Black Cat Big Data Center, in collaboration with the Black Cat Complaint platform, has released its comprehensive e-commerce complaint data report for the first half of 2026. The report analyzes industry trends and key issues during this period through complaint data, offering a retrospective look at consumer trends based on changes in complaint patterns.

Key Findings: Over 770,000 Complaints in Six Months, Service Issues Cited in Nearly 30%

In the first half of 2026, the Black Cat Complaint platform received a total of 773,125 e-commerce-related complaints. The peak in complaints was clearly linked to major promotional events, with a significant surge occurring after the start of the '618' shopping festival. The single-day high point was recorded on May 15th, triggered by JD.com slashing prices on the iPhone 17 series by over a thousand yuan. This led to a flood of consumer complaints demanding price protection refunds. On that day alone, the platform received 5,900 e-commerce complaints, a sharp increase of nearly a thousand cases from the previous day.

Common Issues in E-Commerce Complaints

The analysis of complaint issues reveals that they continue to cluster around several key areas. Firstly, poor after-sales service attitude is a major pain point. Customer service often relies on scripted responses, fails to follow up effectively, and can be difficult to reach, with AI chatbots frequently unable to understand consumer requests, leading to significant time wasted by consumers trying to connect to a human agent.

Secondly, issues of 'product not as described' and poor quality are rampant. Consumers frequently report that the material, workmanship, or size of received items differs from what was shown in live streams or product detail pages, with the practice of 'listing A but shipping B' being widespread.

Thirdly, frequent price fluctuations and difficulties in applying for price protection are particularly pronounced during major platform promotions. Many consumers report that different accounts have access to entirely different promotions and coupon values. The price of the same item can vary depending on the entry point used for adding to cart and checkout. When seeking price protection refunds, consumers often face evasion from both merchants and platforms. Some platforms even resort to deleting old product listings and creating new ones, making it harder for consumers to preserve evidence and pursue their rights.

Advice for Consumers

The core of successful online shopping rights protection lies in securing evidence in advance. Consumers are advised to immediately screen-record and save promotional content after placing an order, record the entire unboxing process upon receipt, and retain all communication records as the foundation for any claim. When encountering merchant violations or platform evasion, consumers should not compromise. They should utilize legal rules to protect their rights. If the issue cannot be resolved within the platform, they can submit their complaint through the Black Cat Complaint platform to leverage its oversight function in pushing for a resolution.

Breakdown of Complaint Categories

Complaints related to customer service attitude were the most frequently cited issue in the e-commerce sector for H1 2026, accounting for 29.88% of mentions. This was followed by difficulties in obtaining refunds, which constituted approximately 22% of issues. Problems such as missing/wrong/delayed shipments, false advertising, and poor product quality/product not as described ranked third, fourth, and fifth, respectively.

Response Rates Vary Widely Among Major Platforms

The complaint response rates of leading e-commerce platforms showed significant divergence in H1 2026. Vertical e-commerce platforms like Vipshop, Suning, and Dewu, as well as the e-commerce arms of content platforms like Douyin, Kuaishou, and Xiaohongshu, demonstrated good response performance, with rates exceeding 95%. Pinduoduo and Weidian had response rates in the 70-80% range. The response rate for JD.com was less than 30%. For Taotian Group (encompassing Taobao Mall, Tmall, and Tmall Supermarket), the overall response rate was a mere 4.43%. Only the Tmall Supermarket business line showed a good response rate, while the active response rates for Taobao Mall and Tmall were both zero.

Demographics of Complainants

Analyzing the age distribution of complainants, consumers aged 21 to 30 filed the most complaints, accounting for nearly 60% of the total. This was followed by the 31-40 age group, which constituted 29.08% of complainants. Younger demographic groups are more accustomed to online shopping and also demonstrate stronger awareness of their rights.