France has imposed fines totaling €22 million on fast-fashion company Shein over issues related to returns, product information, and order confirmations. The company described the penalties as disproportionate and announced that it will appeal the decision.
France’s Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) announced that it had fined Shein €16.7 million for issues concerning order confirmations and €5.8 million for matters related to returns and environmental quality information.
“Technical issues with no impact on consumers, which are already being addressed where necessary, have been used as the basis for an excessive penalty,” a Shein spokesperson said in a statement. “We therefore intend to challenge both sanctions in their entirety.”
France had previously imposed a €40 million fine on Shein in July for allegedly misleading discount practices.
Authorities also sought to suspend the operation of the marketplace hosted on Shein’s website, but the Paris Court of Appeal rejected that move in March.
Shein, which has attracted millions of consumers worldwide with its very low prices, has faced increased scrutiny in France since November, when the consumer protection authority found child-like sex dolls and prohibited weapons being offered for sale on its website.
Since then, “we have decided not to leave these platforms alone and will continue taking action until they completely change their practices or leave our market,” wrote Serge Papin in a post on X.
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