Petr Shcherbachenko attributes the following significant restrictions to marketplaces that the bill proposes:
Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2025 4:17 am
According to the explanatory note to the new bill, it was developed to establish the foundations for state regulation of the activities of marketplaces.
The main thing that the draft federal law "On state regulation of trade activities of aggregators of information about goods in the Russian Federation and on amendments to the Federal Law "On the Fundamentals of State Regulation of Trade Activities in the Russian Federation" promises to the buyer is the abolition of fees for canceling a purchase.
with the relationships belize whatsapp number database within the marketplaces themselves. For example, the online platform and the pick-up point or seller.
As one of the representatives of a large marketplace told ComNews on condition of anonymity, it was not for nothing that this bill was released on the anniversary of Joseph Stalin’s death – March 5.
"Some of the wording there is so harsh in relation to the marketplace that you can't help but think that the authors deliberately laid down a presumption of guilt for "aggregators of information about goods (that's how "marketplace" sounds in the language of the law)," a ComNews source comments.
The wording in the draft law is really cool. "Unscrupulous behavior of online platform owners can create negative consequences for the activities of sellers and order pick-up points, put them at a disadvantage, force them to work under conditions that are contrary to their commercial interests, and also create additional opportunities for monopolizing the market through the use of unfair practices," the text of the bill says.
"We do control the pick-up points, because for the buyer they are the marketplace. But we do not force them to work against their interests, but we strive to make sure that the buyer has a good impression of us. Therefore, there is a control system, including on the buyer's side, because he can evaluate the work of the pick-up point," continues ComNews' interlocutor from the marketplace industry.
"In the context of economic dependence of participants in civil transactions on aggregators of information on goods that have great economic power, the lack of regulation can lead to price violations, the creation of unfavorable and discriminatory conditions for participants in civil transactions and, ultimately, give rise to social tension, the manifestations of which have often been described in the media recently," the text of the bill reads.
"There are a lot of things being written in the media," a ComNews source briefly commented.
Representatives of marketplaces contacted by ComNews correspondent initially readily agreed to comment on the new bill. But then, apparently, they read the law, and their ardor waned.
Representatives of Ozon and SberMarket did not contact us again . The mood of the rest changed to "prepare for a blow". The Wildberries press service responded to ComNews: "The bill was not discussed with us, we will carefully study the initiative and formulate a reasoned position."
Wildberries is the only marketplace that has officially and factually spoken out about the bill. "The e-commerce industry allows millions of small and medium entrepreneurs, logistics companies, warehouse operators and their employees to earn money. Given this, regular initiatives on new regulation of marketplaces should be discussed in detail with the industry and be aimed at the long-term stable development of all participants, and not have a restraining nature," a representative of the marketplace's press service told ComNews.
He did not comment on the fact that the bill provides for the abolition of fees for canceling a purchase.
"Over the past year, the authorities have been working hard to regulate the work of marketplaces, which is associated with the development of online trade and the growing number of claims from sellers and consumers against marketplaces. In 2023, the number of purchases on marketplaces increased by 63%. The total volume of spending on marketplaces in 2023 is almost one and a half times more than in 2022. This bill is aimed at regulating marketplaces in Russia and is a change in legislation aimed at protecting the owners of pick-up points and consumers," Petr Shcherbachenko, associate professor at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, comments to ComNews.
• prohibiting the marketplace from changing the terms of the service agreement or in any way worsening the situation of sellers or owners of order pick-up points without notifying them at least 30 days in advance.
The main thing that the draft federal law "On state regulation of trade activities of aggregators of information about goods in the Russian Federation and on amendments to the Federal Law "On the Fundamentals of State Regulation of Trade Activities in the Russian Federation" promises to the buyer is the abolition of fees for canceling a purchase.
with the relationships belize whatsapp number database within the marketplaces themselves. For example, the online platform and the pick-up point or seller.
As one of the representatives of a large marketplace told ComNews on condition of anonymity, it was not for nothing that this bill was released on the anniversary of Joseph Stalin’s death – March 5.
"Some of the wording there is so harsh in relation to the marketplace that you can't help but think that the authors deliberately laid down a presumption of guilt for "aggregators of information about goods (that's how "marketplace" sounds in the language of the law)," a ComNews source comments.
The wording in the draft law is really cool. "Unscrupulous behavior of online platform owners can create negative consequences for the activities of sellers and order pick-up points, put them at a disadvantage, force them to work under conditions that are contrary to their commercial interests, and also create additional opportunities for monopolizing the market through the use of unfair practices," the text of the bill says.
"We do control the pick-up points, because for the buyer they are the marketplace. But we do not force them to work against their interests, but we strive to make sure that the buyer has a good impression of us. Therefore, there is a control system, including on the buyer's side, because he can evaluate the work of the pick-up point," continues ComNews' interlocutor from the marketplace industry.
"In the context of economic dependence of participants in civil transactions on aggregators of information on goods that have great economic power, the lack of regulation can lead to price violations, the creation of unfavorable and discriminatory conditions for participants in civil transactions and, ultimately, give rise to social tension, the manifestations of which have often been described in the media recently," the text of the bill reads.
"There are a lot of things being written in the media," a ComNews source briefly commented.
Representatives of marketplaces contacted by ComNews correspondent initially readily agreed to comment on the new bill. But then, apparently, they read the law, and their ardor waned.
Representatives of Ozon and SberMarket did not contact us again . The mood of the rest changed to "prepare for a blow". The Wildberries press service responded to ComNews: "The bill was not discussed with us, we will carefully study the initiative and formulate a reasoned position."
Wildberries is the only marketplace that has officially and factually spoken out about the bill. "The e-commerce industry allows millions of small and medium entrepreneurs, logistics companies, warehouse operators and their employees to earn money. Given this, regular initiatives on new regulation of marketplaces should be discussed in detail with the industry and be aimed at the long-term stable development of all participants, and not have a restraining nature," a representative of the marketplace's press service told ComNews.
He did not comment on the fact that the bill provides for the abolition of fees for canceling a purchase.
"Over the past year, the authorities have been working hard to regulate the work of marketplaces, which is associated with the development of online trade and the growing number of claims from sellers and consumers against marketplaces. In 2023, the number of purchases on marketplaces increased by 63%. The total volume of spending on marketplaces in 2023 is almost one and a half times more than in 2022. This bill is aimed at regulating marketplaces in Russia and is a change in legislation aimed at protecting the owners of pick-up points and consumers," Petr Shcherbachenko, associate professor at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, comments to ComNews.
• prohibiting the marketplace from changing the terms of the service agreement or in any way worsening the situation of sellers or owners of order pick-up points without notifying them at least 30 days in advance.