May 6, 2021 9:45 AM
PETALING JAYA: Two consumer groups have called on the Malaysia Competition Commission (MyCC) to investigate e-commerce giant Shopee for allegedly offering RM3,000 in vouchers to sellers to close their stores on Lazada.
The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) said the allegation, if true, stifles competition, while the Consumersβ Association of Penang (CAP) said the move is akin to using the vouchers as βbaitβ to attract sellers.
βIf an e-commerce provider says βJust sell on my platform, donβt sell on othersβ, thatβs not proper,β said Fomcaβs chief executive officer, Saravanan Thambirajah.
βThere has to be competition. When there is competition, consumers will gain. If someone is distorting the market, MyCC should take action.β
Saravanan also called on the sellers to report to MyCC if they felt they were being βdisturbedβ by e-commerce platforms.
Noting the numerous reports consumers have filed against the two e-commerce giants regarding fake products and scams on the platform, he said MyCC has been pushing the domestic trade and consumer affairs minister to take action against the sites.
βThatβs also why they should definitely investigate this,β he said.
βThe most important agency to investigate this is MyCC as this falls under their purview.β
Shopeeβs offer was made in an alleged WhatsApp conversation between a seller and the e-commerce company which recently surfaced on tech portal Tech in Asia.
βShopee is looking to sponsor RM3,000 (worth of) vouchers to selected sellers. The only condition is to shut down your Lazada store for 9/9 (a popular Lazada sale),β reads the WhatsApp text, which was supposedly sent last year to a Shopee seller.
While Shopee declined to comment when contacted by FMT, it is understood the vouchers provide sellers with discounts on service fees.
Apart from forfeiting these vouchers if the exclusivity agreement is breached, the penalties include the withdrawal of participation in free shipping programmes and having items not featured in marketing campaigns temporarily.
CAP president Mohideen Abdul Kader also urged MyCC to investigate the allegation.
βThis is like going fishing and using these vouchers as bait. In the end, the consumers are the victims.
βThe sellers should be free to choose. Why are they being tied down?β he said.
