In April this year, a food company reported to the police that its flagship e-commerce store had received a large number of abnormal after-sales requests for "refunds without returns."
A company representative stated that according to platform rules, if consumers choose to ship returns themselves, the system issues a refund in advance, but the company never actually received the returned goods.
Following an investigation, police identified the suspect, Zhu. Since last September, Zhu had been selling discounted turkey noodles on second-hand trading platforms. Whenever a buyer placed an order, she would purchase the items from official stores on e-commerce platforms and set the delivery address to that of the buyer on the second-hand platform.
The goods were shipped directly by the merchant, and the buyers on the second-hand platform completed the receipt. Subsequently, Zhu submitted fake logistics information on the e-commerce platform to apply for refunds. Over nearly a year, Zhu accumulated profits of approximately 130,000 yuan through this method. Currently, Zhu has been criminally detained on suspicion of fraud.
Lawyers have warned that many people mistakenly believe "refund without return" in online shopping is just taking a small advantage, when in fact it carries clear legal risks. In standard after-sales procedures, refunds without returns only apply in special cases where the merchant voluntarily waives the return requirement. Under normal return and exchange processes, refunds and returns must be completed simultaneously; one cannot occur without the other.
Some users deliberately fabricate false evidence, such as damage or quality issues, attempting to deceive platform reviews to obtain refunds while continuing to use or resell the goods. This behavior, subjectively aimed at illegally possessing property by fabricating facts to mislead merchants and platforms, constitutes illegal conduct.
The after-sales mechanisms of e-commerce platforms are designed to protect consumers' online shopping rights, not to provide opportunities for criminals to "freeload." When encountering product issues, consumers should communicate honestly and follow proper return and refund procedures. Do not exploit loopholes in the rules, as this may ultimately result in severe legal consequences. Integrity is the foundation of transactions, and protecting your rights in accordance with the law is the true way to safeguard your interests.