**Abstract**
On May 7, merchants who had received "one-to-many" fake complaints and summonses found themselves in a similar situation, questioning each other about whether they were being "fished" for. They decided to stand together and protect their rights collectively. By May 10, the incident had already been ongoing for a year, with more merchants facing similar legal threats.
On May 7th, merchants who had previously encountered "one-to-many" counterfeit complaints gathered to discuss what was happening. They began to suspect that these cases were not genuine but rather part of a coordinated effort to target them. The group decided to take a unified stance in defending their rights.
On May 10, an elderly couple named Wang Xiaozhi and Wang Zaizhi, both over 60 years old, sat in a shop at Lantian Electromechanical Hardware Tools Market in Linyi City, Shandong Province, holding a court summons. The complaint claimed that they sold a box of counterfeit "one-to-many" grinding wheel cuttings for 10 yuan, infringing on the plaintiff's trademark rights and demanding compensation of 34,010 yuan. The couple was confused: how could they be accused of selling fakes when they often left samples for customers to try?
Since last year, over ten merchants in the Lantian market have been sued by "one-to-many" manufacturers. Their experiences were eerily similar: strangers would come to the store, buy products, then later file lawsuits demanding high compensation. After discussing among themselves, the merchants became convinced that they were victims of a "fishing" operation — a staged setup to collect money under the guise of legal action.
**Is it a legitimate rights act or a scam?**
Wang Zaizhi, the husband, was clearly upset when talking about becoming a defendant. He explained that many of the products sold in his store were handled by salespeople. They would leave samples for customers to test, and if the product sold well, they would continue the partnership. If not, the items were returned. This time, however, the so-called "one-to-many" grinding wheel cutting piece that led to the lawsuit was one he had sold as early as 2011.
In May 2012, two men dressed in formal attire came to the store, claiming to be from "one-to-many." They bought a few cutting pieces, asking for the brand name, which was rarely seen in the local market. Wang Zaizhi was suspicious, but the customers left without any further explanation. A year later, in spring 2013, two young people approached again, claiming the products were fake. They presented a notarized document and photos of the products, demanding that Wang Zaizhi take responsibility. They even gave him a business card, suggesting the matter could be resolved privately for a few thousand yuan.
Initially, Wang Zaizhi thought it was a scam and ignored it. But a year later, on May 7, he received a court summons from Xiamen Yixin Grinding Wheel Co., Ltd. The company claimed that Wang’s wife had sold counterfeit "one-to-many" grinding wheel cuttings, demanding 30,000 yuan in damages plus 4,010 yuan in legal fees. When he checked, he found that two other shops in the same market had also received the same complaint that day, and they were among the third batch of merchants to face this issue.
**Merchants choose "private" settlements to avoid trouble**
Wang Zaizhi, along with Yan Lei and Zhang Jingkuo, received the court summons together on May 7. After contacting other merchants, they learned that most of the first two groups had opted to pay money privately to avoid legal battles. Some who resisted ended up paying after their accounts were frozen. One merchant said he had never sold "one-to-many" products, but was still charged after ordering goods from another seller at the request of a customer. He paid 10,000 yuan to settle the matter.
"I had the same experience as Wang Hao," Yan Lei recalled. In May 2012, after a customer named "one-to-many" requested a purchase, his wife only wrote "cutting" on the receipt. When the customer expressed dissatisfaction, she added "one-to-many" to the receipt. Later, the same customer used the photo and receipt to claim the product was fake, just like what happened to Wang Hao.
Zhang Shouxian, another merchant, chose not to go to court. Instead, he was contacted after the fact, told that his account had been frozen for over 20,000 yuan. Panicked, he sent his son to find the agent and paid 6,000 yuan to get a settlement paper. He admitted he had no energy to deal with the lawsuit and preferred to spend money than risk further problems.
**Three batches of merchants have been sued, and everyone feels embarrassed**
In the market, many merchants had encountered "one-to-many" salespeople trying to sell grinding wheel cuttings. Wang Zaizhi, Yan Lei, and Zhang Jingkuo reached out to others to see if anyone else had faced the same situation. They discovered that more than 10 merchants had been targeted by the "one-to-many" manufacturer, divided into three batches since 2013.
According to Zhang Jingkuo, the first and second batches of merchants had taken the plunge and ended up paying money, while the third batch was now being targeted. Merchants like Li Junan and Jin Linghua, like Zhang Shouxian, eventually chose to pay for private resolution.
Zheng Xingju and her husband were among the first to be sued. She still feels wronged. In spring 2012, two men with local accents came to the store, asking for "one-to-many" grinding discs. She didn’t have the product, so she recommended them elsewhere. One of the men insisted on helping, and Zheng arranged for her daughter to find a box of "one-to-many" and sell it for 18 yuan. A few months later, two strangers came back, claiming the product was fake and threatening to sue. Zheng ignored the threat until 2013, when she received a court summons. She paid around 10,000 yuan to settle the case, feeling that she had done nothing wrong.
**Chamber of Commerce raises concerns**
After the incidents, the Linyi Wholesalers Federation reported the cases and raised five major doubts about the "one-to-many" situation. According to Wang Youhua, the federation’s representative, there were serious questions about the legitimacy of the lawsuits:
1. Why didn't the manufacturer rely on the industrial and commercial departments for investigation?
2. How can a 10-yuan item lead to a 30,000-yuan claim?
3. Why haven’t merchants received documents like withdrawal of complaints or mediation agreements?
4. Was the notary involved in unethical behavior by preserving evidence without verifying the authenticity of the product?
5. Who actually identified the product as fake, and where did the fake goods come from?
The federation suspects that this is a premeditated scheme for commercial gain, possibly involving "phishing" or fake claims.
**Chamber of Commerce announces rights protection hotline**
To help merchants better defend their rights, the Linyi Wholesalers Federation has set up a dedicated hotline. Wang Youhua said, “We encourage merchants to report their experiences and join forces to fight back.†The hotline number is **15562905936**, where merchants can seek legal advice and support.
If you’ve encountered similar issues with “one-to-many†claims, don’t hesitate to call and share your story. Together, we can protect our rights and expose the truth.
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