Buying online getting safer in China

(2010 Taobao Agent)

A new declaration aims to improve the safety of Chinese consumers buying goods online, but it will also prove popular amongst foreigners taking advantage of Chinese internet shopping sites.

On September 23 more than 1000 suppliers, publishers and internet retailers in China, including Microsoft, announced the joint publication of the 'Internet Retailing Honesty Declaration' in China.

The declaration is intended to provide greater security and assurances to participants' customers, and calls for better after-service support, honest product description and the security of internet shoppers' details.

Internet shopping in China is becoming increasingly popular, especially amongst the younger urban generation.

Recent studies found that the majority of Chinese internet users preferred buying goods, particularly luxury goods, online rather than in a store. Most of the respondents questioned by internet site alibaba.com claimed that more favorable online prices were the main reasons behind doing so.

The Chinese internet boom has sparked many successful online retail sites such as taobao.com and Chinese amazon.com subsidiary joyo.com. The success of these websites has led to them becoming available to foreigners who do not speak Chinese - sites such as taobaotrends.com and buyfromtaobao.com offer buying services to non-Chinese speakers keen to take advantage of the sites' lower prices and sometimes unique goods.

www.taobao.com

www.amazon.cn / www.joyo.com

www.taobaotrends.com

www.buyfromtaobao.com