(Yicai Global) Dec. 24 -- The consumer council of China’s eastern Zhejiang province found live sales hosts who fell short of requirements and products that did not meet national standards after a review of the country’s top live-streaming platforms and influencers.

The Zhejiang Consumer Council examined products from Taobao, Pinduoduo, JD.Com, Kuaishou, and Douyin sponsored by 17 live-stream hosts including top influencers Li Jiaqi, Viya, and Cherie during the Double 11 e-commerce sales promotion from Oct. 20 to Nov. 11, it said in a statement posted on its website yesterday.

Five of the 17 anchors, or almost 30 percent, did not meet requirements, while 36.3 percent of the goods promoted did not comply with national standards, the council said. It asked the platforms and the e-commerce streamers to submit rectification reports within three working days.

The council’s findings come just days after Viya, China’s ‘live-streaming queen,’ was fined a record CNY1.34 billion (USD210 million) for tax evasion and the tax authorities in Beijing, Shanghai, and the provinces of Zhejiang, Guangdong, and Jiangsu, gave celebrities and influencers till the end of the year to pay any outstanding taxes and submit corrected tax filings, or face a serious reckoning.

Of the 80 batches of products examined by a third party on behalf of the Zhejiang Consumer Council, including garments, fresh foods, toys, and electronics, 29 fell short in terms of quality, logo, and label tests, the council said, adding that nearly 30 percent of the hosts promoted goods with mismatched labels and quality issues.

All of the five platforms have taken steps to have the offending goods pulled from sale. Taobao also said it had punished the vendors and hosts, while Pinduoduo suspended the live broadcast rooms involved for seven days and warned them to operate legally. Kuaishou said it told the hosts to study the rules and prepare for a test.

Editor: Futura Costaglione, Xiao Yi