Blind boxes must not be sold to minors under 8 years of age

Establish new rules for the business activities of blind boxes, and the State Administration of Market Supervision issues solicitation drafts

At present, toys, catering, beauty, stationery, books and many other consumer areas have set off "blind box winds", and blind boxes can be seen everywhere in the consumer market. In order to guide the blind box operator's integrity and law, in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations, the State Administration of Market Supervision issued the "Guidelines for Blind Box Business Activities (Trial) (Draft for Opinions)" on the 16th and publicly solicited opinions from the society.

The blind box uses a marketing strategy similar to a lottery. Some businesses create the concept of "series" and set up a "hidden model" that is most difficult to get for hunger marketing. The probability of drawing is very low. This has made many consumers get intoxicating to enjoy the uncertainty and surprise brought by the dismantling box, which is easy to buy impulsively and promotes irrational consumption behavior. Compared with ordinary products, blind boxes have strong information asymmetry. Consumers can only rely on merchant's advertising to buy, and it is easy to be misleading by false publicity such as merchants to exaggerate product value and fictional prize probability.

In this regard, the draft of the solicitation of comments proposed that the blind box operator should publicize the product name, type, style, drawing rules, the number of investments, the probability of hidden models, and the scope of value. Essence Blind box operators shall not induce consumption in disguise in disguise through the background manipulation changes and random adjustment of the probability of extraction.

In terms of price, the discussion draft is clear that the blind box operator provides goods or services to be marked. The price gap between the price of the commodity of blind boxes should not be excessive as the price of the product of the same type of non -blind box.

Some consumers report that some products may not meet the relevant national standard safety indicators after disassembling the blind box; some may be counterfeit and shoddy products or secondary sales products; Three products.

In this regard, the draft of the comments proposes that drugs, medical devices, special cosmetics, toxic and harmful items, flammable and explosive items, living animals, food, etc. in terms of conditions, storage, transportation, inspection and quarantine, supervision and management, etc. , Do not sell it in the form of a blind box. The products produced and operated by blind box operators shall meet the requirements of laws and regulations on quality and safety. If the goods or services provided by the blind box operator do not meet the quality requirements or do not meet the operator, they shall fulfill the obligations such as return, replacement, and repair in accordance with the law. The excuse is exempted from the quality assurance and the obligation of after -sales service.

In response to the food and catering industry, clear requirements are made for the comments draft. Blind food operators use blind box commodities to carry out promotional activities in the process of food sales and catering services. Catering service operators shall not induce or mislead consumers with extra order.

What are the responsibilities of the online shopping platform for blind box sales? Soliciting opinions proposed that the operator of the online trading platform should strictly implement the main responsibility and regularly check the real information of the blind box operators in the platform on a regular basis.

The adolescent group is "addicted" for blind boxes because of its curiosity and insufficient consumption concepts. In the 2022 children's and student supplies safety guardianship operations carried out by the General Administration of Market Supervision, it specifically proposed to conduct hidden quality and safety hazards for "novel" toys such as blind boxes.

In this regard, the draft of the comments proposed that the blind box operator must not sell the blind box to the minor under the age of 8. Encourage relevant local departments to introduce protective measures to carry out specific specifications of the selling models of blind boxes around the elementary school campus including distance and content.

Soliciting comments draft also proposes that blind box products or services shall not contain legal and regulations such as distorted history, feudal superstition, obscene pornography, horror and violence, religious extremes, ethnic discrimination, division of the country, and the content of violation of public order. Do not engage in gambling activities in the name of a blind box. According to Xinhua News Agency

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