THREE major Chinese retailers have cheated online shoppers in recent self-labeled "price wars," according to a preliminary investigation by the country's top economic planner.

Officials from the price supervision and anti-monopoly bureau of the National Development and Reform Commission found , Suning Appliance and Gome Electrical Appliances to have manipulated prices and cheated consumers after numerous complaints, the Beijing News reported yesterday. 

The NDRC said the retailers did not commit to the price cuts after its random check of 15 appliances sold by them showed they still have a gross profit margin between 4 percent and 22.43 percent rather than "zero profit" as they had claimed, the newspaper said. Some products were also out of stock.

The NDRC has sent three teams to the companies and investigations "are still under way," according to the planning agency.

In response to the allegations, online vendor 360buy yesterday apologized for failing to deliver on its price-cut promise.

Suning yesterday admitted there were management defects during its promotion campaign and promised to improve.

Suning and Gome joined the price war launched by 360buy CEO Liu Qiangdong after he said he will seek "zero profit" on home appliances sold at 360buy. 

沪江英语快讯：815电商大战硝烟还未散尽，到底谁赚得盆满钵满，谁输得一败涂地，还不得而知。此时又传来发改委的声音：电商大战涉嫌价格欺诈！三家涉事电商京东、苏宁、国美正在自查中。据透露，电商的价格欺诈行为主要包括“先提价再降价”、“比价独家经营商品”等情况。发改委相关人士表示，电子商务属于新兴业态，价格行为不规范，而针对网络价格行为，目前我国还没有针对性的法律法规出台。如果能通过此事件，加快国家在这方面的立法进程，那也算是一件“好事”了。

相关词汇学习：

1.价格战：price war

2.国家发改委：National Development and Reform Commission

3.价格监督检查：price supervision 

4.反垄断：anti-monopoly