Announcement on Tightened Control of Epidemic Prevention Products on AliExpress

Dear sellers,

To comply with the relevant laws and market regulatory requirements, provide a better business environment, improve AliExpress’ overall product quality and logistical efficiency, and optimize the shopping experience, the platform has once again updated its rules for listing and delivery of epidemic prevention products. Here are the details:

•  Rules on the listing of epidemic prevention products

I. Requirement on release category

1. According to the rules in force, medical masks (classified as medical devices) must be released under the category:

Beauty & Health>> Health Care >> Household Health Monitors >> Medical Masks

2. Non-medical protective masks are strictly forbidden to be released under the categories other than the following four categories:

Beauty & Health>> Health Care>> Personal Health Care>> Masks（None Medical）

Security & Protection>> Workplace Safety Supplies>> Masks>> Protective Mask

Security & Protection>> Workplace Safety Supplies>> Masks>> Dust Mask

Mother & Kids>> Baby Care>> Baby Health Care>> Baby Protective Mask

3. Note: It is forbidden to display masks for adults under "Baby Protective Mask". Any violation counts as wrong categorization and incurs penalties.

II. Product listing standard

1. Medical masks

(1) When listing medical masks, sellers should enter or upload product qualifications. Such qualifications vary across markets:

· Medical masks made in China must obtain a registration number for Class II devices from the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) (mandatory)

· Medical masks sold to the EU require CE certification (optional)

· Medical masks sold to the US require FDA approval (optional)

· Medical masks sold to South Korea require KC certification (optional)

(2) When listing medical masks, sellers should put the following statement on the product detail page:

Please be kindly note:

-       Listed product is produced and distributed abroad and subject to the laws of its country of origin.

-       You may purchase the products for personal use only.

(3) FAQ about qualification submission: https://sell.aliexpress.com/__pc/LfHYeAD1WC.htm

2. Non-medical protective masks

(1) Do not list non-medical protective masks under the "Medical Masks" category. Do not describe any medical use. Select the country of origin, safety standard, protection level, and other attributes based on the product. When listing masks that purport to be classified as N95, KN95, KF94, FFP2, and the like, sellers must select the protection levels and upload the corresponding certificates or test reports to the pages of main product image and product details.

(2) The platform opened the portal for uploading CE marking for protective masks on March 12, 2020. For details, see Announcement on Encouraging Sellers to Obtain CE Marking for Mask Products.

3) When listing ordinary non-medical masks, sellers should put the following statement on the product detail page:

-       Please be kindly note, the listed product is produced and distributed abroad and subject to the laws of its country of origin.

3. Others

(1) It is forbidden to sell non-compliant medical/antiviral products on the platform. For consumer experience, sellers of epidemic prevention products need to ensure their products are of high quality and purchase the products through legitimate channels;

(2) Sellers are forbidden to list and sell any product whose descriptions contain the word COVID-19 or carry any indication of the virus. Sellers shall not post any texts, images, or videos containing the word "COVID-19" (in any languages), or its variants, acronyms, abbreviations, and code names in any parts of the platform, such as the product information pages (including but not limited to product titles, rules, attributes, photos, and detail descriptions) and store information (including but not limited to banners, store introductions, and contacts). Meanwhile, the texts, images, and videos posted by the sellers shall not include any description or publicity of product usage for prevention and treatment of, testing and cure for, and immunity to COVID-19, not to mention any exaggerated/false description of product standards and effects. For example, descriptions containing such words as antivirus, virus, coronavirus, COVID-19, 2019-nCoV, and SARS-CoV-2, or with geographically or racially biased wording;

(3) It is forbidden to put ordinary masks and professional protective masks under the same URL and list them using the same SKU. The platform will intensify its efforts to punish such fraudulent listing;

(4) It is forbidden to falsely add a protection level when listing ordinary masks. These masks may not be described as medical masks or using terms like N95, N99, FFPP1, etc;

(5) It is forbidden to market epidemic prevention products, including masks, thermometers, oxygen generators, oximeters, respirators, glucometers, hand sanitizers/disinfectants, protective clothing, goggles, gloves, wipes, and face shields, by unfair methods of competition, including but not limited to selling products at ultra-low or ultra-high prices;

(6) It is forbidden to use epidemic information to introduce or recommend a product, including but not limited to sales promotion by presenting consumers masks or other epidemic prevention products.

III. Violations and punishments

1. If a product is found to have been improperly listed for the first time, the platform will take it down. In case of a repeated violation, the platform will delete the product.

2. If a product is found to have been listed under an incorrect category, the penalties are as follows: If a medical mask is not listed under the category of Medical Masks, the product will be taken down for further editing for the first violation and deleted for the second violation.

3. If the product qualifications are fraudulent, the platform will mete out punishments to the store concerned, including but not limited to (i) returning the product or deleting the product information; (ii) restricting listing of the product; (iii) temporarily freezing the AliExpress/payment account; and (iv) closing the AliExpress account. For users whose AliExpress accounts are closed, AliExpress has the right to prevent the user from signing up for AliExpress again.

Reminder: Sellers are advised to check the product qualifications before listing, so as to avoid punishments due to non-compliance. The relevant official databases open to public access include but are not limited to:

(1) List of notified bodies for CE marking: https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/nando/index.cfm?fuseaction=notifiedbody.main. Please ensure the bodies have the regulatory authority (see 93/42/EEC Medical Devices, Regulation (EU) 2016/425 - Personal Protective Equipment, etc.)

(2) FDA's database of listed devices: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfRL/rl.cfm

(3) Registered Chinese medical devices: http://qy1.sfda.gov.cn/datasearchcnda/face3/base.jsp?tableId=26&tableName=TABLE26&title=%B9%FA%B2%FA%C6%F7%D0%B5&bcId=118103058617027083838706701567

•  Instructions on the Rules for Listing and Delivery of Epidemic Prevention Products

I. Lead time and logistics routes (upgraded)

To provide consumers with better logistics support and shopping experience during the outbreak, the platform will make the following policy adjustments:

1. The platform will adjust the lead time for orders of epidemic prevention products from 7 working days to 72 hours, that is, if a seller fails to complete the delivery within 72 hours since the order is paid successfully, the order will be closed by the system for overtime, and the payment will be returned to the buyer. The order status will be displayed as: "Closed and unfulfilled". The new policy is estimated to take effect on April 3, 2020 (Beijing time). Stay tuned.

2. The platform will suspend economic, easy and custom logistics routes for 30 categories except those involving liquid, magnetic or electrical products. It means that anti-epidemic products can only be shipped through registered or standard routes during the pandemic. Please adjust the logistics freight template for corresponding categories in advance. The new policy is estimated to take effect on April 10, 2020 (Beijing time). Stay tuned. The table below lists the categories involved in this new policy:

Note: If your products have signed up for a platform campaign using an old freight template, and you have set the economic, easy and custom routes only, suspending these routes will prevent you from delivering orders to corresponding countries during the campaign. In this case, please contact Online Customer Service and provide your product ID, campaign name, and campaign ID to apply for withdrawal.

Access Marketing Campaigns > Platform Campaigns > All > Pending and Active Campaigns. Platform campaigns after April 10, 2020 will be affected.

II. Improved performance assessment

1. Failure-to-deliver Assessment Rules

(1) Criteria: AliExpress will assess the 7-day failure-to-deliver rate of epidemic prevention products. Failure to achieve the required 7-day failure-to-deliver rate in the last 30 days will threaten the normal operation and traffic of the store and put it at risk of product banning, rating score deduction and account freeze.

(2) Indicator: The trailing 7-day (calendar day) failure-to-deliver rate, i.e.:

Numerator: Orders that the seller failed to deliver or that the buyer canceled (reason attributed to the seller) over the past 7 days;

Denominator: Paid orders (having passed risk control) over the past 7 days.

(3) Time: Weekly, starting from April 10, 2020 (Beijing time).

(4) Scope: The assessment will cover the orders of epidemic prevention products including but not limited to masks, thermometers, oximeters, ventilators, blood glucose meters, hand sanitizers/disinfectants, protective gear, goggles and face shields.

(5) Punishment:

(6) For more information, see AliExpress Rules on Handling Failure-to-deliver Orders.

2. Logistics information upload rate assessment

(1) Criteria: AliExpress will assess the 7-day logistics information upload rate of epidemic prevention products. Failure to achieve the required 7-day logistics information upload rate in the last 30 days will threaten the normal operation and traffic of the store and put it at risk of product banning, rating score deduction, and account freeze.

(2) Indicator: the 7-day logistics information upload rate in the last 30 calendar days. A rate of no less than 90% is acceptable while a rate below 80% needs to be treated seriously. For more information, please see the Announcement on Implementing AliExpress Rules on Logistics Information Upload Rate.

Note: The lead time for orders of epidemic prevention products will be adjusted to 72 hours. Please deliver such orders in time to ensure you meet the 7-day logistics information upload rate requirement.

(3) Scope: The assessment will cover the orders of epidemic prevention products including but not limited to masks, thermometers, oximeters, ventilators, blood glucose meters, hand sanitizers/disinfectants, protective gear, goggles and face shields.

3. Falsified shipping

(1) Criteria: Falsified shipping violations are subdivided into general falsified shipping violations and serious falsified shipping violations according to severity. Serious falsified shipping violations include but are not limited to the following circumstances:

a) Large order(s) involved in falsified shipping violations;

b) The buyer and the seller are involved in malicious collusion in falsified shipping, i.e. misleading AliExpress to settle an order without actual transaction;

c) Frequent occurrences of general falsified shipping violations.

(2) Punishment:

(3) Indicator: For more information, see AliExpress Rules on Handling Falsified Shipping.

•  Miscellaneous

Stores engaged in severe violations of the platform regulations will be penalized in accordance with the AliExpress Rules on Handling Severe Disruption of Platform Order:
Serious violation: 12 points/time, freezing the AliExpress account for seven days
Extremely Serious violation: 48 points/time, closing the AliExpress account

For more information about penalties for disrupting platform order, see the following rules:

Analysis of Search Cheating Cases and Penalty Rules

AliExpress Rules on Handling Severe Disruption of Platform Order

For AliExpress announcements on the epidemic, view     Country-specific Sales Bans and Restrictions During the Pandemic (Constantly Updated).    

Thank you for your understanding. AliExpress appreciates your continued support and trust amid the coronavirus outbreak.

AliExpress

March 31, 2020