Case launches accreditation scheme for e-commerce businesses
Michelle Zhu
THE Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) has launched e-CaseTrust, its CaseTrust accreditation scheme for e-commerce businesses, to address issues commonly faced by consumers when they shop online.
Case co-developed the scheme with Nanyang Polytechnic’s Singapore Institute of Retail Studies (NYP-SIRS) over the course of a year.
e-CaseTrust was launched at an industry event at Zalora’s South-east Asia corporate office on Friday (Oct 13).
E-businesses under the scheme will be required to display critical information on their websites, such as the entity’s legal name, business registration number and address.
They are expected to adhere to CaseTrust’s general requirements, such as ethical advertising, price transparency, good sales and after-sales service, and business integrity.
Other industry guidelines for retail consumer-facing e-businesses will also apply. These include Case’s dispute-management framework for e-marketplaces, Singapore’s national standard for e-commerce transactions, and the guidelines on price transparency of the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore.
Case said its new CaseTrust mark will assure consumers that accredited e-businesses have mechanisms and controls in place to ensure the security of payment transactions.
It further provides assurance that such businesses are committed to being honest and transparent in how they communicate prices, delivery or shipping charges, and other additional charges, added Case.
Melvin Yong, president of Case, described e-CaseTrust as “the only consumer trust mark for e-businesses in Singapore amid the rapid growth of e-commerce”.
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“I encourage e-businesses to apply for accreditation as a sign of commitment to standards, consumer confidence and service excellence. Being on the CaseTrust whitelist will help accredited e-businesses differentiate themselves in a diverse e-market space.”
Case will work with Lazada Singapore to encourage sellers on its platform to apply for the accreditation. The association said it intends to explore opportunities with Lazada to increase the visibility of accredited e-businesses, so that consumers can easily identify such businesses.
Businesses looking to get on board may submit their applications on Case’s website. They may also sign up for a series of workshops conducted by NYP-SIRS to guide e-businesses through the accreditation process.
On top of an initial application fee of S$324, applicants will be asked to pay fees ranging from S$367.20 for an interim assessment of a small business (with a sales turnover under S$1 million), to S$2,700 for full assessment of a business with a sales turnover of over S$15 million.
Depending on the size of the e-business, an annual management fee ranging from S$756 to S$2,484 is also payable. All fees are inclusive of goods and services tax.
Case in August reported that it received 1,703 complaints involving online purchases in the first half of the year to Jun 30 – up 54 per cent from 1,107 cases in the corresponding year-ago period.
The rise in number of complaints prompted the association to look into developing the accreditation scheme.
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