Taobao loosens “refund

Taobao said it would relax the half-year in operation “refund-only” policy that allows shoppers to get a refund without returning the product, citing as a reason “optimizing the business environment while ensuring consumer rights.” The policy, perceived as being preferential to customers over e-commerce platforms, was a lesson both Taobao and JD.com learned from the policy’s inventor Pinduoduo. Taobao merchants with good operating records will henceforth have more autonomy to deal with shoppers’ refund requests, according to Alibaba. Tmall, the Alibaba-owned retail platform that boasts the most brand merchants, announced it is set to erase its annual seller service fee beginning on Sept. 1, a fee that comes to between RMB 30,000 ($4134.7) and RMB 60,000 a year. [TechNode reporting]