Are Temu and Alibaba safe? This is what Profeco’s monitoring of virtual stores says

MEXICO CITY (apro).- The Federal Consumer Protection Agency (Profeco) has made available to users a monitoring portal for virtual stores where people can check whether the platform has the minimum security measures to be able to purchase safely.

According to Profeco monitoring, Amazon and Mercado Libre are the ones that register the most sales and meet the minimum security requirements, the same happens with online department stores and clothing stores.

He specified that platforms such as Temu or Alibaba do not have offices in our country, so if you have a problem, Profeco will not be able to help you.

You can check if the store appears in the list by entering the link and looking for itor include the name of the platform and the type of business it is dedicated to; delivery, medicines, clothing, cell phones, etc.

In the July consumer magazine, Profeco issued some recommendations for customers to verify the minimum requirements that these platforms must meet so that users can make safe purchases.

Minimum requirements for a virtual store:

• Provide means of contact: physical address, telephone number.
• Report total costs including taxes and in national currency.
• Provide a detailed description in Spanish of the characteristics of the products and/or services.
• Present terms and conditions: payment methods, shipping or delivery conditions, cancellation, return or exchange conditions to which transactions are subject.
• Have a privacy notice.
• Respect the consumer’s decision.
• Provide security at all times.
• Do not use advertising strategies that contain unclear or confusing information.

Recommendations for users:

• Check that the page is secure: it must have security conditions such as https:// in the electronic address and an SSL padlock to protect personal data accompanied by a closed padlock icon.
• Make sure they have contact information in Mexico.
• Compare prices.
• Read the product description.
• Please review the shipping and return policies.
• Check which supplier is shipping.