Online Shopping in Vietnam: What Sellers Must Show You

Online shopping in Vietnam now comes with clearer rules for sellers. Since July 1, 2013, a government decree says what a web shop must tell you before you buy. It also says new sales websites must be notified to the Ministry of Industry and Trade. You can use both rules to check a shop in a few minutes.

What changed on July 1

The Government signed Decree 52/2013/ND-CP on e-commerce on May 16, 2013. It took effect on July 1, 2013. It replaced an older decree from June 2006.

The decree covers two kinds of sites. Some sell their own goods or services. Others, like trading floors and auction sites, let many sellers use one platform. The rules differ a little for each. The decree also bans some multi-level schemes in which people pay a deposit and earn rewards for recruiting others.

Sources: Tuoi Tre News, "Registration required for e-commerce websites," June 24, 2013; Decree 52/2013/ND-CP, English text, LuatViet.

What a seller must show you

The decree lists what a seller has to publish on its site. Look for these items on the home page or a clearly marked page.

• Who runs the shop. A head-office or home address, a business registration number, an establishment decision number or a personal tax code, and a phone number or other way to reach the seller.
• What the goods are. A description accurate enough that you will not misunderstand what you are buying.
• The price. The site must say whether the price includes taxes, packing, shipping and other costs. If it does not say, the price is taken to include them.
• Trading conditions. Limits on time or place, return and refund rules, warranty, and what each side must do. These must be shown in Vietnamese and be easy to read.
• Delivery. How goods are sent, how long it should take, and where the seller delivers.
• Payment. Every payment method the shop accepts, with a clear explanation of each.

Sources: Decree 52/2013/ND-CP, English text, LuatViet, Articles 28 to 34.

Rules for the order itself

If a site lets you order online, it must show you the order details before you confirm. You must be able to check, change or cancel the order at that point. The seller must then send you an acceptance that lists the order, the total price and the delivery terms.

The trading conditions matter here too. When a site takes orders, you must agree to them before you send your offer. If a delivery runs late, the seller should tell you promptly and let you cancel if you wish. Keep a copy of the conditions and the confirmation. The decree says customers must be able to store and print this information.

Sources: Decree 52/2013/ND-CP, English text, LuatViet, Articles 18, 19, 32, 33 and 28.

How to check that a shop is notified

A seller that runs its own sales website must notify the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Under Circular 12/2013/TT-BCT, dated June 20, 2013, the seller files online through the ministry's e-commerce management portal at online.gov.vn.

The steps are short. The seller first opens an account with its business name, registration number and contact details. The ministry replies by email within three working days. The seller then submits the notification form. A second reply comes within three working days. Once the ministry confirms a complete notification, the website is added to a published list of sites that have completed notification or registration.

That list is your check. Before you pay a new shop, look for its website on the portal. A shop that is not listed may simply be new, because the rule only began on July 1. Still, it is a fair question to ask the seller.

Sources: Circular 12/2013/TT-BCT, English text, LuatViet, Articles 4 and 21; Decree 52/2013/ND-CP, Articles 27 and 53.

If you buy on a trading floor or auction site

Here the platform, not the individual seller, registers with the ministry. Sellers give the platform their details when they sign up. The platform must also publish a way to handle disputes and help customers who have a problem with a seller.

So the same check works one step up. Look at the platform on the portal list. Then read its dispute page before you buy.

Sources: Decree 52/2013/ND-CP, English text, LuatViet, Articles 36, 37 and 38.

A quick checklist before you pay

• Find the seller's name, address and registration or tax number.
• Read the price note: what is included, and what is not.
• Read the return, refund and warranty terms in Vietnamese.
• Check the delivery time and the payment options.
• Look the site up on online.gov.vn.
• Save the order confirmation.

None of these steps guarantees a good deal. They do make it much easier to find a real seller and to prove what you were promised. This is general information about consumer rules, not legal advice.

Sources

• Tuoi Tre News, "Registration required for e-commerce websites," June 24, 2013: news.tuoitre.vn/news/business/20130624/registration-required-for-e-commerce-websites/22242.html
• Decree No. 52/2013/ND-CP of May 16, 2013, on e-commerce (English text): english.luatvietnam.vn/decree-no-52-2013-nd-cp-dated-may-16-2013-of-the-government-on-e-commerce-78550-doc1.html
• Circular No. 12/2013/TT-BCT of June 20, 2013, Ministry of Industry and Trade (English text): english.luatvietnam.vn/circular-no-12-2013-tt-bct-dated-june-20-2013-of-the-ministry-of-industry-and-trade-promulgating-the-regulation-on-notification-registration-and-i-79194-doc1.html