Recent. Online shopping platforms have frequently experienced incidents of exploiting loopholes in the "refund-only" model.
The woman only refunded the money many times and then stole the courier
appeared on the hot search and sparked heated discussions.
A customer in Wuhan bought 4 items with a total value of 1,800 yuan, however, when the merchant shipped the goods separately according to the customer's requirements, the customer only refused to accept one item, took the other three, and applied for a full refund. Moreover, the customer has already done the same thing many times. The "refund-only" model refers to the situation that consumers buy "seriously inferior and incorrect" products on the platform, or encounter delayed delivery or forced delivery by the seller without the buyer's permission. A few days ago, the new rules of this service have been launched on a number of leading platforms and have attracted much attention.
In the process of online shopping, consumers establish a contractual relationship with merchants. In this contract, in the event of a dispute, the merchant is obliged to make a refund;Likewise, the customer is obliged to return the goods, without any reason to refund only without returning. Although "the woman only refunds and takes away the 1,000 yuan express delivery" is an example, it largely confirms the previous hidden concern: the "refund only" model will lead to "the platform earns fame and the merchant bears losses".
In fact, the "refund-only" model launched by a number of leading platforms is legally controversial. Some people in the legal profession pointed out that if the "refund only" rule is only the platform's own commitment and the merchant does not recognize it, there may be a problem of not having the right to dispose of the merchant's goods, which may lead to legal disputes.
For platform shopping, the real buyer and seller are the buyer and the merchant, and the platform is not the actual owner of the payment or the requester of the payment, nor is it the provider of the goods. Then, if the buyer asks for a refund, and the merchant claims to return the goods at the same time as the refund, it is in line with the principle of fair equivalence. If the platform's "refund only" rule is not approved by the merchant, it will be an act that infringes on the interests of the merchant, which will lead to disputes between the right holder of the goods, i.e., the merchant and the buyer.
Because of the fierce competition, various e-commerce platforms are now competing for customers. However, in a normal business environment, it is necessary not only to meet the needs of consumers, but also to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of merchants. Merchants should resolutely protect consumers' rights and interests in returning online purchases without reason in accordance with the law, but the "refund-only" model, which allows refunds without returns, does not mean that consumers can abuse this right. The normal operation and profitability of the business is a condition for the normal operation of the business society, which is the most basic business logic.
Therefore, the platform should give full play to the role of "bridge", optimize and improve the design of return rules between consumers and merchants, and not let the rules that harm the interests of others become a sharp weapon for platform competition, and cannot let the behavior of "wool picking" fraud merchants occur in the name of rules.
Pocket Spring City comprehensive finishing.
*: People's ** client, Qianjiang Evening News, netizen comments.
Editor-in-charge: Zhao Ping.
Editor: Sha Lanmei.
Final review: Zhou Jianjun.