【Ground Commentary】Caiyun Online Review: Don't Let "Counterfeit Goods" Deplete E-commerce Trust

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Low prices should not come at the expense of quality, and promotions should not contradict the actual products. Otherwise, the damage will not only hurt consumers’ rights but also undermine the ecological foundation of the entire e-commerce industry.

Xiaohongshu screenshot

Caiyun Web Commentary Special Contributor: Su Xi

In-store try-ons and online orders have become a popular shopping method for many. However, behind this seemingly convenient shopping model, there is a hidden chaos of “AB” goods—same style, different quality—between online and offline products.

Recently, the Economic Reference Daily reported that some consumers complained that their down jackets advertised as containing 90% down shrank in size, and appliances with identical appearances secretly had reduced features. Live streams showcase high-quality fabrics, but the products received are rough and inferior. Journalists randomly checked multiple e-commerce platforms; customer service uniformly claimed “same style, same quality online and offline.” However, complaints about discrepancies between online and offline products are widespread on platforms like Black Cat Complaint [Download Black Cat Complaint App] and Xiaohongshu, especially in clothing, daily chemical products, and small appliances.

Undeniably, online shopping has its advantages. As e-commerce competition intensifies, combined with various coupons and discounts, online prices tend to be lower; meanwhile, online stores offer more options in specifications and sizes, and delivery and returns are more convenient. However, to meet consumers’ expectations that “online is cheaper,” some brands and merchants abandon their quality bottom line, turning channel differences into quality differences, using “same style, same quality” as bait while actually mixing styles and cutting corners. This not only infringes on consumers’ right to information and fair trade but also erodes the trust foundation of the e-commerce industry.

The chaos of “AB” goods in e-commerce stems from price competition and a lack of merchant integrity, while regulatory ambiguity and difficulties in rights protection provide space for these practices to spread. Existing laws are mostly principle-based and lack clear definitions and standards for “AB” goods, allowing merchants to obscure promotions, omit key differences like “e-commerce exclusive” or “online version,” hide parameters in small print, and confuse consumers with similar images. Consumers face difficulties in evidence collection when defending their rights—such as difficulty identifying similar appearances, fixing differences in details, and high testing costs exceeding product value—leading most to accept their misfortune and further enabling violations. Although platforms have review obligations, they often fail to effectively handle complaints against problematic merchants, failing to build a strong first line of defense.

“AB” goods may seem like a clever trick by merchants, but in reality, they are a major leak that erodes industry trust and consumer confidence. It is time for a thorough cleanup. First, regulatory authorities should accelerate the refinement of rules, requiring merchants to fully disclose product numbers, materials, configurations, and production batches, banning vague descriptions and hidden reductions, and establishing unified standards for product information disclosure and quality traceability. Enforcement should be strengthened through cross-platform joint sanctions to increase penalties for violations. Second, e-commerce platforms must take primary responsibility by closely monitoring stores with high complaint and negative review rates, publicly sharing merchant credit and quality inspection results, streamlining complaint channels, and proactively providing transaction records and merchant information as evidence for rights protection, lowering barriers for consumers. Additionally, merchants should return to honest business practices, abandon short-term speculative thinking, unify quality control for online and offline products, clearly distinguish between channel-specific styles and label them transparently, and earn market recognition through transparent operations.

The chaos of “AB” goods in e-commerce is a market issue in the development of the digital economy. It must be understood that low prices should not come at the expense of quality, and promotions should not contradict the actual products. Otherwise, the damage will not only harm consumers’ rights but also undermine the ecological foundation of the entire e-commerce industry. Therefore, strict regulation to set clear bottom lines, platform responsibility to safeguard the gate, and merchant integrity to build a solid foundation are essential. Only then can “same style, same quality” truly return to its essence and be implemented effectively, allowing consumers to shop with confidence and peace of mind.

All articles published by Caiyun Web Commentary represent only the personal opinions of the authors and are not related to the stance of this website. Follow Caiyun Web Commentary and submit articles to ync ywp＠163.com. Compensation is prioritized.

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