According to reports from domestic media on February 19th, a man exploited loopholes in online shopping platforms to make profits through refunding purchased items without returning them.
Details from the notice issued by Beijing Shunyi Court reveal that a man named Xu, seeking profits, repeatedly purchased CPUs online. Upon receiving the CPUs, he would either remove them or replace them with other items. Subsequently, he would create the illusion of unopened packaging and apply for a refund on the grounds of not receiving the product.
After successfully obtaining refunds, Xu would then sell the CPUs through other platforms, earning a profit of 140,000 CNY through this scheme.
After multiple transactions, when the sellers discovered that the returned packages were "empty," they reported to the authorities. As a result, Xu was sentenced to three years in prison with a three-year probation period and fined 30,000 CNY.
According to official statements, while refunding without returning the product is generally not illegal, it constitutes unlawful behavior. However, it can be resolved through private negotiation between the parties involved.
If negotiation fails, mediation can be sought, or arbitration can be pursued based on arbitration clauses or by reaching a written arbitration agreement afterwards. If dissatisfied with arbitration, the parties involved can bring the matter to court. According to Article 233 of the Civil Code of the People's Republic of China, if property rights are infringed upon, the right holder can seek resolution through reconciliation, mediation, arbitration, litigation, and other means.
