The Ministry of Industry and Trade recommends that consumers absolutely do not shop on unregistered cross-border e-commerce platforms to protect their own rights and interests.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade said that many Vietnamese consumers are currently attracted to products on cross-border e-commerce platforms thanks to low prices and variety of designs. However, shopping on unregistered platforms that are not managed by state agencies can lead to risks.
Risk of buying fake goods
The Ministry of Industry and Trade said that 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 competent authorities regarding product quality or after-sales service commitments. Therefore, in case of unexpected problems arising during transactions, consumers are at risk of facing some difficulties.
For example, when consumers discover that the product they receive is not as described, is defective, damaged, or poses a risk to their safety or health, it will be difficult for them to request a refund or warranty. Even when disputes arise, unregistered cross-border e-commerce platforms will not be subject to domestic legal liability.
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| The Temu e-commerce platform has caused a stir recently. (Photo: baochinhphu.vn) |
Due to the lack of a legal representative in Vietnam as prescribed, consumers will have many difficulties in contacting and reporting, leading to the settlement of complaints becoming a complicated and prolonged problem.
In addition, consumers also face high risks of 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.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade said that 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.
Risk of personal data theft
When making purchases on unregistered cross-border e-commerce platforms, consumers are often required to provide international payment information such as credit card or e-wallet information.
These data, if not managed and protected in accordance with Vietnamese law, are at risk of being stolen or illegally exploited, leading to major risks to personal information security.
In particular, 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.
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| Consumers need to be cautious when transacting on e-commerce platforms that have not been registered by the Ministry of Industry and Trade. |
Tax liability problems with imported goods
In particular, the Ministry of Industry and Trade believes that 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 on 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 up at the border or incur additional costs due to duties that were not anticipated or not as originally announced.
Based on the recognition and assessment of the above risks, the Ministry of Industry and Trade recommends that consumers be cautious when conducting transactions on e-commerce platforms, especially absolutely not conducting 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 Consulting and Support Center at 1800.6838 for more information.
Previously, public opinion was stirred up when the Chinese e-commerce platform Temu had not registered with the Ministry of Industry and Trade but had a Vietnamese version of its website and app, attracting Vietnamese consumers with its diverse products and super cheap prices. According to information from the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy (Ministry of Industry and Trade), on October 24, 2024, Temu sent an official document to the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy regarding the implementation of requirements to comply with Vietnamese e-commerce laws when entering the market. Immediately afterwards, on October 26, 2024, Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien signed Official Dispatch 8598/BCT-TMĐT to units under the Ministry on strengthening state management of e-commerce. In particular, by October 2024, the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy must proactively contact Temu's legal team to request compliance with current Vietnamese laws, and if necessary, coordinate with the Ministry of Information and Communications to have appropriate technical solutions to prevent. |
Source: https://congthuong.vn/bo-cong-thuong-tuyet-doi-khong-giao-dich-voi-cac-san-thuong-mai-dien-tu-chua-dang-ky-356196.html
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