Mr. Peng from Hangzhou bought four bottles of Maotai online with the same serial number. The buyer suspected it was fake liquor. In response, the seller has been punished and shut down, but compensation cannot be met.
On April 5th, last year, Mr. Peng from Hangzhou and his friend purchased four bottles of Maotai online. After opening the package, they found that all four bottles had the same serial number. Regarding the above situation, the official customer service of Maotai stated that each serial number is unique, similar to an identity card, and theoretically should not be repeated.
According to Mr. Peng, they purchased “200 milliliters of Maotai from two invoices” on the Taobao platform during a special promotion. Upon arrival, they found that while each bottle had a serial number on the box, the serial numbers on two bottles were exactly the same.
The outer packaging of the Maotai upon arrival showed the food name as “Guizhou Maotai Liquor (sauce-flavored Baijiu),” with specifications of 100ml/bottle, originating from Maotai Town, Renhuai City, Guizhou Province, produced by Guizhou Maotai Distillery Co., Ltd.
Mr. Peng said, “I called Maotai’s direct store in Hangzhou, and they said this situation (same serial number) is impossible.” In response, Mr. Peng questioned Taobao customer service, who stated that official certification from Maotai is required to prove the liquor is fake. Mr. Peng mentioned that while doubts remained about the authenticity, Taobao released the payment to the seller after the delivery time expired.
Regarding this, Taobao provided an invoice from Beijing Wumart Commercial Group Co., Ltd., showing an amount of approximately 99,000 yuan. However, Mr. Peng stated that this does not prove that the Maotai he and his friend purchased was included. Taobao customer service also stated, “If you detect that it is fake liquor, we will assess the seller. If the assessment fails, we will reduce its visibility and sales.”
Regarding Mr. Peng’s request for a “tenfold compensation” promise, Taobao responded: Consumers raised the issue of counterfeit goods in January of this year, but at that time, they did not accept returns and demanded compensation without reaching an agreement. After the customer service initiated a refund, the buyer did not return the goods, leading to the closure of the refund, and the payment was made to the seller. The seller who sold counterfeit goods has been punished and closed since January 11th. The platform has refunded the buyer, but because the seller has been punished and closed, they do not have enough deposit, so the compensation request cannot be met.
Apart from contacting Taobao, Mr. Peng also tried to contact the seller but was unsuccessful.
Previously, Mr. Peng had complained to the market supervision department. According to the recently received network complaint handling notice, further verification is needed regarding the alleged illegal sale of unqualified food items. According to jurisdictional regulations, the suspected illegal activities of this seller will be transferred to the ZHUOZHOU Market Supervision Administration where the online store is located. As for the complaint against the platform, it does not comply with relevant regulations and will not be filed.