Taobao said it would relax the half-year in operation “refund-only” policy that allows shoppers to get a refund without returning the product, citing as a reason “optimizing the business environment while ensuring consumer rights.” The policy, perceived as being preferential to customers over e-commerce platforms, was a lesson both Taobao and http://JD.comJD.com> learned from the policy’s inventor Pinduoduo. Taobao merchants with good operating records will henceforth have more autonomy to deal with shoppers’ refund requests, according to Alibaba. Tmall, the Alibaba-owned retail platform that boasts the most brand merchants, announced it is set to erase its annual seller service fee beginning on Sept. 1, a fee that comes to between RMB 30,000 ($4134.7) and RMB 60,000 a year. [TechNode reporting]