The retailer Canada Goose has promised that customers will be able to return clothes bought in its Chinese stores after it faced a mounting nationalist backlash and claims of double standards over a no-refunds policy. The attacks on the high-end winter clothes manufacturer were triggered by the case of a Shanghai woman, who complained that a parka she bought for 11,400 yuan (US$1,790) at a Shanghai retail store in October had a wrongly stitched logo and smelt bad. Fans pile into Canada Goose’s first flagship store in China despite boycott calls But according to the Shanghai Morning News, which reported the story on Tuesday, the woman, identified only by her surname Jia, had been told to sign an exchange policy that stated “unless otherwise provided by applicable laws, all products sold at Canada Goose’s retail stores in mainland China are strictly non-refundable”. Canada Goose’s official website states that items purchased within 30 days may be returned to any store in the country where it was initially purchased as long as they meet the return conditions, which include being unwashed, unworn and with the original tags still attached. The case went viral on social media, with users criticising the returns policies and the quality of products, and also attracted the attention of the Shanghai Consumer Council (SCC), which held regulatory talks with the company on Wednesday and will hold more talks next week. The China Consumers Association and state media described the brand as “arrogant and superior”, while the Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily published a commentary that alluded to the saying “the customer is king” and accusing it of “riding roughshod over its customers”. On Thursday the state broadcaster CCTV aired a clip titled “Double-Standard Canada Goose”, which accused the brand of setting up multiple obstacles for customers who wanted to return goods and criticising the terms of the contracts signed by consumers as incoherent. Later that day, the broadcaster reported that the company had promised to allow returns in a statement to the SCC that read: “We love China, respect the people and cherish its culture. As a brand that wants to develop in China, consumers’ shopping experience and rights protection will always be a priority for our company,” Canada Goose did not respond to requests for comment. Some Weibo users argued that the case showed the Chinese needed to be more “self-reliant” because only then will European and American businesses treat Chinese customers the same way as those in their own countries. Xiong Chao, a lawyer at the Beijing-based Jingshi Law Firm, said it is not illegal to have different return policies in different countries. Hongkongers to get their own Canada Goose store this autumn “However, it definitely infringes consumers’ rights if they do not allow refunds of low-quality items,” he added. It’s not the first time the company has been targeted by nationalistic attacks. The brand entered the Chinese market in 2018 but had to delay the opening of its flagship store in Beijing because it was threatened with a boycott following the arrest of Huawei Technologies executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver. In September the company was also fined 450,000 yuan by the Shanghai Municipal Administration for Market Regulation for false advertising over the way it described the goose down used in its products. Growing tensions between China and the West have also seen other companies targeted . Hit by Xinjiang cotton backlash, H&M aims to ‘regain trust in China’ In September, Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet was attacked after its chief executive François-Henry Bennahmias referred to Taiwan as “a very tech-oriented country” in a video conversation months ago. Beijing regards the island as a breakaway province that must be reunited with the mainland – by force if necessary. The resulting backlash saw the singer and actor Lu Han, one of China’s most popular stars, cutting ties with the brand .