Shopee: Difference between revisions

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'''{{Wplink|Shopee|Shopee Pte., Ltd.}}''', commonly known as '''Shopee''', is an e-commerce website, founded in 2015 in Singapore, operating primarily in southeast Asia and Latin America. Shopee operates under '''{{Wplink|Sea Ltd}}''', which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the $SE ticker.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sea Limited (SE) |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/SE/ |url-status=live |access-date=19 Mar 2025 |website=yahoo! finance}}</ref>

Shopee is for the East (outside of China ~~and Latin America~~) as [[Amazon]] is for much of the West. Shopee has been named the largest e-commerce platform in southeast Asia, with almost half of the the region's $47.9 billion USD in total gross merchandise volume in 2023 being attributed to Shopee.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ecommerce in Southeast Asia 2023 |url=https://momentum.asia/product/ecommerce-in-southeast-asia-2023/ |url-status=live |access-date=19 Mar 2025 |website=Momentum}}</ref>

Shopee is for the East (outside of China) as [[Amazon]] is for much of the West. Shopee has been named the largest e-commerce platform in southeast Asia, with almost half of the the region's $47.9 billion USD in total gross merchandise volume in 2023 being attributed to Shopee.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ecommerce in Southeast Asia 2023 |url=https://momentum.asia/product/ecommerce-in-southeast-asia-2023/ |url-status=live |access-date=19 Mar 2025 |website=Momentum}}</ref>

Coincidentally, Shopee is known to engage in unethical behavior. While Shopee does not sell the majority of its products directly and relies on a vast number of sellers to shape its online marketplace, the fact that unethical or illegal practices have been allowed to continue for years and are still present to this day without any intervention suggest that Shopee is complicit in misleading consumers.

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===Incentivized reviews===

TODO: Discuss users being incentivized to post five-star reviews before using or unboxing products

===Removal of unfavorable reviews===

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==Forced app download==

E-commerce giant Shopee which has a strong hold in online retail in South East Asia and Latin America has integrated a soft [[Forced App Download Experience|forced app download experience]] to their customer experience since 2022 through coupon use restrictions.

E-commerce giant Shopee which has a strong hold in online retail in South East Asia and Latin America has integrated a soft [[Forced App Download Experience|forced app download experience]] to their customer experience since 2022 through coupon use restrictions.{{Citation needed}}

While it is still possible to browse, shop and checkout on a web browser, coupons usable on the web experience (regardless if mobile or desktop device) are limited to "Shipping Discount" coupons only. All other shopping coupons "Discount & Cashback" are only usable with Shopee's apps on iOS and Android.

While it is still possible to browse, shop and checkout on a web browser, coupons usable on the web experience (regardless if mobile or desktop device) are limited to "Shipping Discount" coupons only. All other shopping coupons "Discount & Cashback" are only usable with Shopee's apps on iOS and Android.{{Citation needed}}

When a customer attempts to check out on a web browser, Shopee shows that Discount & Cashback coupons are not usable because "Current device does not meet voucher T&C." On closer inspection of the terms and conditions of those coupons, Shopee specifies "Device: iOS, Android." What they are referring to is you must download and use their mobile apps for those operating systems in order to use most of their coupons. As pictured, the coupons are still not available on iOS and Android devices if the customer is using their web browser. They are required to download the Shopee app.

When a customer attempts to check out on a web browser, Shopee shows that Discount & Cashback coupons are not usable because "Current device does not meet voucher T&C." On closer inspection of the terms and conditions of those coupons, Shopee specifies "Device: iOS, Android." What they are referring to is you must download and use their mobile apps for those operating systems in order to use most of their coupons. As pictured, the coupons are still not available on iOS and Android devices if the customer is using their web browser. They are required to download the Shopee app.{{Citation needed}}

[[File:Shopee restricts coupon usage to app only.png|thumb|'''LEFT:''' Shopee limits customers to using "Shipping Discount" coupons only if checking out on a web browser (desktop and mobile).'''MIDDLE:''' All other shopping coupons "Discount & Cashback" are only usable with Shopee's apps on iOS and Android.'''RIGHT:''' Closer inspection of the terms and conditions where Shopee specifies a device requirement for using many of their coupons. When Shopee specifies "Device: iOS, Android," they mean customers must download and use their mobile apps for those operating systems in order to use most of their coupons. Using a web browser on iOS and Android does not count and the coupons in question remain disabled in this scenario.]]

[[File:Shopee product stacking different product.png|thumb|Shopee product stacking with seller listing unrelated products as variants under 1 product listing.]]

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*Fraudulent products are a problem known to exist on the platform. For example, an allegedly 2TB SD card selling at one-fifth what its price should be due to {{Wplink|Forgery|spoofed}} capacity.

*Fake claims such as "magnetic" screen protectors for tablets that come with no magnetic properties and tear-off strips for adhesive.

*Fake claims such as "magnetic" screen protectors for tablets that come with no magnetic properties and tear-off strips for adhesive.{{Citation needed}}

==Deterring returns and exchanges==

Shopee and its sellers operate under the very South East Asian "low trust" principle, which assumes the customer is ''always'' lying. The default way to handle returns and exchanges is to always ask for the original product back, which can be challenging for returning products that are low-priced but bulky (e.g., a clothes drying rack) and/or require assembly (e.g., cheap Chinese furniture that makes up the bulk of furniture across Shopee's regional websites).

Shopee and its sellers operate under the very South East Asian "low trust" principle, which assumes the customer is ''always'' lying. The default way to handle returns and exchanges is to always ask for the original product back, which can be challenging for returning products that are low-priced but bulky (e.g., a clothes drying rack) and/or require assembly (e.g., cheap Chinese furniture that makes up the bulk of furniture across Shopee's regional websites).{{Citation needed}}

~~==Gating content behind a login wall==~~

~~From time to time, when landing on Shopee's website (either direct or via search results), users will be redirected to the login page and are prevented from browsing products.~~

~~No doubt this is a feature still being~~ {{~~Wplink|A/B testing|A/B tested~~}}~~. There are several advantages for Shopee doing this, such as being able to link browsing behavior directly to users and making it difficult to compare prices without an account.~~

==References==

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 '''{{Wplink|Shopee|Shopee Pte., Ltd.}}''', commonly known as '''Shopee''', is an e-commerce website, founded in 2015 in Singapore, operating primarily in southeast Asia and Latin America. Shopee operates under '''{{Wplink|Sea Ltd}}''', which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the $SE ticker.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sea Limited (SE) |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/SE/ |url-status=live |access-date=19 Mar 2025 |website=yahoo! finance}}</ref>
-Shopee is for the East (outside of China and Latin America) as [[Amazon]] is for much of the West. Shopee has been named the largest e-commerce platform in southeast Asia, with almost half of the the region's $47.9 billion USD in total gross merchandise volume in 2023 being attributed to Shopee.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ecommerce in Southeast Asia 2023 |url=https://momentum.asia/product/ecommerce-in-southeast-asia-2023/ |url-status=live |access-date=19 Mar 2025 |website=Momentum}}</ref>
+Shopee is for the East (outside of China) as [[Amazon]] is for much of the West. Shopee has been named the largest e-commerce platform in southeast Asia, with almost half of the the region's $47.9 billion USD in total gross merchandise volume in 2023 being attributed to Shopee.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ecommerce in Southeast Asia 2023 |url=https://momentum.asia/product/ecommerce-in-southeast-asia-2023/ |url-status=live |access-date=19 Mar 2025 |website=Momentum}}</ref>
 Coincidentally, Shopee is known to engage in unethical behavior. While Shopee does not sell the majority of its products directly and relies on a vast number of sellers to shape its online marketplace, the fact that unethical or illegal practices have been allowed to continue for years and are still present to this day without any intervention suggest that Shopee is complicit in misleading consumers.
@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 ===Incentivized reviews===
 {{Incomplete section}}
-TODO: Discuss users being incentivized to post five-star reviews before using or unboxing products
+<!-- TODO: Discuss users being incentivized to post five-star reviews before using or unboxing products -->
 ===Removal of unfavorable reviews===
@@ Line 59: / Line 59: @@
 ==Forced app download==
-E-commerce giant Shopee which has a strong hold in online retail in South East Asia and Latin America has integrated a soft [[Forced App Download Experience|forced app download experience]] to their customer experience since 2022 through coupon use restrictions.
+E-commerce giant Shopee which has a strong hold in online retail in South East Asia and Latin America has integrated a soft [[Forced App Download Experience|forced app download experience]] to their customer experience since 2022 through coupon use restrictions.{{Citation needed}}
-While it is still possible to browse, shop and checkout on a web browser, coupons usable on the web experience (regardless if mobile or desktop device) are limited to "Shipping Discount" coupons only. All other shopping coupons "Discount & Cashback" are only usable with Shopee's apps on iOS and Android.
+While it is still possible to browse, shop and checkout on a web browser, coupons usable on the web experience (regardless if mobile or desktop device) are limited to "Shipping Discount" coupons only. All other shopping coupons "Discount & Cashback" are only usable with Shopee's apps on iOS and Android.{{Citation needed}}
-When a customer attempts to check out on a web browser, Shopee shows that Discount & Cashback coupons are not usable because "Current device does not meet voucher T&C." On closer inspection of the terms and conditions of those coupons, Shopee specifies "Device: iOS, Android." What they are referring to is you must download and use their mobile apps for those operating systems in order to use most of their coupons. As pictured, the coupons are still not available on iOS and Android devices if the customer is using their web browser. They are required to download the Shopee app.
+When a customer attempts to check out on a web browser, Shopee shows that Discount & Cashback coupons are not usable because "Current device does not meet voucher T&C." On closer inspection of the terms and conditions of those coupons, Shopee specifies "Device: iOS, Android." What they are referring to is you must download and use their mobile apps for those operating systems in order to use most of their coupons. As pictured, the coupons are still not available on iOS and Android devices if the customer is using their web browser. They are required to download the Shopee app.{{Citation needed}}
 [[File:Shopee restricts coupon usage to app only.png|thumb|'''LEFT:''' Shopee limits customers to using "Shipping Discount" coupons only if checking out on a web browser (desktop and mobile).'''MIDDLE:''' All other shopping coupons "Discount & Cashback" are only usable with Shopee's apps on iOS and Android.'''RIGHT:''' Closer inspection of the terms and conditions where Shopee specifies a device requirement for using many of their coupons. When Shopee specifies "Device: iOS, Android," they mean customers must download and use their mobile apps for those operating systems in order to use most of their coupons. Using a web browser on iOS and Android does not count and the coupons in question remain disabled in this scenario.]]
 [[File:Shopee product stacking different product.png|thumb|Shopee product stacking with seller listing unrelated products as variants under 1 product listing.]]
@@ Line 82: / Line 82: @@
 *Fraudulent products are a problem known to exist on the platform. For example, an allegedly 2TB SD card selling at one-fifth what its price should be due to {{Wplink|Forgery|spoofed}} capacity.
-*Fake claims such as "magnetic" screen protectors for tablets that come with no magnetic properties and tear-off strips for adhesive.
+*Fake claims such as "magnetic" screen protectors for tablets that come with no magnetic properties and tear-off strips for adhesive.{{Citation needed}}
 ==Deterring returns and exchanges==
-Shopee and its sellers operate under the very South East Asian "low trust" principle, which assumes the customer is ''always'' lying. The default way to handle returns and exchanges is to always ask for the original product back, which can be challenging for returning products that are low-priced but bulky (e.g., a clothes drying rack) and/or require assembly (e.g., cheap Chinese furniture that makes up the bulk of furniture across Shopee's regional websites).
+Shopee and its sellers operate under the very South East Asian "low trust" principle, which assumes the customer is ''always'' lying. The default way to handle returns and exchanges is to always ask for the original product back, which can be challenging for returning products that are low-priced but bulky (e.g., a clothes drying rack) and/or require assembly (e.g., cheap Chinese furniture that makes up the bulk of furniture across Shopee's regional websites).{{Citation needed}}
-==Gating content behind a login wall==
-From time to time, when landing on Shopee's website (either direct or via search results), users will be redirected to the login page and are prevented from browsing products.
-No doubt this is a feature still being {{Wplink|A/B testing|A/B tested}}. There are several advantages for Shopee doing this, such as being able to link browsing behavior directly to users and making it difficult to compare prices without an account.
 ==References==