Shein accused of breaking EU law with manipulative sales tactics

Published on 26/05/2025 - 17:24 GMT+2

The European Commission has recovered that Chinese online unit elephantine Shein, known for its rock-bottom prices, engages successful forbidden commercialized practices nether EU law, aft an investigation caried retired pinch nationalist user protection authorities.

Investigators concluded that Shein lures customers pinch clone discounts, either by displaying mendacious original prices aliases by utilizing countdown timers that reset continuously to foster an artificial consciousness of urgency. 

The Commission and nan Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network - a assemblage made up of nan nationalist authorities - besides flagged superior gaps successful transparency: inaccurate return policies, misleading sustainability claims, and confusing merchandise labelling. Authorities besides criticised nan level for making it difficult for users to interaction customer work - limiting their expertise to raise questions aliases complaints. 

Shein has been fixed 1 period to respond and outline really it plans to hole nan issues. If nan Commission sees nary progress, nan institution could look fines. National authorities from Belgium, France, Ireland and nan Netherlands are overseeing enforcement. 

“All companies trading products successful nan EU must play by our rules,” said Michael McGrath, Commissioner for Justice and Consumer Protection. “Today's action sends a clear message: we will not awkward distant from holding e-commerce platforms to account, sloppy of wherever they are based.” He added: “EU user protection laws are not optional – they must beryllium applied successful each cases.” 

This isn’t nan first clip a Chinese level has travel nether scrutiny. In November, rival e-retailer Temu was besides found successful breach of EU user law. It utilized likewise problematic strategies and went a measurement further by "gamifying" nan shopping acquisition pinch spin-the-wheel promotions and displaying clone merchandise reviews. 

Alongside these user rule probes, some Shein and Temu are nether investigation for imaginable breaches of nan Digital Services Act. The DSA probe focuses connected algorithmic proposal systems - really definite products are promoted to circumstantial users - and nan waste of forbidden goods, specified arsenic items that neglect to meet EU wellness and information standards.