Carousell Cracks Down on Discrimination After a Heated Deal
When a buyer named Saran tried to snag a hotel package on the online marketplace Carousell, the platform got a little too political.
What Went Down
- Saran, a member of the Stomp community, asked the platform about various hotel listings a week ago.
- Seller @hotel000 threw the question in his replies: “May I know your race?”
- Another seller, @mbs_hotel, went a step further, claiming that only Chinese guests were allowed for Saran’s chosen dates due to a “new covid‑19 rule.”
- “Ridiculous, isn’t it? There shouldn’t be rules that block Chinese people from staying in a hotel,” Saran told Stomp.
- He reported the offending sellers straight away and informed Carousell’s team.
Carousell’s Response
Carousell’s spokesperson made it crystal clear that discrimination on the platform is a no‑no.
- @mbs_hotel was immediately restricted while the company ran an investigation. Once they landed the buyer’s side, they explained the restriction to Saran.
- After the first suspension, the content‑moderation squad offered @mbs_hotel a quick “lesson” on why their comment broke the marketplace’s rules.
- For their sake, the seller accepted the warning and is now back in action, but the company warned that any repeat offence will be taken very seriously.
- Seller @hotel000 received a formal warning and the same user‑education touch‑point. A red flag will be raised if further misconduct surfaces.
- Carousell is keeping (and is basically texting) Saran up‑to‑date with the steps taken and is promising a safer, more trustworthy buying and selling environment.
What You’re Expected to Do If You See Something
- Tap on a listing and hit “Report Listing.”
- Or click on the user’s profile and select “Report User.”
- Let the platform know right away – they’ll jump on it.
Carousell takes the safety and fairness of its community very seriously. They’re sharpening their detection tools and improving the moderation workflow to catch any sneaky discriminatory tactics before they get a chance to play out.
