Gone is that "age of innocence" when prices were simply reduced?

Source: China Economic Network

News Background:

Every year in the "Double 11" e-commerce shopping festival, the major platforms always play the attractive "special promotion", "million subsidies", "full discount", "limited time seconds" and other slogans, and the large discounts attract the attention of consumers. However, there are also many routines behind the offer. Combined with the "Double 11" consumer complaints in recent years, the China Consumer Association recently released the "Double 11" six major consumer tips, while urging all kinds of e-commerce operators to be more sincere and less routine, so that consumers can truly enjoy the benefits.

Creative photo by Xu Zijie, China Economic Network

Promotional promotions are likely to be just marketing slogans and cannot be taken too seriously

"Double 11" is an online shopping "promotion festival" that merchants have been creating for many years, and various promotional words of "pre-sale low price", "limited time rush" and "explosive spike" give consumers the psychological expectation of "buying is earning". But it turns out that the promotion is likely to be just a marketing slogan and can't be taken too seriously. In this regard, the China Consumer Association reminds consumers not to superstitiously believe in the so-called "price advantage", it is best to understand the price trend in advance before purchasing, so that it is a long-term tracking of the goods, otherwise do not simply believe in low-price publicity and blindly follow the trend of orders.

The promotional publicity of "preferential treatment is gradually charming" has created a psychological expectation for many consumers that "to buy is to earn, not to buy is to lose". I have to say that as the consumer's "mother's family", this wave of tips from the China Consumer Association is very timely, comprehensive and targeted: every year, "Double 11" will be shrouded in publicity fog such as "giant discount sale", "million subsidies" and "limited time rush". This year is no exception, the deposit is reduced, can be fully reduced, can draw red envelopes and other ways out, so that many consumers suddenly feel that mathematical knowledge is not enough.

The pit guest was cool for a while, and afterwards it may be two lines of tears

"Lip service says to be preferential, but the body does not play the routine dishonestly", such a pit-digging move that infringes on the rights and interests of consumers is naturally a short-sighted move to overdraft the credibility of merchants. Some of these deceptive and fraudulent propaganda, such as "first rise and then fall", have been suspected of violating the Consumer Rights protection law and the price law. The pit guest was cool for a while, and afterwards it may be two lines of tears. In view of this, it is more necessary to prompt consumers in advance than to inform the pit merchants by name afterwards. The "Double 11" pit avoidance guide issued by the China Consumer Association is not only for consumers, but also not for e-commerce merchants, which can be used as a mirror for e-commerce promotion.

In order to participate in the "Double 11", consumers must not only understand the rules of full reduction, full gift, red envelope and gift certificate that are more complicated than the Olympic number, but also have to train themselves into Sherlock Holmes and see through the routines. This is not the responsibility that consumers should bear, nor is it a good environment for assured consumption. "Double 11" is the most expensive in the whole year, who do consumers look for? First of all, platform operators should bear the main responsibility. In accordance with the Interim Provisions on Regulating Promotional Conduct, where the platform discovers that a merchant has committed illegal acts in a unifiedly organized promotion, it shall take necessary disposal measures in accordance with law, save relevant information records, bear corresponding obligations and responsibilities in accordance with law, and assist the market supervision and management department in investigating and handling illegal acts. This compacts the main responsibility of the platform to supervise the merchant in terms of laws and regulations.

Also consumers' peaceful and orderly "double 11"

In practice, the platform, as the initiator, rule-maker and actual beneficiary of promotional activities, not only has a strong binding force on merchants, but also should use technical means to monitor prices, warn or even suspend listing of goods that are higher than the daily selling price, and must not be thrown to consumers, so that consumers bear their own risks. On another e-commerce platform, some products are automatically monitored by the system and given a "197-day lowest price" prompt. Price monitoring provided by such platforms should become a standard service during the promotion period to protect consumers' right to know.

The business growth of the platform is inseparable from consumers, and the good-looking performance of "Double 11" is also supported by consumers' orders. Therefore, in the process of rapid development of the platform, we must not only consider the data to look good, but also need to stop appropriately, face our own problems and the new changes in the quality and upgrading of consumer demands with confidence, reduce the promotion routine and unreasonable rules that waste consumers' time, optimize and enhance the humanized design of consumer experience and quality perception, and continue to create value for consumers. Consumers should also consume with a more rational and prudent attitude, "in" according to demand, and "out" in and out.

(The above comprehensive economic daily, workers daily, Shenzhen special zone newspaper)

In a nutshell:

@Munin-LYN: I want to consume rationally.

@Dandelion Star: Protect your wallet and bag, don't want to shop for the time being.

@ Water Water Love Sports: No, don't join in the fun!

@ Northern Girl Oh: "Double 11" various coupons, I really don't understand.

@Midnight Evening Wind Drifting: The danger is a heart that can't resist temptation.

China Economic Network Editor's Afterword:

"You have Zhang Liangji, I have a wall ladder." Consumers and merchants wrestle with each other, although it is a lot of fun. But after all, "what is bought is not sold", and the last to suffer losses is often the consumer. In the long run, tired and not loved. Everyone's time is precious, and it is too difficult for consumers to buy something that actually buys the feeling of the Olympic number competition. Time has passed and never returned, and the "innocent era" of simple price reduction and simply discount is really gone?