In addition to the traditional way of shopping at markets, stores and supermarkets, many people choose to shop online for traditional Vietnamese Lunar New Year (Tet) because of the time savings and convenience it brings.

People need to be careful to avoid fake and poor quality goods when buying online. Photo: TRAN TRUC

Preparing for upcoming Tet, Ms. Le Thi An, Thach Thang Ward, Hai Chau District, Da Nang shopped early to choose the best items. Instead of going directly to the market or supermarket like every year, she decided to make purchases through an e-commerce platform to save more money because she could apply more discount codes than when buying directly.

Similarly, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hanh from Tho Quang Ward, Son Tra District) bought some Tet items through livestream sales sessions. “Buying online saves me time and allows me to freely choose and compare product prices between sellers,” Ms. Hanh shared about her shopping experience.

Meanwhile, Mr. Cao The Cuong, Hai Chau District, Da Nang is an office worker with a busy schedule that only lasts until Tet, so he often shops online in the evening. “When I get home from work, there are often traffic jams, so when I go to the market or supermarket, I have to rush and jostle to buy everything I want. Now, online shopping helps solve those problems. E-commerce platforms and sellers also have many incentive and promotional programmes to compete with each other, so consumers like us benefit even more,” said Mr. Cuong.

Tran Tan Dat, a third-year student at the University of Economics, the University of Da Nang - UD, shared: “I often use shopping apps to buy supplies, cat food, snacks, new clothes and sports equipment. Instead of shopping in the traditional way of seeing with my own eyes and touching with my own hands, I have gradually switched to online shopping. No need to go to the place to choose the product, but through the posted images and clips, you can also choose and close the order, the goods are delivered to your door, very convenient".

However, besides the convenience, online shoppers must be careful in every aspect to avoid buying poor quality goods as introduced by the seller. As an experienced online shopper, Ms. Ho Thi Anh Thu, Khue Trung Ward, Cam Le District said that she absolutely does not buy goods when the seller does not have documents proving the origin.

“When buying goods, I am very interested in the reputation of the seller through the reviews and comments of previous buyers as a measure. In particular, I also look up information about the seller’s shop and choose famous brands to avoid unwanted situations”, Ms. Thu said.

According to a representative from the Da Nang Market Management Bureau, through a number of e-commerce platforms and social networks, some fraudsters have advertised, introduced false information about products and offered for sale smuggled goods, goods of unknown origin, counterfeit goods of famous brands and goods without invoices, documents. At the same time, they took advantage of transporting poor quality goods from abroad at cheap prices, then sold them on e-commerce platforms at prices lower than the market.

According to statistics in 2024, the Market Management Bureau and the municipal Police Department inspected and imposed a fine of more than VND 3.1 billion on administrative violation cases, including trading in smuggled goods, not fully disclosing information on e-commerce websites selling goods according to regulations.

Mr. Pham Ngoc Son, the Director of the Da Nang Market Management Bureau, said that currently, the trend of online consumption through e-commerce platforms and social networking platforms has become popular with many utilities. Therefore, in order to protect the rights of consumers in the field of e-commerce during the Lunar New Year 2025, the unit has strengthened the fight, timely prevention and thorough handling of acts of taking advantage of e-commerce channels to trade in smuggled goods, banned goods, counterfeit goods, poor quality goods and those that infringe rights, along with fraudulent acts in e-commerce activities, thereby contributing to promoting sustainable e-commerce development, protecting the rights and legitimate interests of businesses and consumers.

Reporting by TRAN TRUC - Translating by A.THU