An experiment with an electronic complaint book for marketplaces will be launched on Gosuslugi. The project is being prepared by Rospotrebnadzor and Mintsifry: users will be able to submit complaints about problems with sellers and try to resolve disputes out of court.
The new service will operate within the framework of the federal project "State for People". According to Rospotrebnadzor, the review of an appeal should take up to seven calendar days, and the user will receive a response from the marketplace owner in their personal account.
At the first stage, complaints can be filed for goods of inadequate quality purchased on Ozon and Wildberries. Typical situations include refusal to accept goods back within seven days after purchase, even if return conditions are met, or refusal to refund money after goods are returned.
The experiment is being launched against the backdrop of the growing role of marketplaces in trade. According to Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, about 1 million sellers operate on Russian digital platforms, and approximately 80% of them belong to small and medium-sized businesses.
From October 1, a law on the platform economy will also come into force in Russia. It should establish new rules for digital platforms, sellers, and buyers. In parallel, businesses propose to strengthen the fight against counterfeiting on marketplaces, including additional requirements for foreign sellers and mechanisms for compensating damages to copyright holders.