China's newly revised consumer rights law has been welcomed by e-commerce businesses, though its endorsement of shoppers' right to unconditionally return online purchases has stirred debate.

The revision to the law on consumer rights and interests, which was adopted by China's top legislature on Friday, regulates merchandise and service transactions through the Internet, television, phone and post for the first time.

The new law allows e-shoppers to unconditionally return goods for refund within seven days of transactions.

"We have noticed that the revised law has other articles balancing consumers' right of unconditional return and the interests of online businesses. So the current regulations are fine with us," said Yu Siying, deputy chief of the legal department of Alibaba Group, which runs taobao.com, China's leading online retailing platform.

The law requires consumers to pay logistics costs for returning the purchase and lists products not suitable for unconditional returns and refunds, such as digital items sold via downloads, audio-visual goods with the packaging removed, bespoke products, fresh and perishable goods, magazines, newspapers, software, and products about which the two sides agree on the return policy in advance.

In fact, a number of online shopping sites, including Taobao, have already introduced seven-day unconditional return and refund as a policy to attract consumers.

Zhao Zhi, senior legal consultant to Tencent Inc., another e-commerce company, told Xinhua that unconditional return and refund is like allowing consumers to regret their purchases, which can be positive for business.

"There were divided opinions about this article but, based on Tencent's experience, it is applicable and necessary," Zhao said.

"E-shopping, though growing much more popular, is still new to many Chinese. They do not feel safe to do it. The policy of unconditional return will make them trust online vendors and feel more secure to shop," he added.