Chinese Toy Seller Demands Mum Slap Daughter On Camera Before Approving Refund
That is one weird refund policy.
While most of us appreciate a no-questions-asked policy when it comes to getting a refund, Li Yun, a mother of an 11-year-old girl, was, well, slapped with the most insane refund policy ever written.
She had discovered that her daughter secretly spent 500 yuan (S$91) on trading cards on Qiandao, a popular Chinese platform for trendy and verified second-hand toys and collectibles — think Labubus and Pokémon trading cards.
After requesting a refund just two hours after the accidental purchase, Li Yun was accused of “pretending to be a minor to maliciously cancel orders” and received a “Minor Refund Notice”.
The seller demanded a five-minute video of her slapping her daughter, with clearly audible smacking sounds, explicitly adding that the video must not be paused before considering the refund.
Wait, what?
That is not all. The seller also insisted on another video of the parent scolding the child for a minimum of three minutes, with both parent and kid clearly visible on camera.
A handwritten apology of 1,000 characters was also demanded from the child, fingerprinted, and read aloud by both parent and child.
At this point, this is less customer service, more public humiliation.
However, it seems the Qiandao is washing their hands off the incident and told her, “Sorry, the platform cannot enforce action. We suggest both parties negotiate and communicate directly.”
On October 20, they deflected the blame again, releasing a statement saying the so-called “Minor Refund Notice” was sent personally by the seller and not officially sanctioned by the platform.
“We will also guide users who post inappropriate content towards proper conduct, encouraging civil communication and helping foster a friendly trading environment,” they added.
Lawyer Fu Jian of Henan Zejin Law Firm says the seller’s demands were outrageous, saying, “This kind of request is essentially inciting and coercing parents to commit domestic violence against minors”.
Most netizens were equally horrified.
“The demand is outrageously absurd. So now, after-sales service is not about reasoning but about beating your own kid? Maybe the seller should slap themselves awake before doing business,” one irate comment read.
However, some were vocal about their support for the abusive practice.
“I actually support it. The kid secretly used their parents’ money to make a purchase, violated the sales rules, and now demands a refund? Why should the seller take all the blame?” read a comment.
What do you think?
Photos: SCMP, news.china.com, Qiandao
