China's leading online vendors and home appliance retailers may soon face tougher standards in their marketing operations as the Ministry of Commerce responded to consumer concerns that the firms are engaging in sales stunts.

These companies are cutting the prices of electronic products and home appliances but customers are complaining that the reductions are merely marketing stunts and only a limited number of products are actually cheaper than before.

"The ministry will work on more detailed guidelines for online retailers' marketing activities and service standards," Wang Desheng, vice director of the ministry's distribution development department, said at a press conference in Beijing yesterday.

Starting the price war on Wednesday, 360buy.com said it will sell home appliances 10 percent lower than those sold at retail stores of Suning and Gome, China's two largest electronics retailers.

Suning and Gome responded by launching similar price cuts for their products.