Chinese e-commerce platforms' buyer-friendly policies hurt sellers

Chinese e-commerce platforms' buyer-friendly policies hurt sellers

FILE PHOTO: Shopping trolley is seen in front of Alibaba logo in this illustration, July 24, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

As consumer demand plumbs the depths of a post-pandemic slump in China, the country’s e-commerce platforms are bending over backwards for customers. But what’s good for buyers has turned into a nightmare for sellers, as two major consumer-friendly policies have given rise to a swathe of scams that they are mostly powerless to combat.