Four out of 10 people with experience using Chinese online platforms such as Temu and AliExpress said they reduced purchases over safety concerns, a survey found.
Seoul City on the 7th released survey results on the impact of the announcement of safety inspection results for overseas direct-purchase products.
According to the Seoul City survey results that day, 45.3% of consumers with experience in overseas direct purchases said they "reduced purchases due to safety concerns." In contrast, 5.4% said they increased purchases.
The survey targeted 404 people who purchased on an overseas direct-purchase platform within the past year.
Seoul City said that the disclosure of safety inspection results for overseas direct-purchase products is having a tangible impact on consumers' purchase decisions. As public anxiety over the safety of overseas direct-purchase products grew, Seoul City established the "Measures to Secure Safety of Overseas Online Platform Services" in Apr. last year and has since conducted regular safety inspections.
Kim Myeong-seon, head of Seoul City's Fair Economy Division, said, "So-called 'C-commerce' platforms such as AliExpress, Temu, and Shein have seen a surge in domestic users thanks to aggressive marketing, but there are still many shortcomings in basic consumer protection, such as the accuracy of product information and handling of consumer complaints," and added, "We will strengthen safety inspections of overseas direct-purchase products and monitoring of online platforms, and create an e-commerce environment that consumers can use with confidence."
In addition, Seoul City presented survey results that consumer satisfaction with overseas platforms is lower than with domestic platforms. Combining evaluations of 10 platforms, domestic platforms all scored above 80 out of 100, while Temu and AliExpress fell short.