A new survey of sellers on Shopee has revealed how sellers are prioritising safe shopping for customers. When 500 Malaysian local and independent online sellers were asked “Which is your platform of choice in operating a safe online business for customers?” in September 2023, 90 per cent chose Shopee out of nine possible other marketplaces to operate on.
“These findings demonstrate the high level of trust that Malaysian sellers have in Shopee’s ability to provide a safe and secure platform for their businesses. Our platform offers a variety of innovative features and protections that help to keep customers safe, such as Shopee Guarantee, secure payment options, and Preferred+ and Shopee Mall verification programs. Shopee also works closely with law enforcement agencies to combat fraud and protect its users,” said Kenneth Soh, Head of Marketing at Shopee.
Tangible Impact on Sellers’ Profitabilities
The #ShopSafeWithShopee survey found that nine in ten Malaysian sellers on Shopee have protected their business from any forms of online scams or fraud in the last year. Providing trusted shopping experiences has directly translated into the following tangible benefits:
- 53 per cent of sellers have protected their brand reputation with stellar ratings, avoiding loss of followers, and reducing customer complaints of their store.
- 24 per cent of sellers have saved expenses from any liabilities that could arise from scams such as order cancellations and processing fees.
- 23 per cent of sellers have sustained the long-term continuity of their operations because they can keep clients loyal and minimise or avoid online business disruptions.
These findings highlight the fact that sellers keenly understand that customers want to be confident that they are buying from trusted sellers and that their purchases are protected. By taking steps to ensure safe shopping, sellers know they can build trust with customers and boost their sales.
Prioritising Online Safety Features to Maximise Customer Trust
By design, Shopee strengthens responsible selling among its community of sellers by incentivising them to ensure high standards of service to buyers. Shopee University’s Seller Education Hub also drives education through free webinars on Malaysia Brand Protection, Return Policies, and Shopee Mall.
When asked, “When setting up your online business, what features do you prioritise to ensure your customers’ safety?” Malaysian sellers who took the survey revealed:
- 47 per cent of sellers on Shopee have established strong operational safety standards by complying with Shopee’s safe policies and guidelines, providing excellent customer service, and accumulating customer ratings and testimonials of this record.
- 35 per cent of sellers have gotten verified as Shopee Mall, Preferred+, and Preferred sellers to allow their customers to know that they follow a 100 per cent Authenticity Policy, adhere strictly to the 15-day return/refund policy for all buyers, and have no less than 95 per cent of products listed as ready stock.
- 17 per cent of sellers ensure that their customers know that Shopee offers a variety of secure payment options and return/refund policies, such as Shopee Guarantee, where payments to sellers are temporarily held by Shopee until buyers confirm that orders are fulfilled and satisfactory.
These proactive measures are in line with the expectations Malaysian customers have when seeking safe online experiences. In a similar survey of 1,000 shoppers earlier last month, Shopee found that Malaysians value the opinions of other buyers when making online purchases. They are also likely to choose sellers who have been verified by Shopee or who have a good track record of customer service.
Notes and References:
*Shopee’s 14 Aug-14 Sep 2023 Survey of 1,000 buyers and 500 sellers was voluntary across the marketplace platform to gauge the state and role of online scams in their experience of transacting online.
**Shopee Mall’s Authenticity Policy 8x Money Back: https://shopee.com.my/m/Shopee-Mall-8X-Authenticity-Policy
*** Shopee Guarantee education article https://help.shopee.com.my/portal/article/78775-[Order-Protection]-What-is-Shopee-Guarantee%3F
Source: Shopee Malaysia
