As use of China e-commerce (C-commerce) platforms such as AliExpress and Temu has grown, consumer complaints have also increased over delivery delays, return restrictions, and steering refunds toward credits (points).
Korea Consumer Agency (KCA) said on the 16th that, after examining the terms and conditions and labeling and advertising practices of four China e-commerce platforms—AliExpress, Temu, Shein, and Taobao—it found clauses on some platforms that restrict consumer rights and advertising examples that could cause misunderstanding.
Over the past three years (2023–2025), there were a total of 5,341 related consultations filed with the 1372 Consumer Counseling Center and the International Transaction Consumer Portal. By year, the number rose sharply each year from 497 in 2023 to 1,351 in 2024 and 3,493 in 2025.
Consumer complaints centered on delivery issues. By type, nonperformance of contract—including delivery delays, wrong deliveries, and failure to refund return shipping costs and tariff—was the most common at 2,120 cases (39.7%). It was followed by refusals to accept order cancellations at 1,378 cases (25.8%), and quality complaints such as product defects and sales of counterfeits at 840 cases (15.7%).
A review of terms and conditions by the agency found that some platforms operated clauses that restricted returns and exchange on the grounds of discounts or promotions, or refused to refund shipping costs even when product defects occurred.
Another platform had terms that reduced business liability, such as canceling orders without consumer consent or limiting the scope of damages, even when operator errors such as price mislisting occurred.
There were also instances found of steering consumers toward receiving platform-specific credits during the refund process. Of all consultations, 2.9% (157 cases) said they were refunded in credits instead of the original payment method, and one platform was found to have guided that credit refunds were faster even though refunds to the original payment method were possible.
Cases needing improvement were also identified in labeling and advertising. Some platforms appeared to advertise in ways that could mislead consumers, such as prominently featuring prices of a very small number of low-priced items or repeatedly displaying a countdown as if a discount were about to end.
However, after the agency's recommendation for improvements, Shein revised some terms related to return restrictions and order cancellations, and Temu removed wording that emphasized credit refunds. AliExpress also revised its price advertising language and countdown displays.
The agency asked China e-commerce platform operators to improve terms that could infringe on consumer rights—such as restrictions on order cancellations and business immunity—and to correct labeling and advertising that could mislead consumers.