October 13, 2025 — Changhua, Taiwan
A woman from Changhua County has been sentenced for repeatedly placing online seafood orders and failing to pay or collect them, resulting in spoiled goods and financial losses for the seller.
The Changhua District Court ruled that the woman, identified only by her surname Guo, was guilty of causing property damage by fraud after she placed three separate orders with a seafood store in Tainan City over the span of a year but never picked them up. The court sentenced her to 20 days of detention, which she may opt to commute to a NT$20,000 fine.
According to court documents, Guo first participated in a Facebook live auction in November 2022, ordering a selection of Dongshi oysters, Japanese premium beef, and shrimp sticks. The following year, she made two more purchases on October 25 and October 30, totaling NT$4,830 plus NT$580 for delivery fees — amounting to NT$5,410 in total.
Each order was on a cash-on-delivery basis, and the store sent the goods to a convenience store in refrigerated condition. However, Guo failed to collect all three orders, causing the seafood to spoil and turn black by the time it was returned due to prolonged storage and inadequate refrigeration.
During the trial, Guo claimed she forgot to pick up the first order, and that her mobile phone was deactivated during the second and third transactions, preventing her from receiving notifications. The judge dismissed her defense as an excuse to evade responsibility, ruling that her repeated behavior disrupted fair trade practices and damaged the store’s property.
Although both parties initially expressed willingness to settle the case, mediation failed because they could not agree on the compensation amount. The court thus handed down the sentence, emphasizing the importance of honesty and accountability in online transactions.