Livestream hosts scramble on after‑sales as CCTV exposes “Australian” supplement Yousiyi (优思益)

Hosts front the bill while platforms stall

CCTV aired an investigation saying the supplement brand Yousiyi (优思益), marketed as “Australian original import,” was likely a fraud. It has been reported that the product was actually manufactured in China and that the listed Melbourne address corresponds to an auto repair shop. Once the story broke, listings across major marketplaces — including Tmall (天猫) and JD.com (京东) — were pulled, regulators opened probes, and consumers rushed to seek refunds. Who bore the immediate cost? Livestream hosts and their teams. Several prominent anchors — Dong Yuhui (董宇辉), Zhang Xiaohui (章小蕙) and others — reportedly pledged full, up‑front refunds from their own funds; some, such as Xia Shiwen (夏诗文) and Hou Xiaoxi (侯小西), went further with “return one, pay three” style compensations for purchases under certain amounts.

Trust economics, not just conscience

Fans hailed the hosts’ moves as evidence of “conscience,” but the more convincing explanation is structural. Livestream commerce is a trust‑driven business: anchors trade on personal credibility in ways that traditional storefronts do not. When that credibility is shaken, the economic hit is immediate and visible, so anchors have incentives to overcompensate to protect long‑term brand and audience equity. It has been reported that even some celebrity endorsers — including Zhao Lusi (赵露思) and Zeng Shunxi (曾舜晞) — had previously promoted the brand, underscoring how the chain of trust spans platforms, personalities and supply chains.

How the “import” story passed checks

Investigators say the scheme exploited gaps in cross‑border e‑commerce verification. It has been reported that the brand registered a company in Australia (Yarra Vibe Pty Ltd) and routed domestically made goods through export–import paperwork and bonded warehouses, producing bona fide customs declarations that platforms and routine quality checks treated as proof of genuine import. The incident highlights a blind spot: traditional compliance focuses on product safety and paperwork authenticity, not on whether an “Australian” product actually sells or competes legitimately overseas. Regulators have already signaled tighter scrutiny — for context, the Live‑stream E‑commerce Supervision Measures issued in December 2025 and effective February 1, 2026, aim to clarify responsibilities across platforms, anchors and suppliers.

A test for a maturing market

The Yousiyi episode is both a symptom and a stress test. Livestream e‑commerce has matured: top anchors now operate like brands and must meet brand‑level accountability. But can stronger regulation and more diligent background checks close the loopholes that let “compliance‑style fraud” flourish? For Western readers, the takeaways are clear — China’s sprawling cross‑border trade flows and trust‑based retail model create novel failure modes that demand stronger institutional checks, not just personal apologies and ad hoc compensation.