The State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) in Beijing has announced that the complaints from dissatisfied buyers of products purchased online increased by 87.3% in 2015, to a total of 145,800. The largest number of complaints concerned the poor quality of the articles and advertising considered to be misleading. Followed by: counterfeit products, false advertising and failure to obtain a refund if the article is returned to the seller within 7 days from the date of purchase (as required by law). Purchases most subject to complaints included shoes, bags, clothing and luxury products. SAIC has announced that it will introduce new regulations to protect consumers. Last October, the main Chinese consumers’ association reported a much more serious situation, claiming to have received more than 146,000 complaints for unsatisfactory online purchases in the third quarter of 2015 alone.
Online shopping in China: boom in purchases, but especially in complaints
