Online Business: Yes or NO?

Hi,

I've been wanting to blog about my personal experiences on shopping online with IG shops. As a true believer and supporter of e-payment, I have always put my trust in online shopping. I mean why not? It's easy, less cash being in circulation (do you know that it is costly for central banks to keep on producing new notes and maintaining existing currency notes? so, e-payment pls), less hassle. Think about it, you click,browse, add to cart and wallah the item u purchased will be delivered to your door

Recently, online business has taken a new dimension where sellers begin their business with Instagram. Its cheaper, no cost to maintain your own web, no fee to be paid to e-payment service provider and easier way for customer to reach out for you. I like it. Very much. Only at the beginning

My first bad experience with IG was when items I've ordered were wrongly delivered to a different address. WA-ed the seller, she apologized and send back a new item to me. No additional charges incurred. So I cant complaint much.

Second experience, I ordered a skirt from a seller only to receive a different item. Confronted, she said it was my mistake as I said blue skirt only and i didnt mention plain blue skirt. Although I remembered correctly saying royal blue plain skirt, but I did not pursue it. Instead I purchased another skirt. The royal blue plain skirt. It ends there

Third experience, I deposited a substantial amount of money to a personal shopper(PS) to purchase my long awaited C bag.I figured this would be my dream come true,finally I have my own C. PS went to Paris, went to one store and mentioned that the item that I wanted is not available. So I told myself,it was not meant to be. I told them, its okay I dont want any other color, I just want black. Its okaylah,you can return back the money.

"NO REFUND"

My blood went upstairs! How can this happened? I tried to educate them about the meaning of refund only to find out that they will never accept any of your argument, especially if you are just plain joe! They even asked me to get other color or simply choose another model. Are you freaking kidding me?

I still have some patience in me, I gave them a month to look for my bag. They went for another trip and managed to get the bag in different color. Fear that I will not see my money forever, I agreed. But there you go again, I have to add another RM300 to my existing RM6.7k deposited to them as they said the price is different now. I hesitated and insist it cannot be FX charges as Euro showed some deterioration against ringgit. They realised that I know FX, they said C increased their price. So I insist on the receipt. They agreed!

When they returned, I received the bag but only with a different paperbag (crumpled one too). If you buy C in its specialty store, you will get every packaging in white. Instead I received the black one. I asked for the receipt. She said "eh masa we apply VAT, custom took the receipt".

WTF?

Isn't the receipt (original) will be given back to the customer and custom will only take their copy? You think I didnt know this? U think I have never done any traveling in European countries?

I was beyond angry. I let them go but I will never halalkan whatever they took from me.

My fourth experience, as I dont like the C in red color, i re-sell it to another PS. Price was agreed upon and she agreed on the amount that I will received once the bag find the new owner

She managed to sell it in a jiffy but I cant say the same about my money. I practically need to WA her everyday to bank in the money, and the money was banked in on staggered basis and took about 3 weeks to complete the whole amount

I let it go considering that maybe she has her own business model on how her money should flow. But I cannot accept it when she paid me lesser than what we agreed upon as she claimed she forgot that the agreed price was as such. So she claimed if she paid me the sum, she will only earn a little from the transaction

Well, I wasnt upset that I loss RM100 out of it. But I was so upset that IG sellers has no ethics when it comes to honoring the agreed terms and condition. It was clearly her mistake but I have to face the consequences. I told her it was not my rezeki then but I am not happy she treated me as such and I leave it to Allah for everything that happened

Another experience was with IG seller of baby stuff. I wanted to purchase a car seat for Adam, saw the promo price and texted her to confirm availability. She said its in stock and I requested for her payment details

After 2 days, she didnt reply so I texted her again only to find out that the promo price stock is no longer available. I was not happy as she confirmed to me that its in stock and I was waiting for her account no to make the payment

And I was really angry when she mentioned this "Masa I confirm tu, still in stock. But now dah habis. Lagipun sis belum bank in"

WTF again!

She lost me at "sis belum bank in"


All these experiences makes me swear that I will never buy from IG anymore. Exception to the 2 that I have always have good experience and now considered friend. Seriously guys, think before you purchase anything from them, think really hard before u transfer money to a total stranger. If you cant help it, try with smaller amount of purchase to establish trust.

For now, Im just gonna buy old school style ofshopping

Bayar for barang ada depan mata!