(Yicai Global) July 20 -- In a fresh bid to protect consumers, Shanghai recently ordered e-commerce platforms to make public their business license information and rules relevant to consumers, including those on product returns and exchanges as well as refunds, the handling of complaints and reports, and dispute resolution.

The 51 platforms must also publicize information about administrative permits, approvals, results of inspections and tests as well as service agreements and trading rules related to their operations, The Paper reported today.

Shanghai’s market regulator sorted out the laws and regulations involved in the order, and formulated a list of information disclosure for platforms’ self-examination, the report said. The contents amount to four sections and 16 items.

The platforms include e-reseller Pinduoduo, lifestyle platform Xiaohongshu, online travel agency Trip.Com and online food delivery portal Ele.me.

Market supervision departments at all levels will carry out targeted monitoring work, suitably intervene in the investigation of detected problems, and urge the platforms to rectify the verified problems, the report noted.

Regulators will also strengthen inspections of platforms’ invalid licenses that are forged, altered, fraudulently used, expired, or not changed in time. They will also target unfair and unreasonable provisions forced on consumers in the form of contracts, notices, and declarations, and all kinds of promotional activities.

The platforms are urged to display their rules in a conspicuous manner, so as to effectively protect consumers’ rights to know and choose.

The city’s market watchdog will use this opportunity to eliminate information mismatch in the online market, promote fair and orderly market competition as well as protect the legitimate rights and interests of consumers to a greater extent, the report said.

Editor: Peter Thomas