A new Chinese regulation on online shopping makes it easier for items to be returned, even if they have been opened. Online shopping can sometimes result into hits and misses, but the new regulation reduces the likelihood of unhappy consumers.
Online shipping can be as cumbersome as it is convenient. Online consumers often encounter purchases that they need to return, and hopefully, get a refund. However, some online consumers usually cannot get their money back when they bought from companies that have policies against returning opened packages. This is now illegal in China.
The new regulation, set into action on Sunday, March 15, on World Consumer Rights Day, now allows for consumers to open their packages and return their items if they are not satisfied with the actual products.
Online retailers are banned from refusing returned goods just on the basis of them being already opened. Remarkably, consumers can return the items for any reason.
Online retailers are also protected under the new law because consumers are only given the privilege to return opened items and get full refund if they do so within seven days from the date they received the goods. If online retailers reject returns on the basis that they are opened, they could be fined up to 500,000 yuan.
Online retailers and e-commerce sites are advised to make it clear in advance which items are not returnable or refundable. Online sites should remind consumers again before they click the "buy" button.
The population of online consumers in China has ballooned in the recent years. This makes it crucial for the government to ensure that online consumers' rights are as protected as consumers who do their shopping in physical stores.