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November 10, 2016

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Online shopping complaints soar

THE number of complaints over online shopping surged more than 58 percent in the first 10 months of this year, accounting for almost half of all shopping complaints, the city’s market watchdog warned yesterday as it exposed irregularities in the sector.

Misleading advertisements, fabrication of transaction figures, substandard quality and fake information are some common problems in the area, officials with the Shanghai Industrial and Commercial Administrative Bureau said.

The bureau received 158,000 complaints between January and October — and 72,400 were related with online shopping.

“With the development of the online market, some new problems have emerged in the field like hiring others to fabricate orders, delivering empty parcels, making up consumers’ comments, giving fake discounts by secretly raising prices first, and selling private information of customers,” said Li Hong, an official with the bureau.

The bureau has busted 850 cases of violations of online shopping regulations and issued about 33 million yuan (US$4.9 million) in fines in the 10 months to the end of October. More than 900 web sites were shut down, it said, without revealing the names.

YHD.com was fined 30,000 yuan after it failed to provide information on a white wine product, said to be imported from New Zealand, when questioned by authorities in response to a consumer’s tip-off about possible price cheating, according to the bureau.

The bureau vowed to step up its crackdown on irregularities and yesterday ordered online businesses to obey the rules, ahead of tomorrow’s Singles’ Day shopping spree.

The bureau also detail several substandard home appliances sold online.

Sixteen batches of small kitchen home appliances, including electric ovens and toasters, as well as washing machines sold online failed quality checks by the bureau, and they accounted for more than a quarter of the total.

Some had potential safety hazards, including electric shock and the risk of sparking a fire, the bureau warned.

A batch of toasters labeled Electrolux and sold on Gome.com.cn was failed for its unstable power connection, and a batch of toasters labeled morphy richards and sold on JD.com had the same problem, the bureau said.

A batch of washing machines sold on JD.com and labeled Jinsong was found to have inadequate protection over parts carrying electricity.

The bureau has ordered these shopping websites to stop selling substandard products and take remaining stock off the shelves.

The bureau’s investigations into online retailing continue.




 

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