The Practical Dilemmas and Legal Considerations Regarding Consumers’ Right of Withdrawal in Online Shopping—From the Perspective of Revisions to the New Consumer Rights Protection Law

2013年新修订的《消费者权益保护法》于其第25条赋予了消费者以“后悔权”，实现了消费者权益的实质性扩张，一定程度上弥补了昔日我国消费者缺乏具体救济途径的不足。其规定，于法定范围内消费者可在购物后七日内无理由退货，并划定了符合日常消费场景的后悔权排除适用条款。理论研究表明，此种“单向保护”的制度，因其在法律规范解释层面存在争议，且受到当今广大消费者普遍心理因素影响，导致了消费者后悔权滥用等诸多困境。欲破除此类困境，需要对该法追根溯源，对最初的立法精神及权利范围设置机理等角度深入分析，并在实践层面结合当前较为成熟的民事法律体系手段，与立法和司法制度深度结合，为优化我国消费者保障途径、建设优质的宏观经济调控体系提供新选项。The revised Consumer Rights Protection Law of 2013, through Article 25, grants consumers a “right of withdrawal” (cooling-off period), marking a substantive expansion of consumer rights and partially remedying China’s historical lack of specific remedial mechanisms for consumers. This provision establishes that consumers may exercise an unconditional right to return goods within seven days post-purchase within statutory parameters, while delineating exclusionary clauses applicable to routine consumption scenarios. Theoretical research indicates that this “unilateral protection” framework has engendered multiple challenges, including widespread abuse of withdrawal rights by consumers. These issues stem from ambiguities in the interpretation of legal norms and the influence of prevailing consumer psychology. To resolve such dilemmas, it is imperative to trace the legislative origins of this law, conduct in-depth analyses of its foundational legislative intent and the rationale underlying the delineation of rights, and integrate practical measures with established civil law frameworks. This approach, combined with synergistic legislative and judicial reforms, offers new pathways to optimize China’s consumer protection mechanisms and construct a refined macroeconomic regulatory system.