Focus on International Consumer Rights Day 3·15丨Hassle-free returns across regions, offline shopping more peace of mind

Our full-media reporter Kong Xuejiao\n\n"Bought a toy at Dennis Supermarket in Zhengzhou, brought it back to my hometown in Jiaozuo, and found I chose the wrong color. I thought I would have to make a special trip, but it was so convenient that I just returned it at the store near my home." On March 12, Ms. Li, a consumer, held her shopping receipt and, after successfully processing the return, praised the remote return and exchange service.\n\nMany consumers in Henan are still unaware of such convenient offline return and exchange experiences. “In the past, it was 'who sells, who is responsible'; now, you can return or exchange nearby.” The relevant person from the Provincial Market Supervision Bureau reminded consumers that when shopping offline, as long as the merchant has made a commitment to remote or different-store returns and exchanges, you can handle the return or exchange at a nearby store within the scope of the merchant's promise, without returning to the original purchase store.\n\nOn March 13, representatives from Dennis Department Store, Yonghui Supermarket, Pagoda Garden, Discount Cow, Yuelai Yuexi, Tao Xiaopang, 7-Eleven Convenience Store, and Dole Tuan collectively made commitments to remote and different-store returns and exchanges. These companies cover various retail formats such as supermarkets, convenience stores, and fresh food retail, with a total of 490 stores, allowing more consumers to experience that shopping and after-sales service are no longer limited by location.\n\nAs one of the larger retail enterprises in Henan Province, Dennis was among the first to formulate the “Implementation Rules for Remote and Different-Store Returns and Exchanges” and has fully implemented them in large-scale retail formats. For products purchased at committed stores, consumers have the right to return or exchange without reason within 7 days from the date of purchase.\n\n"We have established a 'First Inquiry Responsible System.' No matter where the customer is, as long as they raise a request, we ensure a response within 48 hours and coordinate a solution," said a person in charge of Dennis Group. The next step is to gradually promote the remote and different-store return and exchange service from large-scale retail to department stores with the greatest sincerity and fastest speed.\n\nThe popularization of remote and different-store return and exchange services breaks down the geographical barriers of offline consumption and solves the pain points of traditional return and exchange processes that involve multiple trips and hassle. As an innovative measure to optimize the consumer environment, our province has also summarized the experience and practices of Pang Donglai in trustworthy consumption and consumer rights protection, formulated and issued two provincial standards, encouraging more business entities to develop towards standardization and normalization in improving product quality and service levels. In the future, more consumers are expected to enjoy “Pang Donglai-style” after-sales service right at their doorstep.\n\n"We are vigorously promoting trustworthy consumption and no-reason return commitments. By 2025, the province will add 7,104 trustworthy consumption commitment entities and 4,542 offline physical stores with no-reason return commitments. We are exploring remote and different-store return and exchange initiatives, cultivating 103 commitment entities for the first time, further boosting consumer confidence and brand reputation," said Tao Yunfeng, director of the 12315 Command Center of the Provincial Market Supervision Bureau.\n\n【Source: Dahe Net】