Problems with quality topped the consumer complaints Guangdong Provincial Consumer Council handled last year, according to a senior executive from the council.

"Guangdong Consumer Council handled 32,551 complaints involving quality problems in 2013, representing 27.55 percent of the total and up year-on-year 37.29 percent," said Luo Weiguang, deputy director of Guangdong Consumer Council.

Guangdong Consumer Council received 23,709 quality problem complaints in 2012, Luo said.

Addressing a press conference in Guangzhou, the provincial capital, on Wednesday, Luo said the council dealt with 118,132 complaints from consumers in 2013.

"The figure accounted for more than 21 percent of the country's total," he said.

The other complaints were mainly about service, contracts, price, false promotion and safety.

Of the complaints, 102,755 were settled with mediation from the council, with 171 million yuan ($28 million) refunded to customers.