Cctv newsAccording to the website of China Consumers Association, blind box marketing is favored by consumers because of the surprise, interest and temptation brought by high uncertainty. Under the consumption trend of "everything can be blind box", the blind box economy has also appeared such situations as selling expired goods, using blind boxes to induce consumption, selling live animals, inducing minors to consume impulsively, and the probability of blind boxes is opaque. In order to standardize the blind box business behavior, maintain fair competition market order, protect consumers’ legitimate rights and interests, and safeguard social public interests, the State Administration of Market Supervision recently issued the Guidelines on the Code of Conduct for Blind Box Business (for Trial Implementation) (hereinafter referred to as the Guidelines) and implemented it. The Guidelines clearly regulate the problems existing in blind box management, and consumers can focus on the following aspects in blind box consumption.
First, the scope of blind box management has been standardized. Article 5 of the Guidelines stipulates that drugs, medical devices, toxic and harmful substances, inflammable and explosive substances, live animals and other commodities with strict requirements in terms of use conditions, storage, transportation, inspection and quarantine shall not be sold in the form of blind boxes. Food and cosmetics, which do not have the conditions to ensure quality and safety and consumer rights, should not be sold in the form of blind boxes. Express mail that cannot be delivered and returned shall not be sold in the form of blind boxes.
For example, if it is claimed that online shopping for cosmetics reaches a certain price, you can add a blind box given by 1 yuan. In fact, the blind box may contain products that are about to expire. The product quality of blind box goods sold by merchants can not be guaranteed, but there are also great security risks, which infringe on the legitimate rights and interests of consumers. Therefore, the China Consumers Association advises consumers to resolutely refuse if they encounter goods that are beyond the scope of business in blind box consumption. At the same time, consumers are encouraged to safeguard their legitimate rights and interests by taking photos, complaining and reporting.
Two, blind box goods must be clearly marked, and the price gap between non-blind box sales goods should not be too large. Article 7 of the "Guidelines" clearly stipulates that blind box operators should reasonably determine the price of blind boxes, provide goods or services with clearly marked prices, and shall not charge any unmarked fees, sell goods at a higher price than the marked price, or commit illegal acts such as not clearly marking prices, driving up prices, and price fraud. In blind box consumption, consumers have the right to say "no" if they encounter opaque prices and temporary price increases!
Third, consumers have the right to view key information such as the number of limited commodities put in the blind box and the probability of extraction. Article 9 of the Guidelines stipulates that blind box operators should publicize key information such as commodity name, commodity type, commodity style, extraction rules, distribution of commodities, limited quantity of commodities, extraction probability and value range of commodities in a significant way to ensure that consumers know before buying. Blind box operators are not allowed to induce consumption in disguised form by changing the extraction results and adjusting the extraction probability at will through background manipulation. Shall not refuse or deliberately delay the issuance of blind boxes by means of discount, repurchase or exchange. Empty boxes shall not be set.
At present, most blind box enterprises do not clearly indicate the withdrawal probability of hidden money in an obvious position, and many consumers report that the withdrawal probability of hidden money is lower than expected. Blind box enterprises may stimulate consumers to buy again and again by controlling the number of hidden money. The "Guidelines" clarify that operators must clearly indicate key information such as the quantity of limited commodities and the probability of extraction, and may not adjust the probability of extraction at will or set up empty boxes. Consumers have the right to know the key information such as the number of limited blind boxes and the probability of extraction.
Four, clearly apply the "seven days no reason to return" situation. Article 17 of the "Guidelines" clearly stipulates that blind box operators can return the goods sold in the form of the Internet for seven days without reason after they have fully informed the tips and confirmed them by consumers at the time of single purchase. Blind box operators shall not replace the consumer confirmation link with the default check mode. Sell the whole series of goods in the form of all-inclusive. If the goods in this series are clearly determined, the operator shall implement the seven-day unreasonable return rule of online shopping according to law.
Five, blind box operators are prohibited from selling blind boxes to minors under the age of 8. Article 23 of the Guidelines clearly stipulates that blind box operators shall not sell blind boxes to minors under the age of 8. To sell blind box goods to minors aged 8 and above, it shall be confirmed that the consent of the relevant guardians has been obtained according to law.
It is a prominent problem of blind box economy to induce impulse consumption of minors in the name of treasure, rarity and limited quantity. The China Consumers Association calls on blind box operators to take effective measures to prevent minors from indulging, protect their physical and mental health and provide convenience in solving minor consumption disputes in strict accordance with the Guidelines.
Six, blind box operators should consciously promise not to hoard goods, not to speculate, not to directly enter the secondary market, and consciously accept social supervision. The scarcity of hidden money in blind boxes may induce speculation. In some second-hand trading platforms, some hidden money of blind boxes has even been sold in the market for dozens of times, and even some blind box enterprises directly participate in the second-hand market, which destroys the price formation mechanism in the secondary market and stimulates consumers’ speculative psychology to buy blind boxes.
The Guidelines encourage blind box operators to establish a guarantee mechanism by setting the withdrawal time, the upper limit of the withdrawal amount and the upper limit of the number of times to guide rational consumption.
Seven, blind box operators should establish and improve the enterprise quality assurance system, establish an effective complaint handling mechanism. Article 13 of the Guidelines stipulates that blind box operators should establish and improve the quality assurance system of enterprises, strengthen the management of production, warehousing and logistics, and ensure the reliable source and qualified quality of goods. The goods produced and operated by blind box operators shall meet the requirements of laws and regulations on quality and safety. Blind box goods that fall within the scope of compulsory product certification catalogue shall be certified and marked with CCC certification mark.
The boom of blind box economy attracts blind box enterprises to reduce costs to seize the market. The quality problems of blind box products are common, such as selling fake boxes and refusing to take responsibility. Even the "small parts" of some blind box products may cause suffocation risks such as children’s respiratory obstruction. In this regard, the China Consumers Association suggests that the quality supervision of blind box products should be strengthened, and social supervision should be strengthened through comparative tests and spot checks in due course to ensure the quality of products.
Although blind box marketing is innovative, operators must keep the red line to be stable and far-reaching. China Consumers Association appeals to consumers to treat blind box consumption moderately and rationally; Call on blind box operators to strengthen self-discipline and standardize their operations according to the Guidelines; Advocate online platforms and courier companies to strictly control the blind boxes sold and delivered by operators, and promptly correct or "stop" blind boxes that do not meet the guidelines; Call on the relevant regulatory authorities to crack down on illegal activities in blind box marketing to ensure that the legitimate rights and interests of consumers are not infringed.