A China-based e-commerce platform recently found itself in hot water after a sweater labeled as “100% cashmere” was tested to contain zero cashmere. The news of this incident quickly went viral on Baidu’s hot search list on December 6.
According to a report by the Yangzi Evening News on December 4, Mr. Qi from Suzhou purchased two sweaters on November 2 from an e-commerce platform at a price of 188 yuan per piece. The product description indicated that the fabric was made of “100% cashmere.”
Before making the purchase, Mr. Qi expressed doubts about the price during a live stream and asked the seller, “Cashmere sweaters don’t seem to be priced like this.” However, the seller claimed it was a “clearance sale.” Mr. Qi proceeded with the order.
Upon receiving the items, Mr. Qi noticed that the clothing labels clearly stated “cashmere,” but when he tried them on, they felt prickly. He contacted the customer service of the store multiple times to confirm if it was truly “100% cashmere.” The customer service of the store repeatedly assured him that it was pure cashmere and dismissed Mr. Qi’s concerns about the clothes being scratchy, stating that they would become softer with wear and even suggested getting them inspected by a professional department.
At his own expense, Mr. Qi sent the clothes to the National Quality Inspection Center for Woolen Knit Products (Zhejiang) for testing. The National Quality Inspection Center for Woolen Knit Products (Zhejiang) is a state-level statutory technical institution authorized by the China National Accreditation Administration.
On November 18, the testing report issued by the center showed that the fiber content of the clothes sent by Mr. Qi was actually “100% wool.”
Following the incident, Mr. Qi demanded the platform to “refund three times the purchase price” and compensate for transportation expenses, testing fees, and loss of work, but the platform only offered a refund. Mr. Qi expressed his dissatisfaction with this resolution. The platform stated to the media that they will communicate further with the consumer and the seller.
Additionally, according to a report by China News Latitude in November this year, a person in charge of a cashmere enterprise in Qinghe County, Hebei Province, mentioned that “cashmere prices are around seven to eight hundred yuan per kilogram, while wool prices are only two to three yuan per kilogram.” The price difference between the two raw materials can reach up to three hundred times.
A netizen named “Ma Xiaochao Drinking Milk Tea” advised consumers to choose well-known brands when buying cashmere sweaters for quality assurance.