Taobao customer harassed in attempt to get better rating

Source:Agencies Published: 2013-3-26 20:33:01

A Web user surnamed Yang received nearly 100 phone calls demanding that she change a customer rating of an online store. She ended up succumbing to the pressure and gave a more favorable comment.

Yang paid 130 yuan ($21) for a satchel from a store on Taobao, China's most popular online shopping site. When the item arrived, it barely fit the description provided online, prompting her to give it a lackluster rating.

The three-tier assessment system on Taobao allows consumers to give a positive rating, a neutral one, or a negative one after receiving merchandise. Consumers can view a store's ratings and user comments before buying an item. Positive feedback makes a big difference for sellers, but some stores take it too far.

As soon as Yang rated the item, the shop immediately called her and asked her to change her rating. She said she would think about it, but explained she would not have access to a computer for a while. Before long, the shop called again and demanded to know why the rating was not changed yet. Over the next three days, she received dozens of harassing phone calls, and her caller ID showed that the calls came from various places such as Harbin, Hangzhou and Inner Mongolia.

Yang filed a complaint against the shop and Taobao's customer service center gave warnings to the seller, but the owner denied any such wrongdoing. Yang eventually gave up and changed her rating.

West China City Daily



Posted in: Odd News

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