Singapore—Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, people have relied more and more on online shopping for their needs and wants.
However, sometimes, what we order and what we actually get can be worlds apart.
This was the experience of one woman recently, concerning a new dress she ordered to celebrate Chinese New Year.
What should have been a delightful unboxing turned sour, a Ms Leong told AsiaOne, because instead of the dress she ordered on Shopee, she received a shower curtain.
The problem may have been due to a mix-up at the distribution center, and not with the online shop itself, which only sells clothes, according to AsiaOne.
Ms Leong is quoted as saying that she knew something was amiss after she felt the plastic rings of the shower curtain when she received the package that was supposed to contain her dress, even though it seemed to be the right size.
And although she has reached out to the seller several times, she has not yet gotten an answer regarding the delivery mix-up.
Ms Leong requested for a full refund, but her request was met with a counter offer from the seller, who offered her a measly S$1 in compensation for the wrong delivery.
Additionally, if she had not responded to this counter offer within a specific period of time, the S$1 in compensation would have been given to her automatically.
She told AsiaOne that the seller was attempting to “sell me a curtain I don’t want for $9.77.”
It was only when she contacted a representative from Shoppee for help in resolving the issue that she got her refund in full.
Ms Leong is by no means the first person to experience an online shopping fail, and she probably won’t be the last.
Even before the pandemic, humorous stories have abounded on the internet along the “expectation vs reality” lines. Dissatisfied customers have posted photos of ill-fitting, poorly-made clothes, masks that only fit a person’s foreheads, weighing scales and chairs made for dollhouses, tank tops that fit like dresses, and so on.
There are a few ways to avoid buyer’s remorse, especially when it comes to clothes. One is to buy from online stores that specify the sizing of their apparel. Another way is to read reviews, where customers post their experience regarding sizing, timeliness of delivery, quality of the goods, and so on.
But this is of little help to shoppers such as Ms Leong, who receive a completely different item from what she ordered. She did the best thing possible. When all else fails—ask for refunds!
/TISG
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