China News Service, Tianjin, February 4 (Zhou Yaqiang) As e-commerce platforms have successively revised their after-sales service rules, making "refund only" a "standard configuration", consumers can enjoy a smoother refund mechanism. But can "refund only" be optional? The reporter learned from the Tianjin Jizhou District People's Court that recently, the court concluded a dispute over an information network sales contract. News about the case, "A toy of 17.9 yuan was refunded and a toy was ordered to be compensated 200 yuan if it was not returned," became a hot topic on social platforms.
It is understood that in this case, Zhao purchased children’s toys worth 17.9 yuan from a platform merchant operated by a trading company. After receiving the goods, Zhao applied for after-sales service on the grounds that "the toy was shipped in the wrong color" and chose the "refund only" option. Due to the large number of messages, the merchant did not process it within 48 hours. According to the refund mechanism of a certain platform, Zhao successfully refunded the message. After the merchant discovered this situation, he contacted Zhao many times and asked him to return the toys, but Zhao ignored him. A merchant believed that Zhao maliciously applied for a refund by exploiting a loophole in the platform but failed to return the goods after receiving the goods, which infringed on the legitimate rights and interests of the merchant. Therefore, he asked Zhao to refund the purchase price of 17.9 yuan and bear the 2,000 yuan in various rights protection costs.
Zhao said that because of his older age, he failed to check the information in time, resulting in the failure to return the goods in time, which was not subjective and intentional. The judge explained the relevant legal provisions and possible legal consequences to Zhao, and Zhao realized that the goods he purchased did not fall into the "refund only" category. After mediation, the two parties reached an agreement, and Zhao agreed to compensate a merchant 200 yuan for various expenses and perform the payment on the spot.
"'Refund only' means that if a consumer buys 'seriously inferior or incorrect goods' on the platform, or encounters situations where the seller delays or forces delivery without the buyer's permission, the platform will After a comprehensive evaluation of multiple indicators, consumers will be supported to quickly return goods for refunds or only refunds without returning goods." The judge told reporters that once a post-sales dispute occurs, "refund only" gives consumers the opportunity to save the need to wait for merchants to agree to return goods. , sending back the goods, the merchant confirming that the goods are correct and refunding, etc., solve the problem in one step, but it is undeniable that there is a possibility that the merchant will be "snatched".
The judge reminded that a good transaction order not only requires businesses to operate with integrity and provide consumers with better quality goods and services, but also requires consumers to conduct transactions in good faith and unify their rights and obligations. If a merchant encounters an unreasonable "refund only" application, he or she can appeal to the platform through normal channels, or protect his or her legitimate rights and interests through legal means. (over)