With the growing number of people raising pets, the market for the consumption of pets, such as foster care, beauty and medical care, has flourished, and problems have arisen, such as the purchase of medical pets, poor feed, etc., which has undermined consumer rights.
A few days ago, Ms. Song, Hunan Changsha, left a message on the People's Network “People's Complaints” platform that she had bought a Siamese baby cat at a pet base, and that she had suffered from mental disorders, vomiting and so on. She immediately took the pet to the hospital, and the doctor indicated that the pup might have been infected with the cat plague virus at the time of the house, although it had been in an incubation period. “The seller said the cat had been vaccinated, but no proof was provided. I spent almost $3,000 at the pet hospital, but the cat didn't survive." Ms. Song was dissatisfied with the statement that “the business has been in contact and has not been informed back”.
In the pet market, it is difficult to buy and sell. Businesses generally respond that pets are healthy at the time of sale, and that it is consumers who do not raise them properly that cause them to become ill or die. So, how do we clarify the responsibilities of merchants and consumers in the face of disease?
“Consumers buy medical favours, which, in terms of the legal attributes of the transaction, are default deliveries by the operator. Depending on the subjective intent of the operator, the rights that consumers may claim are different.” According to Beijing Times 9 and law firm lawyer Jaronfei, if the operator “does not know” about the pet's condition, it would be a general breach, and consumers could, on the basis of the circumstances, request the operator to replace or treat him; if the operator did so “in the knowledge” intentionally, it would be a typical fraud. Under article 55 of the Consumers' Protection Act, a consumer may claim a “one to three” if the operator fraudulently provides goods or services. If the death of the consumer or other victim or serious damage to health is caused, the victim has the right to seek punitive compensation less than twice the damage suffered.
In addition, as the pet economy warms up, some new business practices, including pet foster care services, have emerged with some irregularities. Owing to the need for foster care dogs, Ms. Hu, Chongqing City, contacted a foster care provider through information on a social platform, and an agreement was signed that the cost of foster care would be 68 yuan/day. However, the day after the foster care, the other party requested an additional $10 per day for cleaning on the ground that “dogs would pee in the room”. Ms. Hu found that the pet foster care services of the other party were not licensed to operate or had no specific shop, and that the address provided was a bank.
Regulating the market for pet consumption is imperative. Readers have called on market regulators to strengthen supervision of the pet consumer market, to conduct regular spot checks of services such as pet sales, pet supplies and pet medical foster care, and to deal seriously with businesses that have identified problems. The view was also expressed that the electrician platform should have the corresponding responsibility to audit, supervise and safeguard the legitimate interests of consumers of operators selling products around pets on the platform.
“Consumers, when purchasing pets or pets, should be informed in detail about the qualifications of the operator, and take care of the relevant health certificates for pets and instructions for pets, as well as of photographing or recording the relevant evidence. In the event of a violation, the operator may be consulted to claim restitution, or to defend his rights and interests through legal channels.” Jaronet says.