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Market surveillance authorities check a fashion store in HCMC. (Photo: SGGP) |
Counterfeit, fake, and low-quality products are widespread on various websites and e-commerce platforms, which is neither a new nor old issue. In fact, the situation is becoming more complicated. Regardless of morals, many individuals falsely impersonate famous doctors to prescribe and sell medicine online, causing many consumers to suffer financial losses and health problems. Clearly, the danger of counterfeit goods has not yet come to a stop.
Hit-and-miss quality
N.T.G., a 70-year-old resident of Cu Jut District in Dak Nong Province, who suffers from arthritis, recounted her story of buying joint pain relief pills online. She took the medication for over two months as instructed by the seller named Nhung but saw no improvement. "I spent nearly VND7 million on the medicine and continuously took it every day, but the pain and discomfort did not lessen. When I stopped buying medicine, Nhung threatened me loudly and rudely over the phone," G. said. G. is not alone, as some other victims in Krong No District in Dak Nong Province and Buon Ma Thuot City in Dak Lak Province also mistakenly bought counterfeit medicine from sellers named Mr. Ngo and Mrs. Bong. In some cases, after taking the medicine for a few days, the patient starts craving food, the skin turns pink, and the whole body swells due to water accumulation, making the patient feel tired and lethargic. However, they have a hard time returning the goods because the sellers lock their phones and leave no trace.
Even reputable e-commerce websites like Lazada and Shopee openly sell counterfeit products. For example, handbags from luxury brands such as Chanel, LV, and Dior are priced at only tens of thousands to a few hundred thousand Vietnamese dong, while genuine products can cost tens of millions. Fake helmets from the brand Non Son are also sold on Shopee for VND69,000 to VND125,000, while authentic helmets fetch VND600,000 or more each. Additionally, banned items like children's toy guns made of metal are sold for over VND500,000 each, imported directly from foreign countries. Le Kim, who resides on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street in District 3 of Ho Chi Minh City, noted that everything is available on e-commerce platforms, but quality can be hit or miss. "I recently purchased a beautiful skirt for about VND600,000 on Shopee, but when I received it and tried it on, it was too tight, and unfortunately, I could not exchange it for a bigger size," Kim said.
Not only do many online platforms sell poor-quality products, but they also use various tricks to deceive buyers. A typical example is the case of exaggerating the effectiveness of Bitney Corporation's Multi Juice fruit mixture and Lucenta deer placenta, which was recently warned by the Competition and Consumer Protection Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Moreover, this company also promises a commission for multi-level marketing referrals. Currently, many people still deceive their relatives and acquaintances by promoting these products as if they were miraculous.
N.T.T., a resident near Nguyen Dinh Chieu Market in Phu Nhuan District, said that a friend of hers persuaded her to buy Bitney's "food package to cure all diseases", which can supposedly cure bone and joint pain, diabetes, and even cancer. The highest package, rated four stars, costs up to VND204.75 million with a 25-percent discount. She did not have much money, so she chose the one-star package priced at VND6,825,000. She has been taking it for a long time but has not seen any improvement. Her bone and joint pain persist.
Tightening control on poor-quality products
From a business perspective, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Ty, CEO of Non Son Fashion Company, frustratedly said that with such sales, e-commerce platforms played a significant role in promoting fake products. This is a concern for legitimate businesses as many e-commerce sites, such as Lazada and Shopee, have been known widely by consumers. Therefore, Mr. Ty recommends strengthening communication and guiding consumers on how to recognize authentic and fake products, as well as increasing penalties for selling fake, counterfeit, and poor-quality goods to deter such practices.
Lawyer Phan Thi Viet Thu, Chairwoman of the HCMC Consumer Protection Association, stated that counterfeit and fake goods cause social instability, harm legitimate businesses, and affect consumer rights. Along with reviewing and adjusting regulations to be more practical, it is necessary to strengthen market surveys to prevent fake products. Close and timely cooperation with market surveillance officials and police is needed to handle counterfeit and poor-quality goods. "Consumers should purchase products with clear origins and sources. For businesses, collaborating to combat counterfeit and fake goods is their right and helps protect their brands," recommended Ms. Viet Thu.
According to estimates from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the total revenue from online retail sales of goods in Vietnam exceeded US$16 billion in 2022 and will reach $39 billion in 2025. However, e-commerce also poses many risks for consumers due to sales of fake, counterfeit, and poor-quality goods on this channel. Meanwhile, based on the provisions of Article No.174 of the Penal Code 2015, amended and supplemented in 2017, acts of fraud and misappropriation of property can result in criminal prosecution. The lightest penalty is rehabilitation without detention for up to three years or imprisonment from six months to three years; the heaviest penalty is imprisonment from 12 to 20 years or a life sentence. In addition, offenders may also be fined from VND10 million to VND100 million. Although regulations are in place, in reality, some customers may not report the sellers because they feel ashamed or believe that by the time justice is served, they will have already suffered significant losses, leading them to just let it go.
It is crucial to have the cooperation and drastic involvement of relevant authorities and businesses to purify the e-commerce environment to ensure that goods delivered to consumers are of high quality and safety.
Fraud schemes become increasingly sophisticated
According to the National Steering Committee 389, from the beginning of 2023 to now, authorities have detected and handled many violations related to counterfeit goods and goods with unclear origins in HCMC and Hanoi. In 2022 alone, units handled about 100,000 violations, including nearly 13,000 cases of smuggling, over 80,000 cases of commercial fraud, and tax evasion, with State budget revenue exceeding VND7.66 trillion. The National Steering Committee 389 assessed that the number of violations in 2022 decreased, but the fraud schemes became increasingly sophisticated and complicated compared to previous years.
