Shein risks fines over breaches of EU consumer law
The European Commission has warned Shein to fix deceptive sales tactics, false eco-claims, and consumer rights violations.
Shein risks potential fines after the EU warned the e-commerce platform Monday over a series of practices that infringe the bloc's consumer laws, from fake discount deals to misleading product information.
The Chinese-founded platform has a month to reply and offer commitments on addressing the issues found during a probe launched in February by the European Commission with national consumer authorities in Belgium, France, Ireland and The Netherlands.
Shein's alleged tactics
Consumers using Shein faced a range of tactics including 'false purchase deadlines' to put them under pressure to buy quickly from the platform, the commission said.
It also said there was 'missing, incorrect and misleading information' about consumers' legal rights to return goods and receive refunds, and deceptive labels that suggested a product offered something special that was already required by law.
ALSO READ: Is your Shein order late? This might be why
The EU also accused Shein of providing false information about the sustainability benefits of its products.
EU laws 'not optional'
'EU consumer protection laws are not optional — they must be applied in all cases,' said the EU's top consumer protection official, Michael McGrath.
'It's now for Shein to step up, respect the rules and bring its practices fully in line with EU consumer standards,' he added.
Shein did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment.
The EU last week said it was preparing to impose a two-euro ($2.30) flat fee on the billions of low-value packages that flood into the bloc each year, which would affect popular platforms like Temu and Shein.
NOW READ: Shein feels pressure due to increase in import tax
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