Wish returns to France

Popular marketplace Wish is once again available in France. A year and a half ago, the state delisted the platform because of unsafe products. Now, the marketplace can be found in the biggest search engines and app stores again.

Online marketplace Wish is based in the US. Most of the products listed on the website and app come from Chinese manufacturers and merchants. In November 2021, several French ministers called for a boycott on the marketplace.

Dangerous items

The boycott was a result of a report that was published earlier. Out of a sample of 140 products, 45 percent of toys, 90 percent of electrical good and 62 percent of jewelry items were considered dangerous. According to the report, outdoor lights and power adapters could cause electric shocks, animal toys carried choking hazards and some jewelry items contained dangerous chemicals.

Re-listing of website and mobile app

As a result, the website and mobile application was delisted in France. Now, the country’s Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) has decided to re-list the marketplace on search engines and app stores.

‘The decision was taken after more than a year of discussion with Wish.’

“The decision was taken after more than a year of discussion with Wish, with regard to the commitments made. The platform has now set up withdrawal and recall procedures, and a limitation of similar products to those recognized as non-compliant and dangerous”, said a member of French Minister Olivia Grégoire’s team, who oversees the DGCCRF. “The DGCCRF will be very attentive to Wish’s commitments.”

Fined with €3 million

Since the delisting, Wish’s parent company ContextLogic has tried to overturn the decision in court. It was unsuccessful in doing so. And just last Friday, the marketplace was fined with 3 million euros for misleading commercial practices.