Ministry Of Commerce Issued Notice To Regulate Online Shopping Promotion

A few days ago, the Ministry of Commerce issued a notice to regulate online shopping promotion, emphasizing the need to eliminate all kinds of price fraud and false promotions, strictly prohibit fictitious price discount, use misleading pricing forms or price means to deceive and induce consumers.

The circular requires that business authorities in all regions should guide enterprises to promote sales according to the laws and regulations such as the "anti monopoly law", "consumer protection law", "advertising law" and "trademark law", etc., and promote online shopping enterprises to explain to consumers in advance the main information such as the name, type, quality, price, freight, delivery mode, and return method of promotional goods or services, and adopt safety assurance measures to ensure that sales promotion acts are safe and reliable.

The circular stressed that we should put an end to all kinds of price deception and false promotions, strictly prohibit fictitious price discount, use misleading price forms or price means, deceive and induce consumers, and should not reduce the level of after-sales service of promotional commodities, including prizes and gifts with prizes, and must not refuse to return goods on the basis of promotion or set obstacles for consumers to return goods.

The notice also requires that commercial departments in all regions should strictly investigate and punish unsound propaganda. In conjunction with special actions against intellectual property rights and counterfeiting and selling fake and shoddy commodities, joint efforts should be carried out with industry and commerce, quality inspection and other departments to strengthen IPR protection.

With the rapid development of Internet shopping and the increasingly fierce competition among online shopping enterprises, the promotion of discount, second killing, voucher, bonus points, free freight and other promotional methods gradually normalize, active market and stimulate consumption, but there are also problems such as selling pirated goods, discounted discounts, underline services and online promotional commitments, and lack of standard online group purchase.