later reported him, and Chao’an County People’s Court sentenced him to five years for extortion. Guangdong’s procuratorate recommended retrial, finding insufficient evidence of an intent to unlawfully possess property and recognizing his legal basis, as guardian, to seek compensation from the manufacturer. It also recognized consumers’ right to expose and criticize conduct harming their lawful interests through the media. On 7 April 2017, Guangdong High People’s Court acquitted him on retrial, finding unclear facts and insufficient evidence for the alleged extortion and concluding that the conduct had not been shown to exceed a civil dispute. He had been detained from 23 July 2009 to 22 July 2014, a total of 1,826 days.

Grade B reflects a single case rather than a generalizable probability. It shows both that a compensation demand can be lawful and that the claimant can still face investigation. A lawyer or direct civil proceedings can help keep the claim documented and reduce private confrontation. Be especially careful about invitations to the other party’s locality, where a complaint and investigation may begin. Follow a signed settlement; a new large demand after agreeing to settle is particularly vulnerable to being characterized as coercive. If investigated, see getting a lawyer, the evidence standard, and state compensation. For someone using threats to demand money from you, see extortion.

Guangdong People’s Procuratorate (2017). Retrial recommendation leading to Guo Li’s acquittal, reposted by Heyuan’s procuratorate. https://jcy.heyuan.gov.cn/node/142; Guangdong High People’s Court Compensation Committee (2018). Guo Li state-compensation decision following retrial acquittal, case (2018) Yue Wei Pei 11. https://www.gdcourts.gov.cn/caipanwenshuxuandeng/caipanwenshuxuandeng/content/post_1045709.html.