In September 2021, TikTok, the popular social media app, first launched its in-app marketplace. It was catering to the shopping needs of its millions of users and the merchandise of its very own influencers.
But reports tell us that vendors now have sold illegal beauty products, counterfeit cosmetics, and prescription skin creams at drastically reduced prices.
While TikTok Shop charges a 5% commission on sales, The Guardian reports that third-party vendors are allegedly selling counterfeit perfumes and cosmetics, including Maybelline mascara and Vaseline lip balms.
The TikTok Shop is attracting more users
According to company data, TikTok user consumer behavior reveals that 35% of users buy something they see on the platform, and 37% discover something on TikTok and immediately go to buy it.
Furthermore, 44% of TikTok users discover products through brand-posted videos, and 44% find products through ads in their feeds.
Additionally, TikTok users are 1.5x more likely than other social media platform users to buy something they discovered on the platform right away and 2.4x more likely to create a post and tag a brand after purchasing a product.
With these figures, malicious entities have begun exploiting the vast active user base of the application to entice them into purchasing counterfeit products.
UK TikTok users are alarmed by the sale of illegal products
The Guardian tells us that some TikTok Shop customers have already issued warnings, claiming that many illegal products are manufactured in China and shipped to the UK.
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According to health and consumer experts, such counterfeit products are unlikely to have passed safety testing in accordance with UK standards and contain unknown, potentially toxic ingredients.
TikTok Questioned
It is clear TikTok's prohibited product rules need to be enforced more effectively, and counterfeit beauty products, including prescription-only skin creams, are being sold on the platform.
The platform claims to have a "zero tolerance" policy for rogue sellers, but it appears that this policy is not being enforced properly.
A TikTok spokesperson tells Buzzfeed News that "fake or unauthorized replicas of an authentic product are forbidden on TikTok Shop."
The spokesperson also encouraged users and brands to use the platform to report cases of counterfeits or intellectual property violations. TikTok claims to remove such cases when they are discovered, but it is clear that more needs to be done to prevent counterfeit product sales on the platform.
Consumers are advised to exercise caution when purchasing products from TikTok Shop, particularly if the price is significantly lower than the market rate.
While TikTok Shop has grown in popularity among consumers, it is critical to exercise caution when purchasing products from third-party vendors. Counterfeit beauty products and prescription skin creams pose a potential health risk to consumers, and the platform must take more robust measures to prevent their sales.
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