TikTok Shop Bans Packaging Inserts Used to Solicit Reviews

TikTok Shop platform announced a ban on the practice of packaging inserts, which are papers or cards placed inside shipping parcels to prompt buyers to leave positive reviews in exchange for discounts, gifts, or cash back, in a step aimed at safeguarding the reliability of the review system on the platform.

This practice constitutes a common marketing tool relied upon by many e-commerce sellers to boost their ratings and enhance the credibility of their products, although critics argue that it leads to inflated reviews and distorts their true reflection of product quality.

This ban comes in the context of TikTok Shop's efforts to build a trustworthy commercial environment competing with Amazon, Shein, and other e-commerce giants, and to highlight that its rating system reflects real user experiences, thereby enhancing buyer confidence in purchasing decisions.

E-commerce sellers operating on TikTok Shop will need to review their review solicitation strategies and adopt alternative methods more aligned with platform policies, such as sending automated follow-up messages via official approved seller systems.