Do you really find genuine Health & Nutrition products when shopping online in India?
Here are some common questions asked by people who have never tried online shopping in India.
- Does online shopping in India really benefits the customers, are the items cheaper compared to the retail stores?
- Do they sell original/quality products?
- How does the overall process work?
The answer to these questions is that ‘yes’, there are several benefits to the end-user.
- They do sell original items and also have a “Refund Policy” in place (you can read it on the website).
- Just select the product you want to buy and purchase it
- Payment can be done through “Cash on Delivery” or “Online payment using Debit/Credit Card”
So, online shopping in India is really good and you can also find online ‘coupons’ that can be used for further discounts when buying products online.
Beware of Fake Products when Shopping Online
Many are surprised at the massive discounts that are always on offer on online shopping sites. And although most of the time its marketing gimmick, as customers, you now also need to beware of fake products that could land at your doorstep if you order from such sites.
The big discount at your favorite e-tailer could deliver you a fake product!
Some time back, Yogendra Garg, a New Delhi-based top government official, ordered a pair of Nike Air Max shoes from Snapdeal for Rs 9,445. But when the shoes were delivered, Garg was shocked to discover that they were knockoffs — albeit, great ones, as he later said.
“The shoes came from Surat. VAT has been charged but TIN number/CST registration number on the invoice says ‘not applicable’,” said Garg. “It’s a good fake but carries a wrongly spelt web address. Instead of nikebetterworld.com on the tongue, it says nikebetterwold.com. And, all that Snapdeal has done is that without our request, they have initiated a return process.”
A Snapdeal spokesperson said, “Snapdeal recognizes sellers who have good sales track record and takes actions against the sellers who engage in selling fake products. In case of any violations, upon being adequately notified, Snapdeal takes down such listings in accordance with the rules and polices provided on Snapdeal.”
But, when asked about Garg’s fake Nike shoes, she said, “Will get back to you on that.” It has almost been a week now, and she hasn’t.
Interestingly, Snapdeal is not the only e-tailer that has counterfeits listed on its website. As more people migrate online from the brick-and-mortar retail format in search of good deals, the counterfeit market is following suit.
For instance, Gurgaon-based Shopclues, which claims to be the one of the country’s fastest growing e-commerce companies, has been taken to court for selling fakes. L’Oreal, Tommy Hilfiger, Skullcandy and RayBan have initiated legal actions against Shopclues in the Delhi high court in connection with sale of counterfeit goods and the HC has granted interim injunctions against the website, restraining it or anyone associated with it from the use, manufacture, sale, supply or display of counterfeit goods of these brands.
When contacted, a Shopclues spokesperson said: “We believe that our ability to partner with brands to protect their intellectual property rights is far more than what is available to them in the offline retail world. And, most brands recognize that. Together, we have made great progress in addressing this issue.”
While the screening process of sellers by several e-tailers do not appear to be foolproof, mystery shoppers employed by brands to sniff out counterfeits said, on the condition of anonymity, that some e-tailers — including Amazon India and Flipkart — have managed to remain more resistant to fakes due to rigorous background checks of sellers. The problem of fakes also extends to some of the large multi-brand retailers in the country.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Shopper Orders Smart Phone, Gets a Bar of Soap: India’s Online Shopping Pains
Shopper Orders Smart Phone, Gets a Bar of Soap. There’s no doubt that India’s online shopping market is booming. But it also means that the big players have to up their game to survive in the market.
When Mumbai resident Laxminarayan Krishnamurthy wanted to order a phone for his wife, he turned to the Internet, selecting a Samsung Galaxy Core 2 smartphone e-retailer Snapdeal.com. But when he opened the package in October, it contained a slightly different product: brick and a bar of soap.
With increase in business, there also have been instances where the customers have faced some issues, although the issues were addressed by customer support later on.
And as for shocked Laxminarayan Krishnamurthy, he was gifted the phone he had ordered, but in addition he also got two bottles of dish soap by Unilever.
I guess as long as the customer gets what he/she wants, its still an acceptable situation when it comes to online shopping in India.
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