Warning about 3 risks when shopping on cross-border platforms

ANTD.VN - The Ministry of Industry and Trade has warned consumers about the risks of shopping on cross-border platforms as more and more people are attracted to cheap products with diverse designs from here.

Be cautious when shopping on cross-border e-commerce platforms that are not registered to operate in Vietnam.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, cross-border e-commerce platforms that have not completed their registration and licensing obligations in Vietnam as prescribed will not be subject to supervision by authorities regarding product quality or after-sales service commitments.

Therefore, in case of unexpected problems with the transaction, consumers are at risk of facing some difficulties.

For example, when consumers discover that the product they receive is not as described, has errors, is damaged, or poses a risk to safety or health, it becomes difficult for them to request a return or warranty for the product.

Even when disputes arise, unregistered cross-border e-commerce platforms will not be subject to domestic legal liability. Without a legal representative in Vietnam as prescribed, consumers will have difficulty contacting for feedback, leading to the resolution of complaints becoming a complicated and lengthy issue.

In addition, consumers also face high risks when purchasing counterfeit, fake or unknown origin goods when ordering on unregistered cross-border e-commerce platforms. These items may not meet safety standards, be harmful to consumers or be prohibited goods in the Vietnamese market.

Especially for products related to health and safety such as functional foods, cosmetics, children's toys and electronic devices, the use of poor quality products can have serious consequences.

In these cases, because the authorities cannot supervise the responsibilities of enterprises in ensuring product quality and ensuring the accuracy of providing product information, consumers will not receive support according to the law from the authorities.

Notably, the Ministry of Industry and Trade also warned about potential risks regarding information security and personal data of consumers when purchasing on unregistered cross-border e-commerce platforms.

Because when purchasing from here, consumers often have to provide international payment information such as credit cards or e-wallet information. This data, if not managed and protected according to Vietnamese law, is at risk of being stolen or illegally exploited, leading to major risks regarding personal information security.

Currently, most unregistered cross-border e-commerce platforms do not have commitments on consumer information security according to Vietnamese regulations, do not have a process for handling incidents in case of problems, and of course do not have responsibilities or legal obligations according to Vietnamese regulations.

Therefore, the risk of leakage of information and personal data of consumers during transactions on unregistered platforms is very high, potentially causing great losses and long-term effects on consumers.

In addition, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, consumers also need to be careful about legal risks when shopping on unregistered cross-border e-commerce platforms. Goods purchased from cross-border e-commerce platforms do not foresee tax obligations for imported goods, leading to problems related to tax obligations and legal issues when products are imported into Vietnam.

This can cause consumers to get into trouble when products are held at the border or incur additional costs due to taxes that were not anticipated or not as originally announced.

Therefore, the Ministry of Industry and Trade recommends that consumers be cautious when conducting transactions on e-commerce platforms, especially absolutely do not conduct transactions with unregistered cross-border e-commerce platforms to ensure their legitimate rights and interests.

Consumers can look up the list of registered e-commerce platforms on the e-commerce management portal at online.gov.vn or contact the Ministry of Industry and Trade's consumer support and consultation hotline at 1800.6838 for more information.

Source: https://www.anninhthudo.vn/canh-bao-3-rui-ro-khi-mua-sam-tren-nen-tang-xuyen-bien-gioi-post594255.antd