Since 2022, personal information de-identification technologies such as privacy forms and virtual numbers have been rapidly implemented in the national express delivery industry, becoming a powerful tool to deal with the risk of information leakage. It can be said that this technology itself has addressed citizens' concerns about information security. However, the accompanying complaints have never faded away.
Recently, Mr. Zhang reported to Jiefang Daily·Shangguan News "People's Voice Express" that recently, his express delivery has always been quietly put into the express locker, and he has not received delivery text messages at all, and sometimes even the pickup code cannot be displayed. In this regard, the express locker service company explained to Mr. Zhang that this was because the shopping platform set up a "virtual number" and the company was not authorized to obtain the recipient's real mobile phone number.
Mr. Zhang checked back and found that he had not received the text message at all, and there was no pickup code on the shopping platform.
This newspaper has paid attention to this issue before, but two years later, why is this issue still bothering consumers? How to balance consumer privacy and convenience when shopping?
To successfully receive virtual number express delivery, authorization is required?
Although the newly revised "Express Delivery Market Management Measures" clearly stipulates that companies operating express delivery services are not allowed to confirm receipt of express delivery without the user's consent, and are not allowed to deliver express delivery to express terminal facilities such as smart express boxes and express service stations without authorization. However, in the community where Xiao Li rents, it is still common for express delivery to be placed in express lockers without notifying users. In order to reduce the cost of long-term express delivery, she specially paid to open the Fengchao express cabinet membership service that can enjoy "free pickup over time".
However, she recently discovered that this service was discounted because of the "virtual number": after placing an order for a few items on Vipshop, she stopped paying attention to the logistics information. When she logged in again, she found that the items had already been delivered to the express locker. "I checked my phone, but I didn't receive a pickup message at all, and there was no pickup code on the shopping platform." This made her a little confused. Later, the customer service gave the same statement: the shopping platform provider used virtual numbers for shipments by default, and the related real information was not authorized to the express locker company. As a result, she was unable to receive text messages and pickup codes after the express delivery was put into the locker, and the customer service could not query it. She needed to contact the courier to obtain it before taking out the express delivery. Helpless, Xiao Li could only contact the courier and ask for the pickup code one by one.
Xiao Li told reporters that without the pickup code, she had to call the courier to check one by one.
When Xiao Li went to pick up the parcel, he found that several express delivery had exceeded the free storage time and needed to pay additional storage fees. "It stands to reason that you don't have to pay this amount if you become a member, but Fengchao customer service said that the virtual number set by the shopping platform is inconsistent with the mobile phone number of the member, so you can't enjoy the discount." After repeated communication to no avail, Xiao Li was forced to pay the overtime "storage fee" for these express delivery in advance, but she was a little puzzled. Nowadays, most shopping platforms have virtual numbers. In this way, isn't the scope that members can cover very limited? Moreover, she found that the rules for setting up virtual accounts on each platform are also different. Which one can use the rights and which ones cannot use the rights? Consumers do not seem to get effective prompts when recharging their membership.
Customer service said that because the virtual number is inconsistent with the mobile phone number of the registered member, the storage discount cannot be enjoyed.
The reporter's inquiry found that Fengchao does have relevant pickup fee provisions for "Number Protection Packages" in the "Chancun Service Agreement": If the recipient fails to authorize the real mobile phone number in time, the third party may refuse to provide the recipient's real mobile phone number to Fengchao, which may result in the inability to apply for the Changcun privilege to waive the free deposit fee, the inability to apply for the pick-up service by relatives and friends, and the inability to directly accept Fengchao's pickup notice or impending detention notice...
In the user agreement of the express locker company, there are special provisions for "number protection packages".
As for authorization, there are relevant prompts at the entrance of the Fengchao Mini Program online customer service. Users can follow the operation prompts to authorize on the relevant shopping platform, so that Fengchao can obtain the real mobile phone number. However, the platforms covered are very limited. "Several major shopping platforms all check the virtual number by default, and some platforms don't know how to cancel it. Moreover, Fengchao did not fulfill its obligation to remind consumers in advance whether the package has been authorized before the express is delivered to the cabinet." Xiao Li couldn't help complaining.
Xiao Li revealed that after calling the complaint hotline, the express locker company refunded the relevant fees. But her experience is not unique. A reporter's investigation found that the problem of poor pickup due to the use of virtual numbers also exists in express delivery stations.
Xiao Yang placed an order for a box of bread in early August. It was not until August 18 that a confirmation reminder from the shopping platform popped up on his mobile phone that he discovered that the bread had been signed for by a courier station near his home as early as August 10. "But I didn't receive any text messages during this period. On such a hot day, the bread went bad after being left out for so long." After contacting the courier and other parties, he learned that the reason was similar to the express cabinet. A virtual number was set up on the shopping platform where he placed the order. The express delivery station could not obtain the user's real number. If the courier did not call, the SMS notification could not be sent to the user at all.
"I didn't receive the goods, who should bear the resulting losses?" I contacted the courier, express company, and shopping platform one after another, and all of them said they had nothing to do with them. "Later I called to complain, and the merchant borne the cost and reissued the goods. In fact, it was completely avoidable," Xiao Yang said helplessly.
The data docking situation of each station is different
The trouble caused by virtual numbers is two-way: consumers are frequently blocked in the collection process, and on the other hand, post staff are also complaining.
A rookie post station in Qibao Town, Minhang District, can receive an average of 1,500 express deliveries every day, more than half of which use virtual numbers. Due to the large volume of express delivery, the station will not call users one by one when collecting express delivery. Instead, it will notify users by automatically sending text messages after it is put into storage. However, for users to receive text message notifications, one step is indispensable: these virtual numbers must be associated with real numbers.
Sorting is in progress at a certain express delivery station in Qibao Town.
The staff said that at present, many platforms and stations have connected data. After scanning the express delivery form, the user's real information will be displayed in the background, and a pickup notification will be automatically pushed to complete the warehousing process. However, there are also several mainstream shopping platforms that have not completed data docking. "There are two (shopping platforms) where there are often problems with express delivery. Text messages cannot be notified, and sometimes phone calls cannot be made, and the express delivery is delayed for a long time." Moreover, he also mentioned that the post station was originally open 24 hours a day, and customers could pick up items by themselves. However, it often happens that the pick-up code is not received, and the staff can only assist with inquiries through the order number. "Especially when buying items on behalf of others, you need to contact relatives and friends to verify the order number, which adds a lot of workload." In order to solve this problem, he plans to purchase another device that can use the order number to collect express delivery.
A certain express delivery station in Tianlin Street, Xuhui District is also trying to reduce the associated vacuum zone. Xiao Chen, a courier who was handling the warehousing, told reporters that in the past, a fresh food express used a virtual number and the buyer did not receive the information. When he came back to find the goods, he found that the goods were rotten. "He turned around and reported us. At that time, he also fined the post station." For this reason, the post station began to strictly require the couriers to "convert the virtual number to the real number and enter it into the database" in the post station system. The method he adopted was to dial the virtual numbers one by one to contact the user to inquire about the real number entry system. "But as soon as I explained my purpose, the other person became vigilant and suspected that I was committing fraud." Another courier guy next to him interjected: "This is not the most troublesome. Last time I entered a virtual number, I found that the last name and the last four digits of the number were exactly the same as another user I had associated with before. I connected directly without thinking much, but the pickup code was sent to the wrong person."
However, at an express delivery station in Dapuqiao Street, Huangpu District, a reporter heard a completely different story. The staff of this post station said that with the express delivery and receipt app they use, you can basically see the real information associated with all the virtual numbers after scanning the express delivery form. "We have not had any problems due to virtual numbers, maybe more in express lockers." He told reporters that the reason for the difference has a lot to do with the system used by the post station. "The data connected to some systems is not that complete, resulting in different experiences among consumers in different areas."
In other words, will the use of virtual numbers affect the convenience of the terminal delivery link? The core lies in the fact that "upstream and downstream companies in the express delivery industry do not share enough user data they have, and there are certain information barriers between e-commerce platforms and delivery companies, and delivery companies and post stations." Previously, Zhao Guojun, director of the Postal Development Research Center of Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, expressed concerns about this issue in an interview with the media.
The virtual account was originally a progressive move to protect privacy, but it has caused new process reshaping and efficiency challenges in the end delivery link, as well as the resulting friction in communication and trust. To solve this dilemma, we cannot rely solely on the independent efforts of terminal stations and the extra efforts of couriers. We also need to break through data barriers from the source. It calls on e-commerce platforms to strengthen cooperation with logistics companies and terminal stations to realize the interconnection of upstream and downstream data through technical interfaces, and to advance the automatic association function of virtual numbers to the delivery link; at the same time, standardize the contact process and unify outbound call identification to eliminate user concerns. Only by allowing technological progress and end-of-life practice to resonate at the same frequency can privacy protection be truly convenient and beneficial to the people and no longer become a problem that plagues the “last mile”.