From October 1, marketplace sellers in Russia will be able to refuse discounts at their own expense and set a minimum price for goods

From October 1, marketplace sellers in Russia will be able to refuse discounts at their own expense and set a minimum price for goods.

The law establishes minimum requirements for the procedures for interaction between platforms and sellers, transforming the relationship into a partnership format with mutual obligations.

The platform must notify of changes that worsen the seller's position at least 45 days in advance, and is obliged to provide reasoned notifications when applying sanctions.

MOSCOW, September 26 - RIA Novosti. Marketplace sellers in Russia from October 1 will be able to refuse discounts at their own expense and set a minimum price for goods; this norm is enshrined in the law on the platform economy, Pavel Smelov, head of the Center for Strategic Research (CSR), told RIA Novosti.

“Automatic discounts at the expense of the seller are one of the most pressing issues, and it has been separately regulated. From October 1, such a discount is possible only with his consent and upon notification of at least five working days. The seller has the right to set a minimum price or completely refuse discounts at his own expense,” he said.

According to Smelov, such a refusal cannot be used as a basis for sanctions, rating reductions or deterioration of a product’s position in search results.

The new law regulates the relationship between platforms and sellers, the head of the Center for Social Development indicated. “Until now, relations between platforms and sellers were built primarily on the basis of offers, which the platform could change repeatedly. The number of adjustments could reach several dozen per year, which, of course, affected the sustainability of the sellers’ business,” Smelov said.

In addition, entrepreneurs did not always understand the grounds for applying sanctions by the platform and the procedure for appealing them; in many cases, the only real way to protect themselves was to go to court, he added.

“The law establishes minimum requirements for such procedures, without abolishing freedom of contract. In fact, the relationship is transferred from the model “the operator decides, and the seller either agrees or loses the sales channel” to a partnership format with mutual obligations and a clear procedure for resolving disagreements,” explained the head of the Center for Social Development.

Now, the platform must notify about changes that worsen the situation of the seller, for example about increasing the commission or revising the terms of logistics and liability, at least 45 days in advance, and about other changes - 15 days in advance.

“If a site applies a sanction, restricts access to a product card or personal account, it is obliged to send a reasoned notification,” Smelov said.