Controlling e-commerce activities is still difficult.

The authorities drew up a record of administrative fines against Mr. NXQ for not notifying the e-commerce website selling goods. *Photo: Contributor*

Besides the positive aspects, currently doing business on e-commerce platforms still has many challenges. Risks related to the trade of counterfeit goods and commercial fraud are still complicated. In fact, online shopping poses risks to consumers because many organizations, individuals, and online sellers advertise incorrectly about the quality, design, and uses of goods. Some cases of selling counterfeit goods, poor quality goods, taking advantage of customers' trust and lack of experience to sell goods.

To ensure the rights of consumers, in recent times, the Provincial Market Management Department has strengthened propaganda activities for consumers to make purchases on e-commerce websites and reputable e-commerce trading floors to protect legitimate rights and promote the development of e-commerce in a positive direction. In the first 6 months of the year, the provincial market management force has directly propagated to more than 400 organizations and individuals about business and trade related to e-commerce. At the same time, the Provincial Market Management Department has directed its affiliated units to coordinate with functional forces to strengthen market inspection and control of organizations and individuals operating e-commerce or applying digital technology for business. Strengthening the management of the area, grasping the situation of organizations and individuals trading in essential consumer goods, fashion, apparel, electrical appliances... using e-commerce platforms, social networking sites such as Facebook, Zalo to promote, introduce, and sell products. In order to promptly detect and handle acts of smuggling, counterfeit goods, prohibited goods, goods of unknown origin, origin, and infringement of intellectual property rights.

Typically, in mid-2022, after receiving information from the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy (Ministry of Industry and Trade) that the e-commerce website tadinhquystore.vn in the province had not yet carried out the notification procedure as prescribed, Market Management Team No. 1 (Provincial Market Management Department) coordinated with functional forces to organize a surprise inspection of the compliance with the law in the field of e-commerce for the business household NXQ in Dien Bien Phu City. Through the inspection, Mr. NXQ, the business household owner and user of the website tadinhquystore.vn, committed an administrative violation of "not notifying the e-commerce website or sales application" to the competent State management agency as prescribed before selling goods or providing services to consumers. The inspection team drew up a record of administrative violations against Mr. NXQ with the amount of 10 million VND.

In recent times, the number of cases detected and handled in the province is still low, while acts of taking advantage of e-commerce activities to violate the law are increasingly complicated. The situation of trading and selling prohibited goods, counterfeit goods, goods violating intellectual property rights, goods of unknown origin, poor quality goods publicly on websites, especially on social networks... affects the business environment and consumer confidence. However, the inspection and handling of violations of commercial fraud in the electronic environment and social networks is facing many difficulties, posing many challenges for inspection, examination and control work. Organizing an inspection and determining the location, location and violators is not easy. Subjects can easily forge, erase, repair, change traces, evidence... On the other hand, subjects trading in infringing goods are often small-scale, so it is very difficult to detect, inspect and handle.

To ensure consumer rights in the online environment, in the coming time, Dien Bien province will strictly implement Decision No. 319/2023/QD-TTg dated March 29, 2023 of the Prime Minister approving the Project on anti-counterfeiting and consumer protection in e-commerce until 2025. Thereby creating a strong change in awareness of all levels, sectors, people and businesses to voluntarily and well comply with the Party's policies and the State's laws in the fight against counterfeiting and consumer protection in e-commerce activities, creating trust in online transactions and purchases.

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