People buying goods from online retailers in Shanghai have been given an extra layer of protection after the city’s government tightened up consumer laws for ecommerce purchases.
With an online population of 519 million people, China’s ecommerce sector has never been in a better state. However, as the popularity of buying goods online continues to rise, so too does the number of complaints, reports telegraph.co.uk.
Figures from last year show that around 16,000 complaints were made against Chinese retailers last year, up 45 per cent from 2011. Most of these concerned a failure to deliver goods after an online payment was made, while the cancellation of orders from online retailers was another well-talked about issue.
According to law.cattt.com, the government has listened to the feedback and proposed a seven-day return period for all products purchase over the internet, similar to the standard for retailers in Britain.
Although the plans will only affect residents in Shanghai, with people in China and other parts of the world still shopping under the same conditions, it’s possible that a similar rule will be applied to purchases from international buyers if the government sees a drop in complaints.
For now, the new returns policy should help expats feel much more confident about shopping with retailers in Shanghai, especially when they come to buy a product they’re not sure will match its on-screen appearance.
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