(Promulgated by Order No. 121 of the State Administration for Market Regulation on December 30, 2025;
Effective as of April 15, 2026)
Translated by Neo Asien team and Original Chinese version published by China’s State Administration for Market Regulation: https://www.samr.gov.cn/zw/zfxxgk/fdzdgknr/fgs/art/2026/art_e4d03a20c0fd49769e408c7bf3791ff5.html
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**Chapter I
General Provisions**
Article 1
For the purpose of regulating the handling of complaints and reports in market supervision and administration, protecting the lawful rights and interests of natural persons, legal persons, and other organizations, and maintaining market order, these Measures are formulated in accordance with the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Protection of Consumer Rights and Interests, the Regulations for the Implementation of the Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights and Interests, and other relevant laws and administrative regulations.
Article 2
These Measures apply to the handling of complaints and reports by market supervision and administration departments within the scope of their statutory duties.
Where laws, administrative regulations, or departmental rules provide that complaints or reports shall be handled by other departments, such provisions shall prevail.
Article 3
For the purposes of these Measures:
- “Complaint” refers to an act whereby a consumer requests a market supervision and administration department to mediate or handle a dispute over consumer rights and interests arising from the purchase or use of goods or the receipt of services for daily living needs.
- “Report” refers to an act whereby a natural person, legal person, or other organization provides information to a market supervision and administration department concerning suspected violations of laws, regulations, or rules relating to market supervision and administration by a business operator.
Article 4
The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) shall be responsible for overall coordination, guidance of complaint and report handling nationwide.
Local market supervision and administration departments at or above the county level shall be responsible for handling complaints and reports within their respective administrative regions.
Article 5
Market supervision and administration departments shall adhere to the principles of legality, fairness, impartiality, and efficiency when handling complaints and reports, apply the law correctly, and follow statutory procedures.
Article 6
Market supervision and administration departments shall encourage public and media supervision over suspected violations of market supervision and administration laws and regulations.
Business operators are encouraged to establish consumer rights protection service stations and “green channels” for consumer dispute resolution, and to adopt mechanisms such as first-response accountability, advance compensation, and online dispute resolution to prevent and resolve consumer disputes at the source.
Consumers are encouraged to resolve consumer disputes through negotiation with business operators or through legally established third-party dispute resolution mechanisms.
Article 7
Angency shall ensure smooth, standardized, and convenient channels for submitting complaints and reports, improve handling mechanisms, and process complaints and reports promptly in accordance with the law.
Persons submitting complaints or reports shall comply with laws, regulations, and relevant provisions, and shall not abuse complaint or reporting rights, seek improper benefits, infringe upon the lawful rights and interests of business operators, or disrupt market order or the order of market supervision and administration.
Article 8
Complaints and reports may be submitted to market supervision and administration departments through the national 12315 platform, the 12315 hotline, or other channels publicly announced by the departments, such as written correspondence or service counters.
**Chapter II
Handling of Complaints**
Article 9
Where a complaint and a report are submitted simultaneously, or where submitted materials contain both complaint and report content, the complaint and the report shall be handled separately in accordance with the procedures prescribed in these Measures.
Article 10
A complaint shall generally include the following information, for the authenticity of which the complainant shall be responsible:
- The name, contact telephone number, and contact address of the complainant;
- The name and address of the respondent (business operator);
- The specific complaint request and the factual basis of the consumer dispute.
Where a complaint is submitted orally, market supervision and administration personnel shall make a written record. Where necessary, identity verification materials may be required.
Article 11
Where a complaint is filed through an authorized agent, in addition to the materials specified in Article 10, the complainant shall submit an original letter of authorization and the identity certification of the agent.
The letter of authorization shall specify the scope of authorization, authority, and term, and shall be signed or sealed by the complainant.
Article 12
Where two or more complainants file complaints concerning the same consumer dispute against the same business operator, and with the consent of the complainants, the market supervision and administration department may handle the complaints jointly.
A joint complaint may designate one to two representatives. Actions taken by the representatives within the scope of authorization shall be binding on the represented complainants. Any modification, withdrawal, or settlement of the complaint shall require the consent of the represented complainants.
Article 13
Complaints shall be handled by the market supervision and administration department at the place where the respondent actually conducts business or at its registered address.
For e-commerce operators, complaints shall be handled by the market supervision and administration department at the operator’s registered address.
Where a business operator operates on a platform, the complaint may be handled by the department at the operator’s registered address or at the platform operator’s registered address. Where the operator’s address is not disclosed or cannot be contacted, the department at the platform operator’s registered address shall handle the complaint.
Where necessary, a higher-level market supervision and administration department may handle complaints under the jurisdiction of a lower-level department, or designate another department to do so.
Article 14
After receiving a complaint, a market supervision and administration department shall decide whether to accept it within seven working days, and shall notify the complainant of its decision.
Article 15
A complaint shall not be accepted under any of the following circumstances:
- The complaint does not fall within the scope of duties of market supervision and administration departments;
- The complainant does not have a direct interest in the complaint;
- The complainant fails to provide the necessary information after being notified to supplement it;
- The complaint has already been accepted or resolved by a people’s court, arbitration institution, or other administrative authority;
- Other circumstances as provided by laws or regulations.
Article 16
Upon acceptance of a complaint, the market supervision and administration department shall organize mediation between the complainant and the respondent.
Where mediation is successful, a mediation agreement may be reached. Where mediation fails, the complainant shall be informed and guided to resolve the dispute through other lawful channels.
Article 17
Market supervision and administration departments shall complete complaint handling within forty-five days from the date of acceptance.
Where circumstances are complex and an extension is required, the period may be extended once by no more than fifteen days, with the complainant informed of the extension.
**Chapter III
Handling of Reports**
Article 18
A report shall generally include the name and contact information of the reporter, the reported matter, and relevant evidence materials or clues.
Anonymous reports shall be handled in accordance with relevant provisions.
Article 19
Market supervision and administration departments shall verify reports in accordance with the law. Where a reported matter is found to fall within their jurisdiction, it shall be handled promptly.
Article 20
Where a report is verified to be true and constitutes a violation of laws or regulations, the market supervision and administration department shall investigate and deal with it in accordance with the law.
Article 21
Market supervision and administration departments shall protect the lawful rights and interests of reporters and keep the information of reporters confidential in accordance with the law.
**Chapter IV
Supervision, Safeguards, and Legal Liability**
Article 22
Market supervision and administration departments shall strengthen internal supervision over complaint and report handling, and shall hold relevant personnel accountable for failure to perform duties in accordance with the law.
Article 23
Where a complainant or reporter fabricates facts, submits false materials, or abuses complaint or reporting rights, resulting in adverse consequences, legal liability shall be pursued in accordance with the law.
**Chapter V
Supplementary Provisions**
Article 24
These Measures shall be interpreted by the State Administration for Market Regulation.
Article 25
These Measures shall enter into force on April 15, 2026.