The Taipei Department of Legal Affairs on Friday warned people not to use Facebook for online shopping, as the social media platform does not guarantee safe transactions.
“Facebook should not be used as an e-commerce platform, as it has no mechanisms in place to ensure safe transactions,” the department said in a news release, after having received numerous complaints from consumers who purchased counterfeit agricultural products on Facebook.
Advertisements claimed that the products were produced by small farms in Taiwan, with names such as “Pingtung County black chocolate,” “Tainan Yujing District (玉井) dried mango strips,” “Tainan No. 9 peanut butter” and “Taiwan farmer wild honey,” the department said.
However, when the packages arrived, people found that the products were low-quality goods manufactured by Chinese factories, and they were unable to locate any customer service number or Web site contact for a refund, it said.
People must keep the delivery box and the receipt, in which they can find information about the logistics fulfillment company or the sender, and contact them quickly, the department said.
Although some online sellers provide customer service, they often employ tactics designed to stall a person from filing a complaint, causing them to miss a deadline to claim a refund, it added.
When buying online, people should visit third-party e-commerce platforms, which have a higher level of security, and avoid using Facebook, Line or landing pages to shop, it said.
Fact-checking Web site MyGoPen said that Facebook pages that sell illegitimate products are usually poorly managed and have few followers.
Most prices for these products fall between NT$699 and NT$1,899, with ads and copy overemphasizing certain key words and phrases, such as pay on delivery or refund guaranteed, MyGoPen said.
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