Online shoppers in Mayo short-changed by fake firms
A deluge of Chinese e-commerce into Irish homes is leaving some locals feeling shortchanged in the wake of Christmas,
A regular reader of the Western People, Sajid Chaudry of Hazelhill, Ballyhaunis, explained how he recently made purchases on a website operated by Chinese e-commerce company masquerading as a well-known brand.
“I saw an ad on Facebook for Stanley steel cups and flasks and because the price was good I ordered but the website I clicked onto wasn’t really Stanley but an imitation.”
He’s still waiting for delivery of the goods.
A long-running state effort by China to increase its exports through cross-border online commerce has been wildly successful with TEMU, Shein, AliExpress, and similar platforms estimated to have shipped $90 billion worth of products in 2024, up an incredible 40% year-on-year. Shipments to the EU were estimated at $19 billion, up from $13 billion in 2023, according to China Customs data.
The surge has wiped out middlemen and retailers around the world and both the EU and US have promised a clampdown on imports using the globally accepted de minimis trade principle whereby small, personal packages below a certain value are not subject to import taxes.
