Taobao.com Launches E-commerce Rights Protection Platform

Chinese online auction website Taobao.com has launched an e-commerce rights protection platform with the approach of March 15, World Consumer Rights Day.

Consumers can click to access the platform which is set in a prominent position of Taobao’s homepage to make complaints or inquiries about the processing of the complaints when they purchase goods via Taobao.

Chen Qingtan, a senior director from Taobao’s Consumer Right Protection Department, said that Taobao will ask online sellers to make a response to consumers’ complaints within 48 hours and Taobao will intervene if the sellers fail to do so. Taobao, a service of e-commerce company Alibaba, also promises to solve any consumer complaints within seven days. Meanwhile, it will arrange a special section on its website to expose sellers with bad credit histories.

In addition to launching the platform, Taobao has signed a manifesto with more than 20 sellers from Hangzhou on cracking down on online fake goods.

In 2009, Taobao reportedly participated in 8210 anti-fake product activities, identified 3,379,839 pieces of fake goods and issued punishment to more than 14,000 sellers of fake goods.