Coupang prioritizes maintaining a fair, safe, and trustworthy marketplace. This guideline clearly defines seller behaviors considered malicious and in violation of laws or terms, aiming to protect customers, sellers, and the entire Coupang marketplace. Sellers must always comply with this guideline.
Prohibited Seller Conduct
Coupang prohibits the following categories of seller behavior. The examples provided below are illustrative and do not represent an exhaustive list of prohibited conduct.
1. Customer Deception
Customer deception refers to any act that misleads customers about the nature, quality, or origin of a product or service through inaccurate product listings, false descriptions of products or transaction terms, or unauthorized trademark use.
If a seller falsely represents a product or fails to deliver the promised product, it damages customer experience and erodes trust in the marketplace.
Common examples of customer deception:
- Inaccurate product information: Including misleading specifications, exaggerated descriptions, or images that do not reflect the actual product.
- Failure to fulfill orders: Not shipping requested orders or sending incorrect products.
- Sale of counterfeit or prohibited products: Selling counterfeit goods or products prohibited by Coupang policies or applicable laws.
- Impersonating Coupang or Rocket Delivery: Unauthorized use of Coupang branding or Rocket Delivery.
2. Customer Privacy Protection
This refers to any act that compromises customer privacy, security, or trust.
Sellers must handle customer data in compliance with legal and contractual obligations. Violations can put customers at risk. Protecting customer privacy is essential for maintaining a safe and trustworthy marketplace.
Common examples of customer data misuse:
- Inappropriate contact: Contacting customers in an improper manner or with inappropriate content.
- Requesting payment outside the marketplace: Asking customers to pay through unofficial channels.
- Sending unsolicited products or messages: Sending products or messages not requested or approved by the customer.
- Sharing customer data with third parties: Disclosing customer information externally without consent.
3. Competitor Interference
Competitor interference refers to any act that unfairly harms another seller’s business, reputation, or operations through impersonation, manipulation, or false information.
Such actions undermine marketplace fairness. Coupang strives to foster healthy competition, and competitor interference violates Coupang policies and damages trust and integrity for all sellers and customers.
Common examples of competitor interference:
- Selling counterfeit goods/brands: Infringing on another seller’s intellectual property by illegally counterfeiting products or brands, causing customer confusion.
- Posting false negative reviews: Publishing fake or malicious reviews not based on actual product experience to harm a competitor’s reputation.
- Disrupting competitor inventory: Buying large quantities of another seller’s products to deplete stock and prevent sales, then returning them.
4. Exposure Abuse
Exposure abuse refers to any act that artificially increases product visibility without being based on genuine customer interaction or product quality.
Manipulating Coupang’s product exposure or marketplace creates an unfair competitive environment, ultimately harming customer experience and eroding trust.
Common examples of exposure abuse:
- Manipulating reviews and ratings: Artificially altering product reviews and ratings to mislead customers. Examples include “review exchanges” among sellers or incentivizing individuals to write reviews unrelated to actual experience.
- Manipulating product information: Adding unrelated popular keywords to product listings to boost search exposure.
5. Marketplace System Abuse
Marketplace system abuse refers to any act that undermines Coupang’s stability, fairness, or financial integrity. This includes manipulating or distorting systems to gain unfair advantage, contrary to their intended purpose.
Artificially manipulating sales volume, shipping processes, WING site functions, or any aspect of marketplace operations to harm other sellers or customers is strictly prohibited. Such actions disrupt marketplace balance and weaken customer trust, negatively impacting the entire ecosystem.
Additionally, any act not explicitly listed above but likely to compromise marketplace integrity or system stability is also prohibited.
Sanctions
If a seller violates this guideline, Coupang may take actions based on agreed terms and policies, including product removal, suspension of sales, or seller account suspension. Sellers may submit documentation to explain or correct violations and request lifting of actions. Coupang will review such requests on a case-by-case basis.
Contact information
For inquiries regarding this guideline, please contact Coupang Customer Service at cm119@coupang.com.
Thank you for helping maintain a safe and fair marketplace.