Existing Tmall sellers that paid the service fee in advance will receive a refund, while new merchants joining the platform after September will be exempt.
In a separate announcement, Taobao said that its refund-only policy will be optimised to provide merchants with good track record on the marketplace more autonomy in handling refund requests from customers.
For merchants with an experience rating of 4.8 and above, Taobao said it will not intervene proactively to support consumers’ requests for refunds. Instead, it will encourage the buyer and seller to negotiate, according to the TTG statement. For stores with lower ratings, Taobao said it will give them autonomy in varying degrees.
While that policy has safeguarded consumer rights, it has also been exploited by some freebie seekers who have “harmed the legitimate rights of businesses”, TGG said.
Taobao’s latest move aims “to create a more positive and healthy e-commerce ecosystem by ensuring consumer rights and improving business environment at the same time”, TTG said.
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