Idle old mobile phones, expiring skincare products, clothes and shoes that have only been worn a few times...... More and more young people are keen to hang idle items on online second-hand trading platforms to "make money", and many people are willing to buy various daily necessities on second-hand platforms. The lifestyle of "selling second-hand and buying second-hand" is becoming popular among young people, outlining a new picture of consumption.
According to the data of "Dianshubao", the scale of second-hand e-commerce transactions in China will reach 548.65 billion yuan in 2023, a year-on-year increase of 14.25%, which shows that the second-hand e-commerce market continues to grow steadily. In the future, as consumers pay more attention to practicality and cost-effectiveness, as well as pay more attention to environmental protection and sustainable development, second-hand e-commerce will become one of the important choices for consumers.
However, due to factors such as unsound industry standards, second-hand platforms also have problems such as mismatched goods, malicious exchanges, counterfeiting and shoddy, and related consumer complaints are also increasing day by day.
Ms. Yu's experience is one such example. On May 18, Ms. Yu purchased a Gucci bag on the Red Bolin platform with great anticipation, hoping to add a touch of color to the upcoming holiday. However, on May 21, when her family signed for the package on her behalf, surprise and disappointment ensued.
Ms. Yu, who returned from a business trip, found that the bag not only exuded a strong pungent odor, but also had multiple scratches on the hardware and leather on the bag, which completely did not match the "slight use marks" described on the platform.
Although the Red Bolin platform promised to refund the money within 72 hours without any reason, when Ms. Yu contacted customer service, she encountered layers of obstacles. The customer service asked her to provide the label and security code, and Ms. Yu provided all the necessary proof and sent the product back as requested. However, the platform still refused to refund the money on the grounds of preventing the counterfeit code from being tampered with, leaving Ms. Yu helpless and angry. After she complained to the consumer insurance platform, Hongblin took the initiative to contact her, saying that she would intercept the returned courier and refund her after receiving it.
This incident is just a microcosm of the frequent consumer disputes on second-hand e-commerce platforms.
Since 2023, the consumer insurance platform has received a total of 26,911 complaints from second-hand e-commerce platforms, a year-on-year increase of 118.39% in 2023, with a cumulative amount of more than 57.4 million lawsuits and an effective complaint resolution rate of only 28.43%.
Xianyu complaints ranked first and had the highest resolution rate
According to consumer insurance data, among the brands involved in the lawsuit, the top three second-hand e-commerce platforms with complaints are "Xianyu", "Dewu" and "Zhuanzhuan". As the head brand of second-hand trading, Xianyu complaints accounted for 56.68%, ranking first in the industry, and Dewu and Zhuan Zhuan ranked second and third respectively, accounting for 20.07% and 8.84%.
In addition, Zhaoliangji, NICE, 95 points, Aihuihui, Paijitang, Hongbulin, etc. are also at the top of the complaint list.
In contrast, the timeliness of complaint handling on platforms such as Paijitang, Jingdong Paipai, and Xianyu needs to be further improved.
However, although Zhuan Zhuan has the highest complaint resolution rate, there are still problems with after-sales service. Mr. Wan complained on the consumer insurance platform that on May 12, he bought a second-hand computer of Chenjun Digital on the transfer platform, and found that the chassis could not be started after receiving the goods. The after-sales service only recommends checking the graphics card connection, but refuses the video call for further diagnosis.
After reviewing the store reviews, Mr. Wan found that many consumers had a similar experience, and it was difficult to return the computer after receiving it. In desperation, he sent the computer back, but the other party delayed the refund on the grounds that it needed to be tested after signing for the receipt, and even delayed the delivery time. After Mr. Wan complained to the consumer insurance platform, the customer service intervened to solve the problem and finally refunded him.
Refund disputes, lack of after-sales service and other problems are prominent
The hotspots related to second-hand e-commerce mainly involve "refund disputes", "lack of after-sales service" and "platform inaction", which accounted for 50.06% of the total complaints. Among them, after-sales service-related problems are mainly concentrated in the yin and yang test report, concealment of quality problems, and falsification of test reports.
In addition, complaints such as quality problems, false publicity, and mismatched versions of goods are also more prominent.
Ms. Chen's experience revealed the quality control problems existing in the Dewu platform. On April 29 this year, she bought a CHANEL "Azure" perfume on the Dewu platform for an amount of 773.43 yuan.
On May 1, after receiving the goods, Ms. Chen found that the box had a genuine seal on the outside, but after opening it, she found that it was a fake. Ms. Chan said that the bottle of the authentic Chanel Azure perfume was magnetic, but what she received was a buckled cap; The logo of the genuine product is very clear and transparent, and the bottle is clean, while the one she received is dirty; In addition, the authentic bottle will have the same number printed on the box as the one she received, and the perfume smells pungent and has a strong flavor of essence.
Ms. Chen applied for a refund after being identified as a fake product by the Dewu platform, but the platform's customer service informed her that the perfume was imported from customs and was genuine, and said that she could not return it if she opened the package seal. Ms. Chen questioned why the logistics could not be returned after unpacking when the logistics delivery place was in Ningbo and the goods were identified as fake. At present, Dewu Platform has negotiated the corresponding plan with Ms. Chen, and the two parties have reached an agreement.
Women and post-00s have become the main users of complaints
The highest proportion of low-value complaints
According to consumer insurance data, since 2023, 44.82% of users have complained about second-hand e-commerce platforms, and 55.18% have women; The post-00s accounted for 47.79%, the post-90s accounted for 36.98%, and the post-80s accounted for 11.99%; 3.24% were over 44 years old.
According to statistics, among the complaints related to second-hand e-commerce platforms, the number of complaints involving an amount of less than 500 yuan accounted for 46.19%, followed by complaints with an amount of more than 2,000 yuan, accounting for 21.71%.
According to regional data, in the second-hand e-commerce industry, Beijing ranks first in the number of user complaints, accounting for 5.17% of the total complaints; Guangzhou and Shanghai ranked second and third with 4.40% and 4.09% respectively.
In response to consumer complaints related to second-hand e-commerce platforms, experts from the Consumer Insurance Research Institute issued consumer tips:
For second-hand e-commerce platforms, they should ensure the quality of the second-hand goods sold, avoid selling fake and shoddy products, and provide detailed and accurate product information, including the model and performance of the goods; At the same time, a professional testing team will be set up to strictly implement relevant business specifications, and implement standardized and standardized second-hand commodity identification, evaluation and grading processes. For consumer complaints, the platform should actively respond to them, solve them in a timely manner, and avoid escalating complaints.
For consumers, read the product information carefully before purchasing, ensure that the purchased goods meet their needs, and keep the transaction vouchers during the transaction process, such as order numbers, chat records, payment vouchers, etc., so that they can be used as evidence in the event of disputes. In the face of the difficulty in distinguishing the authenticity of the test report issued by the second-hand platform, you can use the video recording of the delivery and unpacking process to serve as a strong proof of your own rights and interests protection if necessary. At the same time, you can complain to the platform or report to the relevant departments to protect your legitimate rights and interests.
文 | Ivone
Edit | Friday
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