The Korea Consumer Agency (KCA) just handed brands a case study in what consumer trust actually costs. An investigation into AliExpress, Temu, Shein, and Taobao found terms of service and advertising practices that work against the very shoppers these platforms depend on — and several platforms quietly rewrote their policies once the agency started looking.
The flagged practices were specific: restricted returns and exchanges on promotional items, refusal to refund shipping costs on defective products, clauses letting the seller cancel an order or cap damages without the buyer's consent when the seller was at fault, and language steering refunds toward platform credit instead of cash. Some platforms deleted the offending language or revised their terms mid-investigation.
Consumer complaints tied to these platforms totaled 5,341 over three years — surging from 497 in 2023 to 1,351 in 2024 and 3,493 in 2025. The top complaints were breach of contract (39.7%) and refusal to honor withdrawal requests (25.8%). The KCA is now urging shoppers to check price, shipping cost, and return terms before buying.
Rock-bottom pricing and aggressive promotions are effective for short-term acquisition, but when the post-purchase experience — returns, refunds, honest disclosure — breaks down, the cost comes back as lost trust. For domestic brands competing against C-commerce discounting, the more durable differentiator isn't matching the price; it's leading with clear return and exchange policies and transparent disclosure. Reviewing your own terms and ad claims for compliance isn't just a legal checkbox — treat it as a marketing asset that protects repeat purchase and brand reputation.
If you're auditing your own customer experience and trust signals, Best Partner's services can help, or get in touch to talk through your specific situation.
It flagged terms restricting returns and exchanges on promotional items, refusal to refund shipping on defective goods, clauses allowing order cancellation or damage caps without consumer consent, and refunds steered toward platform credit instead of cash. Some platforms revised their terms during the investigation.
Complaints totaled 5,341 over three years, rising from 497 in 2023 to 1,351 in 2024 and 3,493 in 2025. The leading complaints were breach of contract (39.7%) and refusal to honor withdrawal requests (25.8%).
Ultra-low prices win short-term traffic, but a broken post-purchase experience erodes consumer trust and comes back as a cost. Clear return and exchange policies and transparent disclosure are more durable differentiators than price alone.
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