When shopping online, follow platform rules and laws — not influencers or “positive reviews”

29. When shopping online, follow platform rules and laws — not influencers or “positive reviews”

Cost: There’s no cost involved. Just take a moment before ordering to read the return policy and deposit rules. After receiving your purchase, keep screenshots of the order, the livestream replay, and any chat records. The real challenge is resisting the persuasive atmosphere created by influencers.

In plain terms: If a seller cheats you, they must pay three times the amount you paid — with a minimum compensation of 500 yuan. Platforms that know sellers are breaking the law but do nothing must share in the liability. The maximum deposit allowed is 20% of the contract value; if you break the contract, that deposit is forfeited, but if the seller does, they must return double the amount. Organizing fake orders or fake positive reviews in livestreams is illegal, and algorithmic price discrimination based on personal data is strictly prohibited.

Benefit: Sellers found guilty of fraud must pay three times the purchase price, with a minimum payout of 500 yuan. Platforms aware — or reasonably expected to know — that sellers are violating laws must also bear joint liability, so you can seek compensation directly from them. Livestream hosts and platforms may not fabricate transaction volumes, follower counts, views, or likes, nor spread false information; doing so incurs civil liability. Those caught orchestrating fake transactions or reviews face fines up to 1 million yuan; repeat offenders may be fined between 1 million and 2 million yuan and even lose their business license. Deposits must stay under 20% of the contract total; if you breach the contract, that deposit is lost, but if the seller does, they must return double it. Using personal data for automated pricing decisions that result in unfair price differences — commonly known as “algorithmic price discrimination” — is illegal nationwide.

Evidence grade: A

Sources: Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (2013 amendment). Consumer Rights Protection Law (Articles 44, 55). <https://www.samr.gov.cn/zfjcj/tzgg/art/2023/art_615af9ed6bcd4974bf853dd2e02bc663.html> (Reprinted by State Administration for Market Regulation of China); Cyberspace Administration of China and seven other departments (2021). Measures for the Management of Online Live Marketing (Trial) (Articles 18, 28). <https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/2021-04/23/content_5601682.htm>; National People’s Congress Standing Committee (2025 revision). Anti-Unfair Competition Law (Articles 9, 25). <https://www.ssf.gov.cn/portal/rootfiles/2025/09/01/1758444945285569-1758444945303119.pdf> (Reprinted by the National Council for Social Security Fund); National People’s Congress (2020). Civil Code (Articles 586, 587). <https://www.court.gov.cn/zixun/xiangqing/233181.html>; National People's Congress Standing Committee (2021). Personal Information Protection Law (Article 24). <https://www.stats.gov.cn/gk/tjfg/xgfxfg/202503/t20250310_1958923.html> (National Bureau of Statistics of Reprinted by China); Shandong Provincial Market Supervision Bureau (2025). Six typical cases of unfair competition on the Internet. <https://www.samr.gov.cn/jjj/fbzdjz/art/2025/art_cbaed1c006584baeb6823a6b01325ba4.html>

Notes: There are no official comparative statistics available on which platforms offer the best value or minimize the risk of buying low-quality goods, so this book does not rank any platforms. The only publicly available data consists of general inspection results (see Section 32 regarding national inspection reports). Following the 2025 revision of China’s Anti-Unfair Competition Law, provisions on false advertising moved from Article 8 to Article 9, while related penalties shifted from Article 20 to Article 25; the new law took effect on October 15, 2025, so be sure to use the updated article numbers. In one case in Shandong, a company organized 75 fake transactions involving over 680,000 yuan; although the exact fine amount was not disclosed, the company was penalized. For information on seven-day unconditional returns, see Section 23 in this chapter (“Making the seven-day return policy work for you”).