Perspectives
Hangzhou-based B2C e-commerce site Taobao Mall today announced changes to its merchant management system. Merchants must now pay an advance deposit against any future contract violations, from which at least RMB 10,000 will be deducted and deposited in the consumer protection fund in the event the merchant fails to honor an agreement.
The existing annual RMB 6,000 technical services fee has been raised to RMB 30,000 or RMB 60,000, depending on the service level required. Taobao Mall will also refund part or all of the technical services fee if merchants reach specific targets for operational scale and service quality.