Those who fail to adhere to the eight rules set by the ministry for online sellers, can be penalised under the Consumer Protection (Electronic Trading Transactions) Regulations 2012:

i.      Individual Penalty

For the first offence, a fine not exceeding RM50,000 or imprisonment not exceeding 3 years, or both can be imposed. For the second offense, a fine not exceeding RM100,000 or imprisonment not exceeding 5 years or both can be imposed.
 
ii. Penalty of Corporation
 
The first offence carries a fine not more than RM100,000. The second offence carries a fine not more than RM200,000.


Now that we've heard the explanation from the authorities,why do most online sellers use the term ‘PM me’ or ‘PM tepi’ on their sites instead of displaying the prices?

We asked them the reason and here are their answers:
 
Fong Chai Lee, co-founder of Babywears.com:

“We are aware of such a law. We actually prefer for our customers to purchase directly online as this makes our purchasing process more seamless. However, the 'PM' culture usually starts with the customers asking us to PM and such behaviour has been long present. We have to adapt to their behaviour in order to maximise sales. In fact, PM constitutes approximately 30 to 40% of our sales at the moment. Hence, we have to set up measures to attend to each and every PM that we receive. That said, we are always transparent with our pricing, promotion and business information. We want to make sure that we provide customers with the best online experience possible and not veer any dodgy marketing ploys by purposely masking purchase information from them.”

Deva Mala, founder of Shashandelicakes:

“We usually have no choice but to use the phrase ‘”PM”.  We do so because there are some confidential details that customers would like to ask about the purchase. Even though we do not like to take the conversation to private, sometimes, further explanation must be done about a certain product, as customers inquire more details. Sometimes, they are the ones who private message for further details, even though all product description is given.”
 
Spokesperson of tutus_and_ties_my:
           

“Our products are all custom-made ones, so prices differ according to ages, designs as well as material and accessories used. So, we cannot place a standard price for everyone as we would need other private information such as sizes, measurement and posting details. We feel that the ministry’s rule can be enforced for some online shops, but on the other hand, it will be difficult to enforce in other online shops due to the nature or type of the business. For instance, some online shops, especially those selling similar things, may not post their prices due to stiff competition. The ministry’s rule can work well with that kind of shops. But custom made is totally different."
 
Fadli Hadafi, founder of thebakingbachelor:
 
“Actually, this depends on the types of things that online sellers sell. It depends on whether its a fixed price or custom price. If the things that are sold is suited for fixed price, online sellers will usually post the price. If it is a custom-made item like cakes with requested flavours and preferred designs, the will be price differences. So, that is when online sellers use the phrase “PM tepi” to further discuss the matter in private. How can that be an offence? We don’t understand!”.