- Статьи
- Economy
- There is no turning back: in the Russian Federation, it was proposed to change the rules for returning goods on marketplaces
There is no turning back: in the Russian Federation, it was proposed to change the rules for returning goods on marketplaces
In Russia, the rules for the return of goods purchased on online platforms may change. The new approach was proposed by the Ministry of Economic Development. It is assumed that some orders will not be able to be refused when they are received by the PVZ or transferred to the courier. Some of the goods cannot be returned after verification and receipt. We are talking about high-quality goods that are legally non-refundable. According to experts, this approach is not a tightening of the current rules. It is designed to discipline customers and stop fraud cases. How the new rules will affect consumers is in the Izvestia article.
Take control
The problems of trading on online platforms were discussed during the strategic session of the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin. One of the issues raised was the uncontrolled return of goods of proper quality, which is often faced by platforms and sellers.
The head of the Ministry of Economic Development, Maxim Reshetnikov, pointed out the need to determine the difference between refusing to purchase goods after inspection at the pick-up point or upon receipt from a courier and returning them after the goods were in the hands of the buyer.
In particular, the Ministry proposes to define a list of goods that cannot be refused upon receipt. It may include food, medicines, and medical devices. According to the plan, it will be possible not to redeem goods that are currently included in the list of non-refundable, but they will not be able to be discarded after receipt. We are talking about electronics, perfumes, cosmetics, etc.
At the same time, the seller should have the right to coordinate the return of goods, if they are of proper quality, and to deduct the cost of return delivery from the consumer, Reshetnikov added.
"For all other products that do not fall into these categories, it is necessary to clarify the procedures for controlling returns. Including when the goods can be returned — the integrity of the packaging, identifiers, seals. And add a requirement for photo and video monitoring at the pick-up point or upon acceptance by courier, with the seller's mandatory access to these materials upon request," he explained the position of the Ministry of Economic Development, noting that all this would require changes to the Law on Consumer Protection.
The editorial board of Izvestia sent a request to the Ministry of Economic Development. No response has been received at the time of publication.
Disappointing statistics
The proposals of the Ministry of Economic Development are an attempt to systematically respond to the significant problem of online commerce, says Alexei Govyrin, a member of the State Duma Committee on Small and Medium—sized Enterprises.
— According to expert estimates, the level of returns in online commerce in Russia is about 24-30%, depending on the category. In the segment of clothing and footwear on marketplaces, it reaches 30-45%," the parliamentarian cites statistics.
His data was also confirmed by Sofya Lukinova, head of the legal department of the VMT Consult agency. This means that almost every second item delivered to the buyer ends up going back, sometimes even unpacked.
In the clothing segment, there are sellers whose buyback does not exceed 10%, adds Alexey Moskalenko, Chairman of the Presidium of the Association of Electronic Commerce Representatives, member of the Commission for self-regulation of the electronic commerce market under the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation.
Mikhail Khachaturian, PhD in Economics, Associate Professor of the Department of Strategic and Innovative Development at the Financial University, clarifies that the percentage of unjustified refunds is 10-30% of their total number.
At the same time, situations where a buyer orders many items, but buys back one or two, result in direct losses for sellers, warns Alexey Nezhivoy, head of the operational headquarters of the independent trade union Novy Trud, who described this approach as "consumer radicalism."
The costs of reverse logistics, sorting, checking, markdowns and write-offs are distributed throughout the sales funnel through commissions and selling prices, which is why a bona fide buyer pays more in the end, says Govyrin.
— The marginality of the transaction when selling a T-shirt for 500 rubles and the return cost of 250 rubles drops by half, which forces sellers to raise prices. However, this reduces demand, increases the percentage of returns and spoils the seller's rating, reducing its visibility in the search, explains Nezhivoy.
Compensation of expenses can amount to 15-20% of the final cost of the goods, Khachaturian draws attention. The amount includes not only logistics and site commissions, but also losses during re-sale and administrative costs for processing applications.
Abuse of the right
Experts agree that a serious problem in the case of refunds for sellers today is the risk of substitution of goods.
— The customer picks up the order at the pick-up point, replaces it with another item in the fitting room, sometimes even used, and returns it. It is not always possible to detect substitution on the spot," explains Artyom Sokolov, President of the Association of e—Commerce Companies.
There may be a substitution of goods in the warehouse, as a result of which the buyer receives a product that does not match the description, Alexey Nezhivoy clarifies. Such situations mostly occur not because of malicious intent, but because of poor labor organization and warehouse accounting.
Sofya Lukinova also refers to cases of product return after use as manifestations of "consumer extremism" and fraud. This problem is especially common during the holiday season and corporate parties.
— There are signs of use on such clothes and shoes. Sellers struggle with this situation with the help of tags that do not interfere with trying on the product, without removing which it will not be possible to use it," the lawyer explains.
A survey of entrepreneurs on the platforms showed that 62% of them have already encountered incidents when returning goods. Such statistics are provided in the APET. 58% of disputes are related to refunds after short-term use. The number of complaints from customers who have received an order with signs of exploitation is growing by at least 20% annually.
Couriers and PVZ employees do not always have time to check the item properly upon return, Lukinova admits. Because of this, unscrupulous buyers often do not receive punishment for their actions, Nezhivoy notes.
Alexey Govyrin believes that the proposed innovations will narrow the field of opportunities for fraud on the part of consumers, but still will not completely eliminate abuse.
The path to transparency
The new rules of the Ministry of Economic Development on the return of high—quality goods are a timely initiative aimed at increasing the transparency of online trade, says Alexey Molodykh, Director General of the International Association for the Development of Marketplaces and Entrepreneurs. The legal field today does not always keep up with the development of platforms, and the ministry's proposal closes one of the important gaps.
— The formation of a clear list of goods that cannot be returned if they have been inspected at the PVZ creates clear rules for all market participants. This will reduce the areas of legal uncertainty and make the interaction between buyer and seller more predictable," emphasizes the head of the MARMP.
First of all, restricting the return of goods after receiving them reduces the possibility of abuse, protecting the interests of honest business, he is convinced. This approach can significantly discipline the online trading market.
The proposed measures are a regulatory clarification and consolidation of practices that are already being implemented by marketplaces, Mikhail Khachaturian believes.
"The legislative approval of these rules will allow us to form a more responsible approach to consumer orders," the expert believes.
AKIT also supports the proposals of the Ministry of Economic Development, said Artyom Sokolov, president of the association. Particularly important, in his opinion, is the ban on the return of food, medicines and medical products.
— We propose to extend such standards to all formats of distance trading, not just to digital platforms. Uniform rules for the entire online channel are a logical solution, including in order not to confuse consumers," the Izvestia source points out.
It is worth noting that the list of high-quality goods that can be exchanged after purchase is still limited today, recalls Vadim Kovrigin, associate Professor at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics. For example, it includes technically complex products. These rules apply to both offline and online trading.
"However, extending the list of non—refundable goods to cases where they are issued to the customs Union and delivered with fitting, where it is possible to familiarize yourself with the order, requires careful additional study so that the rules are acceptable to buyers and do not cause rejection," Sokolov urges.
Law and order
At the same time, it is important to understand that the buyer's right to quality goods remains unconditional, Alexey Molodykh emphasizes. The law will be on the consumer's side if the product is of inadequate quality. The initiative of the Ministry of Economic Development refers to cases when the buyer tries to return the purchased goods for far-fetched reasons.
— The return of goods of inadequate quality is regulated by articles 18-24 of the Law on Consumer Protection. And it is not reset by lists of non-returnable goods. The basic protection of buyers from defects remains, only the rules for returning goods of proper quality are configured, taking into account the specifics of the platforms," explains Alexey Govyrin.
The buyer retains the right to quality goods in full, but now he is invited to take a more responsible approach to the inspection of the order immediately upon receipt, Alexey Nezhivoy clarifies. The consumer should understand that a thorough inspection of the product is his responsibility.
— If a person picks up a purchase without looking, he loses the right to return the goods of proper quality. But if there is an obvious defect, substitution or counterfeit in the closed package, the law comes into force," the expert points out.
This approach is not an infringement of citizens' rights, but the formation of a civilized consumer culture, where both the seller and the buyer act in a predictable and honest framework, he is convinced.
Careful inspection before receipt is also important to identify cases in which initially high-quality goods were damaged during transportation, says Molodykh. Responsibility for such situations will lie with the site and the delivery service. However, it is important for the buyer to fix the damage at the time of receipt.
— This is exactly why there is an inspection at the PVZ: the buyer sees the defect, does not pick up the goods, and the issue is resolved according to the standard procedure for returning the defect. Transparent fixation at the receiving stage protects the consumer's rights in full," the president of MARMP is convinced.
The procedure for inspecting goods at the customs warehouse or at the courier should be made mandatory in order to clearly separate damage in logistics from damage after receipt, Govyrin believes. Quality control under cameras will reduce the number of disputes between buyer and seller, Alexey Moskalenko agrees.
— With a remote purchase, the consumer should still look at and pick up the product. Now no one forbids this and should not forbid it," the head of APET draws attention.
Market recovery
Alexey Molodykh does not expect a significant outflow of customers offline if the new rules are adopted. First of all, because this type of trade has a different audience and purchase scenarios. On the contrary, according to the expert, clear rules of the game will increase trust in online platforms.
— When the consumer understands that fraudulent schemes are suppressed, and sellers are protected from unfair refunds, this creates a healthy competitive environment. The buyer will continue to choose the channel that is more convenient for him, but with confidence that his rights are protected and the rules are the same for everyone. This is not a question of restrictions, but of a civilized market," he emphasizes.
Alexey Govyrin does not see the risk of an outflow of customers offline either. According to AKIT estimates, in the first nine months of 2025, the volume of online commerce in Russia amounted to about 8.2 trillion rubles, and the share of online retail sales reached 18.3%, the parliamentarian recalls. Against the background of such popularity, a more realistic scenario is not a mass withdrawal offline, but a change in consumer behavior.
Some customers who are used to ordering dozens of products online for fitting may be deterred by the new rules, Sofya Lukinova does not exclude. But this outflow will not be massive.
— Online shopping has become part of people's daily routine because of its convenience. If the new rules are clear and transparent to consumers, and the interface of refund forms remains standard, mass consumer discontent can be avoided," admits the Izvestia interlocutor.
At the same time, the departure of a small percentage of customers to regular stores will only improve the online retail market, Alexey Nezhivoy is convinced. Those who abuse their rights often do not even belong to the category of buyers, because they do not purchase, but exploit the product, Alexey Moskalenko clarifies. And conscientious consumers who use the platform to make a real purchase will not be intimidated by possible restrictions on returns, the expert is sure.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
