Hidden consequences of Facebook network market
(Baonghean) - The irresistible appeal of the giant social network Facebook has captivated tens of thousands, hundreds of millions, and now billions of people on the planet to enthusiastically join.
And, those who are good at making money are very “aware”. They immediately prove their expertise in that ability by clearly seeing the huge amount of potential customers on Facebook; of course, they are not foolish enough to waste it. Of course, there is no reason to prevent the birth of “sellers” in this “for the eyes and not for the eyes” place. So the “Facebook market” was born! No name, no “management board”, no taxes, no need to find a location, it’s simple, too simple, create a Facebook and sell, sell and… sell!
It would be considered foolish to compare Facebook with a village market! But if anyone is still skeptical, just go back to its “opening” days and see, there is not much difference. At first, there were only a few people, a few products and a few cautious invitations. It was thought that such a weak start would soon welcome the sound of the drumbeat of retirement, but in just a short time, it spread rapidly, it grew surprisingly and expanded overwhelmingly. Now almost anyone can become a seller on Facebook! A golden opportunity for them to put everything they want to sell on “Facebook”. Phone SIM cards, available now! Electronics, household appliances, real estate, cars and motorbikes, tattoos, maids, fashion, bonsai, fighting cocks, fortune telling, dog bone glue, tutors and pawnbrokers, functional foods, overseas student recruitment… it has it all! Sometimes there are even people who "advertise" selling their bodies at competitive prices!
Unlike the harshness but coherence of the “flea” market, few people expect the magic of the “Facebook market” to lie in its opacity. Blindness about price, blindness about quality, blindness about origin, blindness about sellers, yet surprisingly, people still innocently “pay” to buy enthusiastically! It is said that some people are so fanatical that they declare “no” to the market… in real life! The most bustling is probably the participation of “amateur” traders. Who are they? Let’s call them the “team” who work extra! There are many, very diverse, there are civil servants, workers, public servants and even cadres.
Most of them trade using... keyboards! No capital, no experience, most importantly... no fear of loss! Their first and regular job is to "go on Facebook" to find wholesale sources, then "go on Facebook" to find retail buyers at prices that, when excited, they are ready to declare "the cheapest on earth". Then they advertise about excellent quality, limited quantity, buy one get one free, free shipping, etc. etc. Any gullible "uncle" is invited to transfer money into "her" account in advance! Once done, just "call" the supplier, like the operation of a "live TV show", good or bad, the teacher will pocket the money! The "Facebook market" is growing more and more, both the seller and the buyer. These days, whenever I go to my timeline, I see things like “Hey ladies, new products have arrived, there’s a promotion of up to 70% off, hurry up”. When I open my message box, it says “Sorry for bothering you, we sell beautiful sim cards with feng shui…”. Now there are even fanpages that teach how to sell on Facebook! And there are real “markets”, such as “Used goods market”, “Mother and baby market”, “Nghe An - Ha Tinh market”… There are countless!
Besides the sellers who can be said to be honest, the army of "false advertising" also flocked to make money. Taking advantage of the trust of a segment of customers, they smuggled fake and low-quality goods, the most typical of which are probably functional foods and cosmetics, into the market. Sellers freely boasted about their quality commitments using their keyboards, while buyers who accidentally got caught up in "soapberry" had to swallow their pride, and if they wanted to complain, the only way was to climb a ladder to heaven!
The superiority of this new business model cannot be denied. It is rich in conveniences, it saves a lot of costs, it contributes to reducing the physical space for the market. In the world, online sales have received the support of many countries, and many retailers have been successful with this advanced model.
Since May 2013, the Government has issued Decree No. 52/2013/ND-CP "On e-commerce", in 2014 the Ministry of Industry and Trade also issued Circular 47/2014/TT-BCT regulating the management of e-commerce websites... However, the current situation of "Facebook market" is probably clear to everyone. In the conditions of our country, the loopholes in current regulations cannot be closed in a day or two, so the management of online business is still a problem without many solutions. Commercial order is disrupted, the word "trust" in business ethics is trampled, the budget is lost, consumer rights are left open... Many other consequences are still hidden in this "Facebook market" that sooner or later the management agency will have to take action to rectify. It must be "tamed", it is time to no longer "let loose" this type of sales!
Nguyen Khac An
