Shopping from Chinese sites? What are the risks and how to avoid them?

If you shop on Chinese sites, you must know what the risks are and how to avoid them. The warning comes from the founder of the online platform "We, the users" Gabriela Rumenova, asked by the media for a comment on the collective complaint brought by the European Consumer Organization (EUC) to the European Commission against the Chinese platform Temu.

"Merchants who have a language version of their e-shop for a European country or have European Union (EU) citizens shopping on their platform are required to comply with European consumer law regarding product safety, unfair commercial practices and the new Digital Services Act&ldquo ;, Rumenova pointed out.

Sponsored pages in social networks and electronic platforms of Chinese electronic stores such as Temu and Shein in the digital space quickly attracted the attention of Bulgarian consumers and convinced them to make many purchases, including as a result of applied unfair practices. However, the risks of buying from them are many, from the lack of certainty about the safety of these products to different types of unfair practices, with which consumers are misled about the recommendations for these items and the correctness of discounts, as well as falling victim to unfair sales promotion.< br />
She also explained that these economic operators must have their own representative in the EU to ensure that the products put on sale have successfully passed tests for compliance with European safety legislation and to assist in the recall of risky goods.

"People should keep in mind that products produced in a country outside the EU may comply with local legislation regarding quality and safety, but not with the European one, and this may pose risks to the health and life of consumers," the expert explained.

And he added that according to European legislation, the consumer has the right to return a dangerous product and receive his money, as well as to seek compensation for damages suffered – something that would be very complicated when the merchant does not comply with European legal norms.

The reasons for the БEUС complaint against Temu are that the platform often fails to provide users with important information about the seller of an item, relies on manipulative practices to generate additional sales (users receive different, more expensive versions after clicking on a particular product) or complicates the process of closing the account (requires going through obstacles).

In support of the permanently recalled by "We, the users“ recommendations are also the results of observations of some of the members of БЕУС on the activity of the Temu platform. Italy, for example, has purchased and tested cosmetic products from there, finding that they either did not include the list of ingredients or provided only a partial list. Germany, on the other hand, has found that the platform in question contains misleading product reviews or misleads consumers by the way it shows price discounts.

At the same time, many Bulgarian consumers express doubt that some of the goods offered on Chinese sites such as Temu and Shein are also found in Bulgarian physical and electronic stores, but at significantly higher prices.

In this regard, from "We, the users“ comment:

"If Bulgarian traders offer for sale products of manufacturers from outside the European Union, they must ensure that these products comply with European legislation, provide consumers with all the mandatory complete, accurate and true information about the products and their use and certainly their manufacturer has a representative in the EU. The same must be observed by the users themselves in order to protect themselves from risks“.