Shein Will Work On Its Site After Scolding from German Consumer Org
- Shein has signed a cease-and-desist agreement with the Federation of German Consumer Organizations after being accused of violating the EU Digital Services Act.
Shein has signed a cease-and-desist agreement with the Federation of German Consumer Organizations (vzbv) after it lodged a complaint against the e-commerce giant in late April.
The complaint alleged that Shein, now designated a Very Large Online Platform (VLOP) under the EU Digital Services Act (DSA), violated that regulation.
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An Instagram post from the vzbv, translated from German to English, laid out some of the consumer organizations' most serious gripes with Shein on April 29, just days after it obtained VLOP status.
"Manipulative designs, complicated complaints, hidden contact options: from the point of view of the Consumer Center Federal (vzbv), the online platform of the (ultra) fast-fashion provider Shein violates the Digital Services Act (DSA) several times," it said, also expressing concerns over "random" discounts, greenwashing and "missing information" in ratings.
A Shein spokesperson said the company has agreed to a cease-and-desist agreement and will work to update pieces of the company's site, though that person did not specify what changes the company plans to make.
"We concluded our collaborative and constructive discussions with vzbv and signed the C&D undertaking regarding areas of improvement in early May. We are committed to working with vzbv and all relevant stakeholders in Germany to deliver a safe, reliable and enjoyable shopping experience for all our customers," the spokesperson said.
The vzbv recently went after Shein competitor Temu for similar reasons. Temu has also signed a cease-and-desist agreement, the company told Sourcing Journal on Thursday.
Ramona Pop, executive director of the vzbv, voiced her approval for the declarations on X, which Sourcing Journal translated from German to English.
"Both #Temu and #Shein have issued cease and desist declarations following our warnings, good for consumers. However, there is still a lot to be done to strengthen consumer rights in the digital world!" she wrote on Friday morning.
