The merchant claims that the filter element can be used for a year, but it is actually less than a month. How to avoid this pitfall in the promotion of water purifiers?

There is a hidden mystery in the life of the water purifier filter element: the merchant said it would last for one year, but it actually lasted less than a month. How should consumers avoid this "word game" about service life?

Mr. Wang, a consumer, said that when he was shopping for a water dispenser this year, he saw that the product highlighted the durability of the matching filter element. The product details page clearly stated that the filter element can be used for one year. The price-performance ratio was good. Mr. Wang finally spent more than 3,200 yuan to place an order for the machine. When the machine was first installed, the water flow rate was stable, but after only about a week, he found that one of the pure water filter elements displayed on the machine's screen had been used up.

Mr. Wang immediately contacted the brand’s after-sales service to inquire about the reason. The staff determined that it was due to local water quality, which was a normal phenomenon, and also suggested some operating methods to alleviate the loss.

The explanation given by the merchant as a normal phenomenon was difficult for Mr. Wang to accept. Although the merchant also said that it could provide returns and exchanges, Mr. Wang admitted that he chose a water dispenser that costs thousands more just to drink cleaner water. Unexpectedly, he encountered unpleasant results. He always believed that the product itself had problems with quality and false advertising.

A reporter searched the Black Cat Complaint Platform using the keyword "water purifier filter" and found that there were thousands of related complaints. The complaints focused on the huge gap between the nominal service life of the filter element and its actual use time, the concealment of pre-conditions in merchant propaganda, and disputes over the division of after-sales responsibilities.

How long can the filter element be used? How much impact does water quality have on the filter element life? Yang Chao, director of the Science Popularization Center of Shenzhen University of Technology and a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry, said that different types of filter elements on the market have different “dirt-holding” capabilities and functional positioning, and there are also obvious differences in normal replacement cycles. Many consumers are accustomed to measuring the life of filter elements in terms of "months and years", and this is exactly where businesses can easily take advantage of loopholes in their promotions.

Yang Chao further explained that according to relevant national standards, the core indicator of filter element performance is the rated total water purification volume, in liters. Under specified standard working conditions, the total amount of water that can be processed by the filter element under the premise that the filter element continues to purify and the effluent water quality reaches the standard is the scientific and compliant basis for measuring the service life of the filter element. Merchants generally promote "replace the filter element once a year" without explaining which filter element it is and the corresponding usage conditions, which itself can easily mislead consumers.

Yang Chao believes that poor water quality will shorten the life of the filter element, but it cannot be used as a shield for businesses to cover up product quality defects and falsely mark parameters. There is a clear difference between the two. The variables between normal wear and tear and quality issues also require consumers to pay attention to.

Huang Yinxu, associate professor at the Law School of Renmin University of China, pointed out that from a legal perspective, if a merchant advertises that the filter element can be used for one year, but actually uses it for one month, it may constitute false advertising and may also involve consumer fraud.

There are many complicated words in product promotion. How can consumers keep their eyes open and avoid the trap of filter element consumption? Huang Yinxu suggested that when purchasing a water purifier and matching filter elements, don’t just focus on the “usage time” marked by the merchant. Before placing an order, take the initiative to confirm with the merchant the prerequisites corresponding to the advertised life span, and do not trust verbal promises. Once you find that a merchant has exaggerated publicity or falsely marked the life of the filter element, negotiate with the merchant first. If the negotiation fails, promptly submit the preserved evidence through the official complaint platform and assert your rights and interests in accordance with the law.

Reviewer丨Li Xingjian

Reporter丨Jiang Xiaochen