DetailsChina has passed its E-commerce Law on September 1, 2018 and this law will come into effect on January 1, 2019. Since the end of 2013, the draft of the E-commerce Law has experienced 5 years of discussion. It provides many rules on e-commerce contracts, express deliveries, payment online, business qualification, taxes, intellectual properties, legal responsibilities, cross-border e-commerce and so on.
Regulating business operations and safeguarding consumers’ rights are the main principles throughout the entire law. The responsibilities and obligations that e-commerce platforms and the e-commerce platform operators need to undertake are all embodied. The purposes of the law are to protect consumers’ rights and promote the healthy development of the e-commerce industry and to balance the interests of e-commerce platforms, online retailers and consumers. It will also regulate the business of purchasing agents or independent overseas shopping agent, which literally means buying on behalf of someone else in China. After E-commerce Law enters into force, Daigou(which means buying on other’s behalf) will be under strict controls.
China's Daigou business via Internet has been booming for some certain time. Daigou is perhaps an ideal choice for people who cannot often go abroad but still want to purchase imported products at reasonable prices, so that import duties can always be avoided. Customers, of course, need to get used to the fact that buying duty-free products over Daigou will be the history. Meanwhile, the new regulation does not mean that overseas goods can't be purchased at all. It also means fake products, which have been common on Daigou market, will be under rigorous controls. If your rights as a consumer have been infringed, you can always ask a lawyer for help.