You Could Be Fine RM 50,000 With the Phrase "PM pls"

Many of the buyers online have adopted the practice of PM-Personal Message, or Direct Messages, to online sellers to get more information or to make a transaction with the sellers. 

But do you know it is wrong to use the phrase “PM” under the Malaysian law? According to the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumers Affairs (KPDNHEP), this law is to protect the right of consumers and to allow better decision making for the consumer after getting all the transparent information they need to make a purchase. 

This recent topic has raised some attention around the Ecommerce industry in Malaysia, as one 41-year-old man has got himself in trouble when there are complaints from the public against him. The public claimed that he baited consumer to leave “PMs” without including important information such as prices and products descriptions. As such, the potential customers who are interested will be forced to reach out to the sellers to get the information they want. 

Where many online sellers have overlooked this matter and unintentionally conducted actions that are not fully law-abiding when running their online businesses. It is vital that you should know what you should include in your online business content. I’ve listed it down below for you:

1. Registered name of the company, or the name of the owner who runs the business

2. Contact information 

3. Product description and specifications 

4. Quoted price 

5. Shipping tax/fees

6. Payment methods 

7. Terms and condition 

If the business owner/director is found guilty, he/she will face a penalty of RM 50,000 fine or be jailed up to 3 years under the law of Consumer Protection Act 1999. 

Well, that is a scary amount of fine you will have to pay if you breach the law. I get it, sometimes it is difficult to start your business from scratch. That is why there is Ecommerce solution that helps those who would like to build their own business and brand online, where the platforms come with customizations as well as build in features like messaging apps that help you earn your profit without breaching any of the law. 

I hope this case serves as an important lesson to all of the online sellers in Malaysia as sellers should take note on more ethical practices, as well as creating more innovative but legal methods to run an online business!