LAST WEEK, A SURVEY CARRIED OUT BY THE SOCIETY SURVEY CENTER OF CHINA YOUTH NEWSPAPER WITH 2007 INTERVIEWEES SHOWED THAT 85.2 PERCENT OF THEM BUY THINGS FROM WECHAT OPERATORS. CLOTHING, SHOES AND BAGS ACCOUNT FOR 38.8%, AND COSMETICS 37.8%, THOSE ARE THE MOST FREQUENTLY PURCHASED ITEMS FROM WECHAT OPERATORS. INFERIOR QUALITY OF GOODS, POOR AFTER-SALES SERVICE AND DEFAULT ACCEPTANCE OF MINOR DEFECTS ARE THE THREE MAIN CONCERNS THEY FACED. 61.3 PERCENT OF INTERVIEWEES HOPE TO INTRODUCE CREDIT CHECKING INTO WECHAT BUSINESS OPERATION, TO RECORD THE DISHONEST INFORMATION POSTED.
85.2% OFTHE INTERVIEWEESUSED TOPURCHASED GOODSFROMWECHATOPERATORS.
ONE OF THE INTERVIEWEE, LIN FENG(ALIAS), A FREELANCER FROM SHANGHAI SHARED WITH US THAT SHE USUALLY PURCHASES MILK POWDER AND TOYS FOR HER CHILDREN THROUGH WECHAT OPERATORS. BECAUSE THEY OFFER A VARIETY OF PRODUCTS TO CHOOSE, AND OFTEN WITH FEEDBACK OF PRODUCTS POSTED ONLINE, WHICH SEEMS TO BE REASSURING.
FU YU TONG, A GRADUATE STUDENT FROM CHINA PEOPLE’S UNIVERSITY, WHO OFTEN PURCHASES COSMETICS AND SKIN CARE PRODUCTS THROUGH WECHAT PLATFORM, SHE ALSO CLAIMED THAT THERE ARE MANY UNRELIABLE WECHAT OPERATORS ACTUALLY, BUT SHE CHOSE THE RIGHT ONE TRUSTWORTHY TO BUY FROM. “I AM A REGULAR CUSTOMER, AND I DON’T CHANGE THE SUPPLIER FREQUENTLY, IT SAVES ME A LOT TO BUY COSMETICS TO BUY THINGS FROM WECHAT OPERATORS.” SHE SAID.
THERE IS A YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR FROM SHANDONG, LI AN, ALLEGED THAT HE IS USUALLY BUSY AT WORK, HAVE NO TIME TO EAT ON TIME, AND ALWAYS BUY SNACKS THROUGH WECHAT OPERATORS, SOME SNACKS INTRODUCED BY WECHAT ARE NOT AVAILABLE ON THE MARKET, WHICH IT SEEMS FRESH AND APPETIZING FOR ME, THOUGH SOME ARE HOMEMADE FOOD, IT LOOKS CLEAN AND SANITARY, AND THEY OFFER DISCOUNTS QUITE OFTEN.
ACCORDING TO THE SURVEY, 85.2% OF THE INTERVIEWEES THROUGH WECHAT OPERATORS PURCHASE THINGS, CLOTHING SHOES PACKAGE (38.8%) AND COSMETICS (37.8%), WHICH ARE THE MOST FREQUENTLY PURCHASED GOODS, FOLLOWED BY HEALTH CARE PRODUCTS(28.5%), AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS AND OTHER SPECIALTIES(28.0%), HOUSEHOLD ITEMS(17.5%), HOMEMADE FOOD(14.7%), MATERNAL AND INFANT SUPPLIES (12.5%), JEWELRY (10.4%) AND BEAUTY SLIMMING PRODUCTS (9.5%).
ZHANG NING, A STAFF FROM ONE OF STATE-OWNED ENTERPRISES IN BEIJING TOLD JOURNALIST THAT SHE OFTEN BUY SKINCARE PRODUCTS, CLOTHING, SHOES, AND BAGS THROUGH THE INFORMATION POSTED ON WECHAT MOMENTS, OR THROUGH WECHAT SHOPS. BUT THE SHOPPING PAGE USUALLY WITH THE NOTICES OF “DEFAULT ACCEPTANCE OF MINOR DEFECTS”, AND OF “RETURN GOODS POLICY ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE AND NOT OFFERED.”. SHE CONTINUED THAT, “I USED TO BUY A COAT WITH IMPROPER SIZE AND I ASKED TO EXCHANGE, IT TURNED OUT TO BE NOT REFUNDABLE EVEN THE EXPRESS FEE BORNE BY MYSELF, THE EXPLANATION GIVEN IS THE RULE OF ‘ONCE THE SIZE YOU CONFIRMED, IT’S NOT REFUNDABLE’, SO THE CLOTHES JUST LEAVE UNUSED. ANOTHER BAD EXPERIENCE WAS THAT I BOUGHT A FOUNDATION THROUGH ONE OF THE WECHAT OPERATORS, IT’S LATER FOUND OBVIOUS DIFFERENT WITH THE ONE IN REAL STORE, I HAVE ASKED FOR EXPLANATION, BUT GOT NOT TOO MUCH REPLY FROM THEM, I CANNOT DO THING BUT ACCEPT MY BAD LUCK.”.
"I ONCE BOUGHT MOONCAKES FROM A WECHAT OPERATOR WHO ADVERTISED THEM WITH GREAT HYPE, BUT IT TURNED OUT TO BE TERRIBLE TO TASTE, WHAT A FALSE PROPAGANDA. SOME OF THE PRODUCTS PURCHASED FROM MY FRIENDS WHO DOING WECHAT BUSINESS, EVEN THERE WERE FAKE ONES FROM THEM, IT’S EMBARRASSED TO BLAME THEM.” LIU AN SAID, WHO WORRIED MOST ABOUT FOOD SAFETY PURCHASING FROM WECHAT OPERATORS.
"WECHAT BUSINESS ARE LACK OF OVERSIGHT, PRODUCT QUALITY IS DIFFICULT TO BE GUARANTEED, AND NO AFTER-SALES SERVICE OFFERED," FU YU TONG TOLD JOURNALIST THAT ONE OF HER FRIEND BOUGHT A FALSE LIPSTICK FROM A WECHAT OPERATOR WHOM HAVE KNOWN FROM MICROBLOG, THE LIPSTICK WAS LIGHTWEIGHT TO HANDLE, COULD NOT FEEL ANY WEIGHT AT ALL, MY FRIEND ASKED FOR AN ANSWER, UNEXPECTEDLY, SHE WAS BLACKLISTED”.
LIN FENG ALSO ADDED THAT, “THERE ARE SOME WECHAT OPERATORS WITH VERY BAD SERVICE ATTITUDE, THEY WOULD BE VERY IMPATIENT WHEN A FEW MORE QUESTIONS BEING ASKED, AND WITH SLOW DELIVERY, NO TIMELY REPLY TO THEIR CUSTOMERS. AFTER ALL, THEY NOT OWN THEIR OFFICIAL COMPANY, NO PERFECT SUPERVISION FOR THE ILLEGAL BEHAVIORS, ONCE THERE ARE PROBLEMS INCURRED, IT’S HARD TO BE SOLVED.”.
SO, WHAT ARE THE CONCERNS OF BUYING PRODUCTS FROM WECHAT OPERATORS? FROM WHAT THE SURVEY SHOWED, 50.5% OF THEM CLAIMED PRODUCT QUALITY ISSUES, 46.3% COMPLAINED POOR AFTER-SALES SERVICE, OR EVEN NO SERVICE OFFERED, 42.3% WHO FOUND THEY NEED TO ACCEPT MINOR DEFECTS BY DEFAULT, 33.0% SAID NO PLACE TO SAFEGUARD THEIR LEGAL RIGHTS WHEN DISPUTES OCCURRED, 32.4% FOUND IT’S HARD TO RETURN OR REPLACE THEIR PRODUCTS, 23.9% INDICATED EXAGGERATED AND FALSE PROPAGANDA, 19.9% WORRIED ABOUT FAKE OR INFERIOR PRODUCTS.
IT INDICATED THAT, 8.3% WITH THE FEEDBACK OF GREAT SHOPPING EXPERIENCE FROM WECHAT OPERATORS, 41.8% WITH GOOD EXPERIENCE, 35.8% WITH AVERAGE EXPERIENCE, AND 9.9% WITH WORSE EXPERIENCE.
LI WEI MIN, DEPUTY SECRETARY DEPUTY FROM CHINESE SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF CONSUMERS' RIGHTS AND INTERESTS PROTECTION LAW, ALSO THE EXPERT LEADER OF CHINA'S CONSUMER PROTECTION LEGISLATION, STATED THAT, THE INTERNET, THE INTERNET OF THINGS, BIG DATA AND CLOUD COMPUTING PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT OF WECHAT BUSINESS, NO INTERMEDIATE LINKS INVOLVED, A CONVENIENT AND FAST WAY FOR CUSTOMERS TO PURCHASE THINGS, AND LOWER COST COMPARED WITH TRADITIONAL STORE OPERATION. HE ALSO BELIEVED THAT COEXISTENT ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES, DEVELOPMENTS AND RISKS, SMALL-SCALE, FRAGMENTED AND NONSTANDARD OPERATION ARE THE MAIN PROBLEMS, AND WITHOUT A CORPORATE GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE, WHICH PREVENT IT FROM ESTABLISHING A LARGE-SCALE, AND SYSTEMATIC OPERATION, THEREFOR, LOTS OF LEGAL RISKS EXIST. MANY WECHAT OPERATORS HAVE NOT OBTAINED THEIR BUSINESS LICENSE, EVEN IF REGISTERED, MOST OF THEIR ACTUAL BUSINESS SCOPE IS INCONSISTENT WITH THE ONES REGISTERED, AND THE PRODUCT QUALITY IS HARD TO BE GUARANTEED.
61.3OF THE INTERVIEWEESSUGGESTED INTRODUCING THE CREDITCHECKINGINTOTHE SCOPE OF WECHATBUSINESS.
LIN FENG HOPE THAT, FORMAL WECHAT OPERATORS WHO CONSTANTLY PROVIDE VIDEO OF THE PROCESS OF PURCHASING AND DELIVERY, AND PROOFS OF RELEVANT RECEIPTS, WHICH WOULD BE REASSURING FOR CONSUMERS.
IN ORDER THAT GAIN GOOD REPUTATION FOR THEMSELVES, AND HELP TO PURIFY THE WECHAT MARKET. SHE STRESSED THAT AUDIT AND QUALIFICATION RATINGS SHOULD BE ENHANCED, AS A REFERENCE FOR CUSTOMERS.
FU YU TONG ADMITTED THAT THERE ARE CLASSMATES AROUND HER ONCE RAN INTO UNRELIABLE WECHAT OPERATORS, AND NO WAY TO PROTECT THEIR LEGAL RIGHTS. HER CLASSMATE CONVINCED HERSELF, “ IT’S NOT TOO MUCH LOSS, WE ARE SPENDING MONEY TO BUY A LESSON.”. FU HOLD THE OPINION THAT CONSUMERS SHOULD ACTIVELY PROTECT THEIR RIGHT WHEN THEY SUFFER LOSSES, OTHERWISE IT WILL HELP WECHAT OPERATORS TO DO MORE HARM. SHE HOPES GREAT PROGRESS WILL BE MADE BY WECHAT PLATFORM TO OFFER SERVICES TO CONSUMERS, AND A PERFECT SUPERVISION MECHANISM TO BE ESTABLISHED, SO THAT IT CAN FULFILL THE OVERSIGHT FUNCTION MORE EFFICIENTLY AND PROTECT THE LEGITIMATE RIGHTS AND INTERESTS OF CONSUMERS.
LIU AN EXPECT THAT STANDARD OPERATION REGULATION TO BE FORMULATED. ON THE WECHAT OPERATOR SIDE, MORE EFFORTS TO BE MADE TO IMPROVE THEIR PRODUCT QUALITY, INSIST ON LAWFUL OPERATIONS, AND GAIN A GOOD NAME FOR THEMSELVES. ON THE CONSUMER SIDE, BEING MORE COURAGEOUS TO PROTECT THEIR RIGHTS AND TO OVERSIGHT THE WECHAT MARKET
HOW TO STANDARDIZE WECHAT BUSINESS OPERATION AND PROTECT THE LEGITIMATE RIGHTS AND INTERESTS OF CONSUMERS? 61.3% OF THE INTERVIEWEES WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE CREDIT REPORTING, TO RECORD DISHONEST INFORMATION. 56.1% HOPE TO CARRY OUT RELEVANT LAWS TO OVERSIGHT. 44.3% HOPE TO COLLECT THE POWER OF RELEVANT MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENTS AND PLATFORMS TO ACT TOGETHER. 43.4% SUGGESTED
QUALIFICATION CHECK AND SUPERVISION NEED TO BE LARGELY ENHANCED. 33.3% ADVISED TO KEEP RECORDS OF CONSUMPTION AND CONSULTING FOR EVIDENCE. 24.9% EXPRESSED THAT A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY OF WECHAT OPERATORS ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO ESTABLISH, TO MAINTAIN THE RIGHTS AND INTERESTS OF CONSUMERS AND NETWORK ORDER.
LI WEI MIN CLAIMED THAT THERE ARE REGULATIONS ON THE NETWORK MANAGEMENT, SUCH AS COMPANY LAW, CONSUMER PROTECTION LAW, THE ADMINISTRATION OF ONLINE TRANSACTION, MENTIONED BY THE STATE COUNCIL. BUT NOT ALL THE PROBLEMS CAN BE COVERED AND SOLVED TIMELY WITH THE LAG LAWS AND FAST DEVELOPMENT.
IN ADDITION, WECHAT BUSINESS COVERS A WIDE RANGE OF FIELDS AND CATEGORIES. IT LED TO A VERY COMPLICATED SITUATION WITH SO MANY PEOPLE TO USE IT FOR BUSINESS. AT PRESENT, THERE IS A DIFFICULTY TO FORM A BENIGN OPERATION FOR LACKING OF STANDARD AND AUTHORITATIVE LEGISLATION.
HE BELIEVED THAT OPERATING IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW IS THE SOURCE OF VITALITY OF WECHAT BUSINESS, AND THE KEY TO SOLVING PROBLEMS, STRENGTHEN SPECIAL LEGISLATION, FORM A SCIENTIFIC WITHDRAW MECHANISM, AND BUILD A CREDIBILITY SYSTEM, THOSE ARE THE WAYS TO GUIDE THEIR RIGHT DEVELOPMENT PROSPECT. HE ALSO INDICATED THAT THE PLATFORM IS VERY CRITICAL FOR WECHAT OPERATORS, THEY SHOULD OPERATE BY LAW, APPLY FOR ADMINISTRATIVE REGISTRATION AND REPORTING, OBTAIN FORMAL LICENSE, BEING HONEST TO OPERATOR, ENSURE SATISFIED SERVICES, AND IMPROVE PRODUCT QUALITY AND SAFETY.
AMONG THE INTERVIEWEES, 0.7% WERE BORN IN THE POST-2000 GENERATION, 30.9% IN THE POST-1990 GENERATION, 49.4% IN THE POST-1980 GENERATION, 15.1% IN THE POST-1970 GENERATION AND 3.5% IN THE POST-1960 GENERATION. INTERVIEWEES LIVING IN FIRST-TIER CITIES ACCOUNTED FOR 29.4%, 45.7% IN SECOND-TIER CITIES, 21.3% IN THIRD-TIER CITIES, 3.5% IN TOWNS OR COUNTIES, AND 0.1% IN RURAL AREAS.
