Chinese platform Qiandao faces backlash over controversial refund demands from seller

Chinese second-hand platform Qiandao (千島) has sparked online outrage after demanding a mother provide a five-minute, uninterrupted video of herself slapping her child as a condition for a refund.

Qiandao is known for its trendy second-hand toys and collectibles, facilitating trade in collectible toys, cards, and model figures between buyers and sellers. Among these, "閃購" is one of Qiandao's core offerings, facilitating transactions between buyers and sellers of trendy toys, cards, and models. The platform also provides a verification mechanism to ensure that all products are genuine.

According to Chinese media outlets, including Sino Finance and Jiemian News, a mother discovered her 11-year-old daughter had secretly spent over RMB 500 on trading cards via the Qiandao app. When she contacted the seller for a refund just two hours after the purchase—a transaction eligible for reversal as it was made by a minor without guardian consent—the seller accused her of pretending to be a minor to fraudulently cancel an order.

The seller also issued a “minor refund notice,” demanding that parents provide a video of themselves slapping their child, lasting over five minutes without interruptions and including clear sound.

The requirements also specify that parents must upload a video of them abusing the child, with both parties appearing on-screen for over three minutes. Additionally, they must submit a 1,000-word letter of apology from the child, which must be read aloud, signed, fingerprinted, and recorded by both the parent and the child.

Finally, both the parent and child must provide a sincere apology video lasting over three minutes, delivered without a script. All four types of videos must be uploaded within 12 hours of requesting the refund to be deemed valid.

In response, Qiandao issued a statement on its Weibo, clarifying that the transaction dispute stemmed from a personal second-hand trade and did not involve the Qiandao “閃購” service. The chat screenshots featured in the article are private conversations between the buyer and seller, not communications with the platform's customer service.

“The so-called ‘minor refund notice’ mentioned in the screenshots was sent by the seller personally and is not an official platform policy,” the statement reads.

Qiandao stated that it takes the issues raised by this incident very seriously and will continue to listen to user feedback. The platform is committed to collaborating with its community of enthusiasts to optimise trading rules and after-sales mechanisms. “We will also provide positive guidance to users who send inappropriate content, encouraging civil communication and fostering a friendly trading environment."

Qiandao’s response has sparked discussions among Chinese netizens, as seen on Weibo. While some questioned whether the platform has insufficient supervision of underage users, others inquired about the potential freezing of the seller's account.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Qiandao for a statement. 

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