Editorial · November 24, 2022
Singles Day sale Vietnam: how to check a deal is real
Singles Day sale Vietnam offers show up every November, and many of them are real savings. Some are not. A crossed-out price can be a price that never existed. A few simple checks, done before you pay, will tell you which is which. This guide walks through four of them in plain steps.
Where the 11.11 sales came from
Singles Day falls on November 11, written 11.11. Alibaba began promoting it as a shopping day in 2009. Since then the date has spread across Southeast Asia, and online marketplaces in the region now run big sales on it. Shoppers in Vietnam see the same pattern: banners, flash deals and countdown clocks in the days before and after the date.
Check the price first
A deal is only a deal if the old price was real. Do this before sale day, not during it. Pick the item you want and write down its price a week or two ahead. Take a screenshot. Check the same item at two or three other shops. Note the shipping fee too, since a low price can hide a high delivery cost.
On sale day, compare your notes. If the "before" price on the page is much higher than anything you saw, be careful. A discount of 70 percent off a price nobody ever paid is not a discount. If the saving is smaller than you expected, that is fine. Honest discounts are often modest.
Keep the screenshots after you buy. If the listing changes later, you will have proof of what it said when you paid.
Check who is selling
Many items on a marketplace come from third-party sellers, not from the marketplace itself. Open the seller page. Look at how long the shop has existed, how many orders it has filled, and what buyers say about delivery and returns. A brand-new shop with a very low price and a very large stock is a warning sign.
Look for a real business name, a contact address and a working phone number or chat. Ask one simple question before you buy, such as whether the item is new and what the return terms are. A seller that answers clearly and quickly is a good sign. A seller that pushes you to move the chat off the platform is not.
If you are unsure about a seller's website, ask the seller where its business details are published, and be wary of one that will not say.
Check what the law expects of sellers
Vietnam's Law on Protection of Consumers' Rights was passed in 2010 and took effect on July 1, 2011. Article 8 gives buyers a right to accurate and adequate information about the seller, the deal and where the goods come from.
Article 10 bans deceptive or misleading advertising. It also bans hiding information, and giving incomplete or wrong information about goods, services or the terms of a deal. A fake "was" price, or a missing detail about what the item really is, can fall under this idea. Whether a particular listing breaks the law is for the authorities to decide, but the rule tells you what you are entitled to expect.
Article 12 asks traders to post prices at their business premises and to tell buyers their standard contract terms before the deal. Article 14 says contracts with consumers must be in plain, understandable Vietnamese unless the parties agree otherwise. For electronic contracts, it says you must be able to review the full contract before you conclude it. So read the terms on the checkout page before you tap the final button. Article 13 also says third parties and media that pass on a trader's information must keep it accurate.
Check how you pay and what happens after
Pick a payment method that gives you a way back. Cash on delivery lets you open the parcel in front of the courier before paying, if the shop allows it. Card and wallet payments usually leave a record. Avoid paying by direct bank transfer to a personal account for a one-off bargain, especially when the seller asks you to leave the platform to do it.
Take a short video when you open the parcel. It should show the sealed package, the label and the contents. If something is wrong, you will have clear evidence for a return request. Report problems quickly, because return windows during a sale are often short.
Under Article 16, a contract term that lets the seller set or change the price at delivery time is invalid. If a seller tries to raise the price when the parcel arrives, you can refuse and cite the written order. Keep your order confirmation.
A quick checklist before you pay
Run through these five questions. Is the old price one you saw earlier at other shops? Does the seller have a history, a name and a contact route? Is the item described fully, with brand, model and condition? Do the terms and the return rules make sense? Can you pay in a way that leaves a record?
If any answer is no, wait. Most sale items come back at similar prices, and a missed deal costs less than a bad purchase. Sale days are built to make you hurry. The best defence is to decide your limit before you open the app, and stick to it.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. If you have a dispute with a seller, ask the marketplace to help first and keep all your records.