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Since 2013, Alibaba (NYSE: BABA) and its subsidiary Cainiao have been secretly, systematically and continuously enforcing a 'no inspection until after acceptance' policy, affecting nearly 1 billion Chinese consumers.  Alibaba and Cainiao have been blacklisting Chinese customers who request inspections before accepting delivery and retaliating  against  whistleblowers. For over a decade,   nearly 1 billion Chinese consumers have been denied their fundamental right to inspect parcels before accepting delivery by Alibaba. Yet  Alibaba has never faced any penalties for this. Alibaba's business model relies on banning inspections ( fraudulent sales) and manipulating the media, allowing it to dominate unfairly in the e-commerce, logistics, and tech industries, while posing a significant threat to global data security.

1. Cainiao’s (Alibaba’s) illegal and anti-consumer practices
1.1. Fraudulent Business Classification

According to Alibaba’s official website (see 3.4 ) , Cainiao  is a logistics and courier platform under Alibaba Group, clearly classified within the courier industry.  However, Alibaba registered Cainiao Station (formally known as Cainiao Supply Chain Management Co., Ltd.) under the “resident services” industry category. This misclassification allows Cainiao to operate outside the scope of postal regulatory oversight, exploiting legal loopholes. Such conduct violates China’s Administrative Measures for Business Registration, which requires businesses to accurately declare the nature of their operations to ensure appropriate supervision.

1.2.  Enforcing and Concealing the "no inspection until after acceptance" Policy

Alibaba (Cainiao)'s "no inspection until after acceptance" policy violates Article 8 and 26 of the Consumer Rights Protection Law, and Article 5.4.2.4 of the national standard GB/T 27917.3-2023 on Express Delivery Services. Alibaba’s refusal to disclose this policy violates Article 20 of the Consumer Rights Protection Law and Article 33 of the E-commerce Law.

1.3. Retaliation against Whistleblowers
Video and audio recordings exposing Alibaba (Cainiao) retaliating against whistleblowers can be provided to the authorities who will legally penalize Alibaba.  After consumers demand inspections or whistleblowers expose Cainiao's lies, Cainiao retaliates by blacklisting them. ( see 2.2.4; see  2.3.1; see 3.3). 

Various delivery stations have followed Cainiao's example.  Although the headquarters of other stations dare not explicitly say "no inspection allowed" , they  allow franchise stores to blacklist these advocates. Over the years, the practice of " blacklisting those who advocate for inspections" has spread widely across China, becoming a national norm. （see 2.1.8）

 1.4. Unlawfully Gaining Market Advantage
Alibaba (Cainiao) enforces the "no inspection until after acceptance" policy, which creates two main unfair competitive advantages. First, the policy exempts courier companies from liability, encouraging them to prioritize delivery to Cainiao stations, thereby suppressing other law-abiding logistics companies. Second, because consumers cannot inspect goods before signing, it becomes difficult to gather evidence against fraudulent advertisements on platforms like Alibaba and Taobao, leading to more fake advertisers joining Alibaba's ecosystem. These actions violate Article 13 of the Anti-Unfair Competition Law.

1.5. Profiting Through Fraudulent Practices
Alibaba sells products through Taobao and Tmall platforms but does not allow consumers to inspect goods at Cainiao stations（see 2.1.3  and  3.1）.  This practice intentionally obstructs consumers from obtaining evidence of false advertising and product fraud on Alibaba. Some consumers return goods (with return fees charged by the station and no invoices issued), while others are forced to accept substandard products (allowing Alibaba to keep the sales profits). This constitutes unjust enrichment, violating Article 985 of the Civil Code.

1.6. Spreading Online Rumors
Alibaba is often referred to as “China’s Murdoch” due to its extensive influence over media and social networks. The company has invested in more than 20 media outlets, enabling it to shape public opinion and control narratives on a large scale.  If you search for "阿里巴巴操控媒体","alibaba political donation" on Google, you will find abundant evidence. The internet is flooded with rumors such as “Cai Niao is just a third party and not part of the express delivery industry, so it doesn’t need to be responsible for inspections,” “Cai Niao’s ‘no-inspection’ policy is to protect consumers,” and “If you encounter a ‘no-inspection’ issue, simply contacting Cai Niao’s customer service will solve it,” among other falsehoods.

http://www.kunlunce.com/ssjj/guojipinglun/2020-12-06/148618.html 

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2. Public Testimonies
Since 2013, at least tens of thousands of consumers have directly confirmed or reported  Cainiao's "no-inspection"  policy.  For example, 

 2.1. 贴吧 / Baidu Tieba

🔹 菜鸟驿站老板不给开箱验货的原因是什么？
What is the reason why the owner of Cainiao Station refuses to allow parcel inspection?
https://tieba.baidu.com/p/8262630185

🔹 菜鸟驿站为何拒绝开箱验货及应对投诉态
Why does Cainiao Station refuse to allow parcel inspection and how do they respond to complaints?
https://tieba.baidu.com/p/8262624986

🔹2.1.3.  阿里巴巴天猫不让阿里巴巴消费者在菜鸟驿站验货
Alibaba Tmall does not allow Alibaba consumers to inspect goods at Cainiao Station
https://tieba.baidu.com/p/5976780385

🔹 北苑菜鸟驿站规定：不让验货成常态？
Beiyuan Cainiao Station’s policy: Is the refusal to inspect goods becoming the norm?
https://tieba.baidu.com/p/4067665811

🔹 想问问你们去菜鸟驿站拿杆子给不给验货？
I want to ask you all, do they allow you to inspect goods when you pick up packages at Cainiao Station?
https://bbs.bxfish360.net/index.php/forum/item/36776

🔹 Cainiao stations prohibit "unpacking for inspection"
菜鸟驿站禁止“拆包验货”
https://www.xfb315.com/tousu/99013208

🔹 Cainiao stations require "signing first, inspecting later"
菜鸟驿站要求“先签收后验货”
https://www.xfb315.com/tousu/96571147

🔹2.1.8.Various delivery stations have followed Cainiao's example.  The practice of " blacklisting those who advocate for inspections" has spread widely across China, becoming a national norm.各家驿站模仿菜鸟，“拉黑主张验货者”这一做法，已经风靡全中国：https://www.xfb315.com/tousu/99070414 

2.2. 黑猫 Black Cat 

🔹 阿里巴巴菜鸟驿站不让验货，而阿里巴巴旗下咸鱼以消费者未在菜鸟验货为由，拒绝退款
Alibaba's Cainiao Station refuses to allow parcel inspection, while Alibaba's platform Xianyu denies refunds by claiming that the consumer did not inspect the goods at Cainiao
https://tousu.sina.com.cn/complaint/view/17371934332

🔹 菜鸟驿站不允许我检查货物后拒收，强制要求我签收或者直接不拆开就退回
Cainiao Station does not allow me to inspect the goods before refusing to accept them, forcing me to sign for them or return them unopened
https://tousu.sina.com.cn/complaint/view/17370101143/

🔹 菜鸟驿站拒绝开箱验货
Cainiao Station refuses to allow parcel inspection
https://tousu.sina.com.cn/complaint/view/17377815330/?sld=b10467c24ee21473b5b060fd3e154f18

🔹 2.2.4. 菜鸟驿站报复性拉黑主张验货者
Cainiao Station retaliates by blacklisting consumers who demand parcel inspection
https://tousu.sina.com.cn/complaint/view/17375956932?sld=fb253916ae9a569668772a9d61ef3717

🔹 菜鸟驿站，想验货就得签收，签收就不能拒收
At Cainiao Station, you must sign for the goods if you want to inspect them, and once signed, you cannot refuse delivery
https://tousu.sina.com.cn/complaint/view/17352922071/

🔹 菜鸟驿站不让我先验货再签收，必须先签收再验货
Cainiao Station won’t let me inspect the goods before signing for them; I must sign first and then inspect
https://jx.tousu.sina.com.cn/complaint/view/17370325217/

🔹 菜鸟不让验货
Cainiao refuses to allow parcel inspection
https://tousu.sina.com.cn/complaint/view/17373416747/

🔹 菜鸟驿站货到付款不让开箱验货 但是商家同意了
Cainiao Station refuses parcel inspection for COD orders, but the seller agrees
https://tousu.sina.com.cn/complaint/view/17370865095/

🔹 菜鸟驿站不让验货 强制签收
Cainiao Station refuses parcel inspection and forces consumers to sign for delivery
https://tousu.sina.com.cn/complaint/view/17369813392/

🔹菜鸟驿站不许当面验货  Cainiao Post Station does not allow inspection of goods  https://tousu.sina.com.cn/complaint/view/17365152725/ 

🔹  Cainiao Post Station does not allow inspection before signing 菜鸟驿站不让签收前验货
https://tousu.sina.com.cn/complaint/view/17356359043/

2.3. Douban 豆瓣 ，  Zhihu/ 知乎

🔹2.3.1.  Cainiao Post Station does not allow on-site inspection? Douban (Blocking the whistleblower )  菜鸟驿站不让当面验货？豆瓣 （拉黑举报人）
https://www.douban.com/group/topic/157955970/?author=1&_i=2081957rleVkqd,2085709rleVkqd

🔹 去大学的菜鸟驿站拿快递时，能否先验货后签收.知乎
Can I inspect goods before signing when picking up packages at Cainiao Station on my university campus? Zhihu (Search the title on a search engine to see the full text.  )
https://www.zhihu.com/question/305528029

🔹 菜鸟驿站不准验货 怎么办？知乎
What should I do if Cainiao Station doesn't allow me to inspect goods? Zhihu  (Search the title on a search engine to see the full text.  )
https://www.zhihu.com/question/359301224

🔹 菜鸟驿站老板不给我开箱验货怎么办？知乎
What should I do if the owner of Cainiao Station refuses to allow me to inspect goods? Zhihu  (Search the title on a search engine to see the full text.  )
https://www.zhihu.com/question/583748814/answer/2892962654

2.4  Industry norms in China's Express Delivery Industry

In Google search, searching for "中国快递业协会+验货权""China express industry + inspection right" , you can see :

🔹   "No inspection before accepting delivery" courier companies has been practicing double-dealing and duplicity – Economic Information Daily
http://jjckb.xinhuanet.com/opinion/2010-11/16/content_270170.htm

🔹 Sign First, Inspect Later – the guild regulation in Express Industry Raise Doubts
http://www.taiwan.cn/xwzx/dl/shh/201010/t20101022_1570350_1.htm

🔹 "Vice of the Express Delivery Industry": No Inspection Before Signing for Delivery — Economic Daily  http://paper.ce.cn/jjrb/html/2017-09/20/content_344599.htm

🔹Sign First, Inspect Later has become  the guild regulation in the Express Industry
https://bbs.comefromchina.com/threads/819715/

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3. Alibaba is the main culprit of  "no inspection until after acceptance"
Cainiao is Alibaba’s logistics arm. Alibaba’s own website confirms that Cainiao’s "no inspection until after delivery" policy is imposed by Alibaba.

🔹3.1 On Taobao, Alibaba announced that "Cainiao Express Stations do not support product inspection"
https://zhidao.baidu.com/question/1368479299271854099.html

🔹3.2 On the Cainiao app, an Alibaba-Cainiao representative announced that "Cainiao Express Stations do not support product inspection"
https://www.zhihu.com/question/409492664

🔹3.3 On the Black Cat website, an Alibaba-Cainiao representative announced that "Cainiao Express Stations do not support product inspection," and Cainiao Express Stations retaliated by blacklisting those who requested product inspection.https://tousu.sina.com.cn/complaint/view/17347306418/

🔹3.4.  Comparison between Alibaba Official Website and Ai Qicha

 https://www.alibabagroup.com/en-US/about-alibaba-businesses-1747836787297878016

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4. International Laws that Alibaba Violates

Alibaba Group (NYSE: BABA) prohibits consumers from inspecting packages at Cainiao stations before pick-up, facilitating fraudulent activities on its platforms (such as Taobao, Tmall, and Xianyu). A significant portion of Alibaba's trillion-dollar assets comes from this unjust practice.

4.1. Alibaba Cainiao's Forced "no inspection until after acceptance" Policy and Retaliation Against Whistleblowers Violates the Following Laws:
🔹 Violation of International Transportation Laws
According to the Rotterdam Rules (2008), consumers have the right to inspect goods upon delivery. Alibaba Cainiao’s policies obstruct and deprive consumers of this legal right to inspect their packages.

🔹 Violation of the United Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection
The United Nations clearly states that consumers must have the opportunity to verify whether a product is safe and as described before completing the transaction. Alibaba and Cainiao's rules prevent consumers from verifying products before signing for them, which constitutes a serious violation of consumer rights.

🔹 Violation of Article 33 of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption - Whistleblower Protection
The signatory countries must take appropriate measures within their legal systems to protect whistleblowers from undue treatment or retaliation due to their whistleblowing actions. Alibaba’s actions of exerting pressure, threatening, or blacklisting internal or external whistleblowers violate the core provisions of this international anti-corruption convention.

🔹 Violation of the EU Whistleblower Protection Directive (2019/1937)
This directive requires all companies and organizations operating within the EU to protect whistleblower identities and prohibits retaliation in any form (e.g., dismissal, demotion, legal actions). If Alibaba operates within the EU or collaborates with EU-based companies, it must comply with this directive.

4.2. Alibaba Cainiao's Forced "no inspection until after acceptance" Policy Violates the Following Laws in the U.S. (If This Occurred in the U.S.):
🔹 FTC Act
🔹 Uniform Commercial Code (UCC)

4.3. Alibaba's Practice of Passing Responsibility for "Blacklisting Inspectors" to Franchisee Cainiao Pick-up Stations Violates the Following Laws in the U.S. (If This Occurred in the U.S.):
🔹 FTC Act
🔹 UCC
🔹 Fair Trade Laws

4.4. Alibaba’s Early Acknowledgment of "Cainiao Pick-up Stations Do Not Support Inspection" and Later Refusal to Disclose the "No Inspection Policy" Violates the Following Laws in the U.S. (If This Occurred in the U.S.):
🔹 Truth in Advertising Laws
🔹 Antitrust Laws, such as the Sherman Antitrust Act, Clayton Act, and Federal Trade Commission Act
🔹 Anti-fraud Laws

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5. Victims of Alibaba Cainiao's "no inspection until after acceptance" Policy

5.1. Consumers
Unable to gather evidence for falsely advertised products.

5.2. Some Sellers
🔹 For luxury goods sellers, allowing inspection at the station provides more security than consumers trying and returning the products.
🔹 For fragile goods sellers, consumers can directly reject damaged products at the station, avoiding return shipping costs.

5.3. Other Law-Abiding E-commerce Platforms and Delivery Stations
Facing unfair competition.

5.4. High-Tech Companies (e.g., AI, cloud computing, big data, artificial intelligence, etc.)
Under the protection of the "No Inspection Before Signing" policy, platforms like Taobao and Tmall become Alibaba's "cash cows," making it easier for Alibaba to defeat its competitors.

5.5. Everyone worldwide

Alibaba has implemented and concealed the 'No inspection until after delivery' policy for over 12 years, affecting hundreds of millions of people in China, yet has never faced any punishment for it. This reveals Alibaba's extensive control over global media, governments, legislators, and businesses. In the future, Alibaba may further expand its influence, thereby having a negative impact on the global public.

5.6. Global manufacturing industry

Alibaba Cainiao's prohibiting consumers inspection--->sham campaigns in e-commerce platforms (e.g. Alibaba) --->global information asymmetry and adverse selection---> 'lemon market' in manufacturing

6.  Legal loopholes in China’s Express Delivery Industry 

The express delivery industry in China has made significant achievements over the past 12 years, especially in reducing delivery costs.  However,   "no pre-acceptance inspection" norm (see 2.4) continues to be an unspoken guild regulation within the express industry.   

Over the past decade,  in China, in the vast majority of cases,  courier transport companies have not directly interacted with consumers; only pick-up stations (e.g. Cainiao Station) have direct contact with consumers. China’s express delivery industry :

🔹 Regulation----Only  enterprises that directly transport goods through airplane, train and highway are defined as courier companies.

https://baike.baidu.com/item/快递公司/4728710 

🔹Article 26 of  "Interim Express Delivery Regulations" limits the requirement of providing inspection service solely to courier (transport) companies. https://baike.baidu.com/item/快递暂行条例/22044499 

This legal loophole allows Alibaba to obtain massive illicit profits by prohibiting inspection until after confirming receipt, and ultimately transfer these funds into the high-tech industry. At the same time, Alibaba's Cainiao and other companies involved in the express delivery industry have intentionally separate pick-up stations from the actual transport companies by registering them as different legal entities, or by selling the transport companies to affiliated enterprises,  ensuring that most consumers across China will never be able to inspect goods at pick-up stations.

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7. Impacts on U.S. consumers

The phenomenon of Chinese consumers being unable to inspect products is not just a local issue in China; it could have far-reaching consequences for American consumers and the global market. Here’s a closer look at the issue from several perspectives:

7.1. Lower quality from Chinese & U.S. companies 

Reason:  When Chinese consumers cannot inspect products, merchants and factories may reduce quality standards to cut costs. These low-quality products may eventually make their way into the U.S. market through cross-border e-commerce platforms. The practice of reducing product quality to increase profits could spread globally.

Impact:   U.S. merchants could be pressured to adopt similar tactics, worsening the market further. U.S. consumers may face an influx of substandard products flooding the market.

7.2. Lack of Transparency in other Multinational Platforms

Reason: Platforms like Alibaba have concealed their “no inspection” policy for over a decade. This lack of transparency could set a global precedent, prompting other countries or platforms to adopt similar practices to cut costs.

Impact: U.S. e-commerce platforms could follow suit, reducing transparency in global commerce. This would violate consumer rights on a larger scale, becoming an international norm that harms fairness in the market.

7.3. Global "Lemon Market" Effect

Reason:   The inability of Chinese consumers to inspect products creates a ripple effect that undermines the integrity of global markets. As low-quality products infiltrate cross-border e-commerce platforms, businesses may be incentivized to lower their standards to remain competitive, leading to a widespread "lemon market," where consumers cannot distinguish good products from bad ones.

Impact:  Consumers worldwide, including in the U.S., could face an influx of poor-quality products. While prices might be lower, the quality suffers, eroding trust in e-commerce platforms. As product standards decline, U.S. consumers may see price imbalances, prompting U.S. merchants to lower their standards to compete, further deteriorating the market environment.

7.4. Legal Risks of Consumer Rights

7.4. Consumer Rights Legal Risks
Reason: Alibaba has been leveraging a legal gap in China’s regulations—specifically, Article 26 of the "Express Delivery Interim Regulations," which mandates that courier transport companies provide delivery services to consumers, but does not explicitly require pick-up stations (e.g. Alibaba Cainiao station) to offer inspection services. This regulatory gap has allowed Alibaba to  implement and conceal  "no inspection until after acceptance " policy . If such practices expand internationally, they could set a concerning precedent for e-commerce platforms globally.

Impact:  While U.S. laws generally offer stronger consumer protections, there are still instances where third-party courier services limit consumers’ ability to inspect items. Alibaba’s global influence, combined with its aggressive market strategies, could lead to international lobbying for laws that prioritize the company’s business model over consumer rights, thereby  undermining consumer protections worldwide. Lawmakers in various jurisdictions may delay or block the introduction of stronger consumer protection laws, perpetuating these problems and creating a legal environment that benefits large corporations at the expense of consumers.

 

7.5. Data Privacy Risks

Reason: Alibaba’s partnerships with global data companies like Apple raise concerns about consumer privacy and data security. These companies may share sensitive data with Alibaba, exposing it to misuse or surveillance.

Impact:  The lack of transparency in these partnerships could lead to unauthorized access, data breaches, and misuse of private information.

 

Conclusion

The issue of Chinese consumers being unable to inspect products may seem like a localized problem, but its global repercussions are profound, especially for U.S. consumers. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” The denial of basic consumer rights in one region can ripple across borders, undermining fairness and trust in markets worldwide.

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Many thanks to Change.org