论“仅退款”规则中电商平台的法律地位与责任

On the Legal Status and Liability of E-Commerce Platforms in the “Refund Only” Rule

摘要: 电商平台推行的“仅退款”规则在提升售后服务效率的同时，因平台单方面行使集规则制定、争议裁判与资金执行于一体的“准司法权”，导致商家面临“货款两空”风险，平台权力扩张与商家财产权保障的冲突有待民法回应。本文基于《电子商务法》与《民法典》，分析指出该权力已超越自治范畴，演变为“准公共权力”。据此指出平台责任的法律基础：其一，平台违反《电子商务法》第35条对商家施加不合理限制或条件时，需承担违约及行政责任；其二，平台行使审核权存在重大过失构成侵权，应赔偿直接损失及合理维权费用。为制衡权力滥用，提出建议：实施程序性约束(强制听证、备案审查、司法保留扣款权)、建立分层过错认定标准(重大过失推定全责、探索惩罚性赔偿)、构建三级救济体系(内部独立复审、第三方专业仲裁、司法最终保障)。旨在为平衡平台自治与商家权益保护提供制度路径。

Abstract: E-commerce platforms’ implementation of “refund only” rule, while enhancing after-sales service efficiency, has led to merchants facing the risk of losing both goods and payments due to platforms unilaterally exercising “quasi-judicial power” that integrates rule-making, dispute adjudication, and fund execution. This expansion of platform authority and its conflict with merchant property rights protection urgently requires civil law intervention. Grounded in the “E-Commerce Law” and the “Civil Code”, this paper analyzes how such power has transcended autonomous boundaries and evolved into “quasi-public authority.” The legal foundations for platform liability are identified as follows: (1) When platforms violate Article 35 of the “E-Commerce Law” by imposing unreasonable restrictions on merchants, they bear contractual and administrative liabilities; (2) Platforms exercising review authority with gross negligence commit torts and must compensate for direct losses and reasonable legal expenses. To curb power abuse, three institutional countermeasures are proposed: implementing procedural constraints (mandatory hearings, filing reviews, judicial reservation of deduction rights), establishing a tiered fault determination standard (presuming full liability for gross negligence while exploring punitive damages), and constructing a three-level relief system (internal independent review, third-party professional arbitration, and judicial final safeguard). This framework aims to provide institutional pathways for balancing platform autonomy with merchant rights protection.