Consumer rights protection disputes in new business models surge in Guangzhou

The number of consumer rights protection disputes in new business models increased significantly in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, in 2025, according to local intermediate court authorities.

"Disputes in areas such as live-stream e-commerce, online training, and online gaming, which are part of digital and emerging service consumption, have grown rapidly," Wu Xiang, deputy Party chief of Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court, said.

Such disputes have become part of new consumer rights protection areas for judicial protection, Wu said during a news conference on Thursday, three days ahead of the Consumer Rights Protection Day on March 15.

"Risks associated with prepaid consumption still exist, such as the difficulty in obtaining refunds," he said.

Additionally, there has been an increase in consumer disputes involving the elderly and minors, including issues like live-streaming that induces elderly people to consume, and training institutions for minors disappearing to avoid debts or legal responsibilities.

Courts across the city handled over 37,000 disputes regarding consumer rights protection in 2025, with the total number of cases remaining stable, Wu said.

During the news conference, the court released 10 typical cases focused on key consumer-related areas such as prepaid consumption, e-commerce live-streaming, and gaming consumption, addressing new situations and issues in consumer rights protection arising from new business formats and models.