"Watchdog forces Jumia to be liable for defective goods"

E-commerce firm Jumia will now be liable for the safety and quality of products sold on its platform by third-party merchants after the competition watchdog in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) forced it to overhaul its terms and conditions. The Comesa Competition Commission, which has been investigating the conduct of Jumia Group since September 2021, has now forced Jumia to make the changes in a move aimed at protecting consumers.

The watchdog found that Jumia had excluded itself from being party to the contract for sale or purchase between customers and its agents, effectively shielding the e-commerce firm from any liability arising from the transactions. Product liability cases have dogged e-commerce firms, including Amazon, in recent years as they turned their stores into an online bazaar fuelled by millions of third-party vendors...

Now Jumia, which has a presence in 23 countries that fall under Comesa, including Kenya, Uganda, Egypt and Tunisia, will be held responsible when customers cannot trace the vendors. “Jumia was cooperative and in compliance with the Commission’s recommendations, reviewed its terms and conditions to the Commission’s satisfaction,” said the watchdog.