May 27, 2025 11:25:00

European Commission announces findings that SHEIN displayed 'false discount information' and 'false purchase deadlines'

The European Commission and the Consumer Protection Cooperation Network (CPC) have sent a notice to the Chinese fast fashion company

SHEIN , alleging that 'several actions violate EU consumer protection law.' The European Commission is continuing its investigation into SHEIN.

Commission and national authorities urge SHEIN to respect EU consumer protection laws
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_1331

SHEIN is a fast fashion company founded in China in 2012, which has moved its headquarters to Singapore and operates in over 150 countries and regions, including Japan, at the time of writing. Many of the products sold at SHEIN are inexpensive, making it popular with users who want to keep their clothing costs down.

In the EU

, the Digital Services Act (DSA) has been enacted, which requires large online platforms to protect users online, and on April 26, 2024, SHEIN was designated as a 'large platform' and became subject to DSA regulations. Subsequently, the European Commission, the EU's executive body, and the CPC Network, responsible for consumer protection, began an investigation into SHEIN, and on May 26, 2025, SHEIN was notified that 'several acts violate EU consumer protection law,' and asked for compliance with the law.

The actions that the European Commission and the CPC Network cited as violations by SHEIN include:

Fake discounts
SHEIN's product sales pages often display discounted prices such as 'X% off the original price.' However, this 'original price' is a lie, and it seems to be a way to make it look like a discount when in fact the price is not discounted.

・Push sales
SHEIN's sales page displays information such as 'limited stock remaining' to hasten users' purchasing decisions. However, this information also contains lies.

・Insufficient information
SHEIN allegedly provided incomplete or inaccurate information about users' legal rights regarding product returns and refunds.

・Fake product labels
The company said it used 'phrases that are legally stipulated' to promote products that did not meet the standards.

-Misleading information about sustainability
The company is accused of making false or misleading representations about the sustainability of its products.

- Contact details are not displayed
SHEIN did not provide any contact information for questions or complaints, and users were unable to contact SHEIN.

In addition, the CPC Network has requested information from SHEIN to help it investigate whether its product rankings and reviews contain misleading information and how contractual obligations are divided between SHEIN and third-party vendors.

SHEIN has one month to respond to the notice, and if it does not do so, EU member states can take enforcement action against SHEIN, including 'fines based on annual turnover.'