Add one yuan for the option "sign for confirmation" when sending the item?

SF Express’s overcharge is questioned

The company's response: a common practice in the express delivery industry

  Recently, the Zhejiang Provincial Consumer Protection Committee issued a document saying that some consumers reported that when they used the "SF Express+" WeChat official account to send express delivery, they found that SF Express had provided a fee-based value-added service named "Receipt Confirmation". After purchasing this value-added service, the recipient needs to sign for the courier with the receipt code sent by SF Express or the 6 digits after the ID card. Consumers believe that SF Express’s act of providing this value-added service infringes their legitimate rights and interests.

  In response, SF Express said that this value-added service is a common practice in the express delivery industry. Whether users choose this service has no impact on the normal delivery of express mail.

  A reporter from Beijing Youth Daily experienced the "SF Express+" WeChat applet and found that after filling in the shipping address and placing the order, the "Order Successfully" page will pop up.

On this page, there are two additional options, "Receipt Confirmation" and "Privacy Protection". The "Receipt Confirmation" with the word "Recommended" is charged at 1 yuan.

A recipient of SF Express said that if the above options are checked, the additional costs incurred will be charged when the courier picks up the package.

  So does SF Express’s charging business infringe on consumer rights?

The "Signature Confirmation" service is introduced in the "Value-added Service" section of SF's official website as follows: "'Signature Confirmation' refers to a value-added service that needs to confirm the recipient's customer information or require the recipient's customer to sign in person when signing for an express shipment. In the event of a dispute between the recipient and the sender, provide customers with a receipt certificate."

  For domestic mainland mutual mailing, SF Express will push the receiving customer's 6-digit receipt code through WeChat or mobile phone text messages. The receiving customer must present the receipt code to verify identity information during the delivery process.

  The Zhejiang Provincial Consumer Protection Committee believes that the value-added service of “signature confirmation” launched by SF Express is actually a legal obligation of express delivery companies.

SF Express arbitrarily split the "receipt confirmation" from the due statutory service content, suspected of infringing upon the legitimate rights and interests of consumers by setting up a name for charges; SF Express launching this value-added service can easily make consumers mistakenly think that if you don't check it For this service item, SF Express may not provide the "receipt confirmation" service, which is suspected of misleading consumers.

  The relevant person in charge of the Zhejiang Provincial Consumer Insurance Commission made it clear that all delivery companies should provide and optimize services in strict accordance with the relevant provisions of national laws and regulations to effectively improve consumer satisfaction.

  In response, SF Express responded to the Beijing Youth Daily reporter that this value-added service first originated from the special needs of jewelry, 3C electronics, and luxury customers. In addition to the regular delivery and receipt, such customers also hope that when express delivery, SF Express is able to provide value-added services for verifying the 6-digit password information or the last 6 digits of the recipient’s ID number to ensure that the express is signed by the recipient designated by the sender’s customer, and to avoid transaction disputes after misdelivery or proper delivery of the express.

For example, in express mail sent by luxury customers, it is often encountered that the receiving customer indicates to the courier that he is on a business trip and entrusts colleagues of the unit to receive the parcel or request it to be placed at the front desk.

When an accident occurs, the receiving client may not be able to accurately recall the entrusted process or whether it has been entrusted, and the password signed by the password must be forwarded by the receiving client to the principal before delivery, which can effectively avoid such dispute scenarios.

  SF Express further explained that this value-added service is also a common practice in the express delivery industry.

  Text/Reporter Zhang Xin Co-ordinated/Yu Meiying