TikTok users will be able to make purchases without leaving the popular social media platform starting June 15. Consumer organization Testaankoop warns about the TikTok Shop and calls it “a disaster for the financially vulnerable”.
Journalist at HLN
Source: Belga
TikTok – owned by the Chinese company ByteDance – previously launched its own shop in France and Germany, among others. On June 15, it is our country’s turn. In Belgium alone, the video app claims to have 4.3 million users.
Those users will then be able to add products promoted by their favorite influencers on TikTok to their shopping cart with just a few clicks, or make purchases through hours-long live shopping events without leaving the app.
Payment
Payment is made immediately, via Apple Pay and Google Pay, among others. The option to pay deferred may be introduced later. Delivery will be made in our country via Bpost, says Ningxin Wu, responsible for TikTok Shop Belgium, the Netherlands and Austria.
TikTok promises strict control over the quality of the products and whether everything is done in accordance with European and Belgian legislation. Minors cannot purchase through the shop and the company says it will check for age through technology and moderation teams, it said. In any case, the minimum age for using TikTok is 13 years.
Disaster
Not everyone is enthusiastic about the launch of TikTok Shop. Laura Clays of Testaankoop calls it “a disaster for the financially vulnerable, such as young people” and fears that it will encourage impulse purchases. “You can buy something within 3 to 4 clicks. The danger is that you never feel like you are spending money. You can keep scrolling and tapping and buying.”
