Several days ago, Taobao.com, the biggest Chinese E-Commerce platform, has announced new regulations, aimed (according to Taobao) to ensure that merchandise sold through this platform will be of good quality. According to the new regulations, small-mid scale businesses who wish to sell through Taobao must pay higher annual fees, rising from 6000 yuan, to 30,000-60,000, according to the scale of merchandise. This drastic change has aroused many objections of small-mid scale businesses (the new regulations do not include large enterprises), leading to a new announcement by Taobao, clarifying the matter.
淘宝商城[1]15日下午再次发布公告，对近日有很多争议的2012年收费规则作出详细解释。因为修改收费规则受到抵触，11日晚间开始，中国最大的B2C(business-to-customer)电子商务平台[2]淘宝商城，持续受到数万名 "中小卖家[3]"的网民集体攻击[4]，部分网店[5]暂停营业。
淘宝商城在公告中表示，淘宝已经从两个半月之前与卖家沟通，通过多种途径打听卖家的建议。淘宝方面称，绝大多数卖家支持这项新规定。针对外界有关"新规定是变相涨价[6]"的质疑，淘宝方面表示，调整不是涨价。淘宝方面表示，淘宝集市[7]创建八年以来一直是免费的平台，而淘宝商城从开始就是一个收费的B2C平台，是一个企业化经营[8]的场所。淘宝方面仍将坚持新规定，不会让步[9]。
Taobao store (taobao.com) has published an announcement on the 15th afternoon, making a detailed explanation concerning their controversial 2012 fee-collecting regulations. As revising the fee-collecting regulations is problematic, since the evening of the 11th, China's biggest E-Commerce store, Taobao, is continuing to receive collective internet accusations from small-middle scale vendors. Some internet stores have even suspended their business in Taobao.
Taobao has expressed in its announcement, that it had communicated with stores on the matter already two and a half months ago, and has asked for their suggestion thorough many channels. Taobao added that the absolute majority of stores respect these new regulations. Concerning the claims from outside that the new regulations are 'disguised inflation', Taobao answered that adjustments aren't a rise in price. Taobao claims that its collectables-market has always been a free-of-charge platform, since its establishment eight years ago, while the Taobao shop has always been a B2C (business-to-customer) platform that collects fees, as it is an enterprise working on commercial basis. Taobao will persist with the new regulations and not step back.
Original article published by Xinhua News Agency
[1]淘宝商城 táobǎo shāngchéng - Taobao store, the biggest Chinese E-Commerce platform (of referred to as the 'Chinese Ebay')
[2] 电子商务平台 diànzǐshāngwù píngtái - E-Commerce platform
[3] 卖家 mài jiā - Vendors, stores
[4] 集体攻击 jítǐ gōngjī - Collective accusations
[5] 网店 wǎng diàn - Internet store
[6] 变相涨价 biànxiàng zhǎngjià - 'Disguised inflation'; raising prices under a disguise of a different purpose (in this case 'wanting to offer better service to customers')
[7] 淘宝集市 táobǎo jíshì - Taobao 'collection market', referring to individuals selling collectables and used items through Taobao, not commercial stores.
[8] 企业化经营 qǐyè huà jīngyíng - Enterprise working on a commercial basis
[9] 让步 ràngbù - Yield, step back
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