Online shopping is all the rage but buyer beware!
Print Edition
CHINA is awash with online shoppers and the residents of Minhang are no exception when it comes to the fun, bargains and convenience of e-commerce.
The National Bureau of Statistics reported that nationwide online retail sales hit 6.5 trillion yuan (US$1.1 trillion) in the third quarter of this year.
About 90 percent of respondents to the bureau’s recent survey of Minhang shopping trends said they have bought items online. Half of them said they bought goods from websites at least once or twice a month. The survey covered residents aged 18-70 from 200 families.
Among the most popular commodities bought with a click of the mouse or the tap of a smart phone were clothing, food and nutritional supplements, cosmetics and daily household necessities, according to the survey.
Enthusiastic shopper
Zhang Yi, a white-collar worker living in the Minhang town of Xinzhuang, said she buys almost everything online now. “I started shopping online about eight years ago, and I now buy everything from toothbrushes to electrical appliances,” she said. “I have a baby so I don’t have time to go out and shop.”
Apart from saving time, competitive prices are another big attraction of cyber stores. Zhang said she often goes to group purchase websites to find products at good discounts. “The most cost-effective group purchase item is the restaurant coupon,” she said. “There are discounts on meals of 20 percent or more.”
Zhang prides herself on being a savvy digital shopper. She said she seldom feels she has been cheated by sellers. The trick is to patronize big e-commerce sites with solid reputations, such as Amazon or JD.com — especially when looking for high-cost items. Such websites have after-sales policies that make it easy to exchange goods or get a refund, she said.
Many of the respondents to the survey didn’t quite share Zhang’s level of enthusiasm. Concern about the quality of products runs deep.
Let the buyer beware
About 85 percent of respondents admitted they have gotten stuck with counterfeit or shoddy products. About 60 percent said they have encountered difficulties when they tried to return unsatisfactory goods. About half said they have encountered fraud in online shopping.
“Fake cosmetics are everywhere online,” said Chen Sijie, another resident in the district. “Fakes are sold in containers resembling those of luxury brands. They are sold at low prices, which makes consumers feel they are getting a real bargain.”
Chen cited the example of online sellers promoting cosmetics made in France. Only after she bought one did she discover that the so-called French cosmetic was actually made in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong.
Caveat emptor — Let the buyer beware, says the Minhang Commission of Consumer Rights and Interests Protection. Consumers need to scrutinize the policies of retail websites before placing orders. That’s not always an easy thing to do in a digital realm filled with tens of thousands of retailers and millions of products.
Online sellers that don’t have solid guarantees on return policies should be avoided, the commission advises. Consumers should also insist on formal receipts for goods they buy online. Without such proof of purchase, district commercial authorities can’t act on complaints.
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