Stressed Beyond Belief by Online Shopping

[Dave Hounddriver]

This is a rant but it is also a question:  Is it just me, or is everyone having problems with online shopping in Philippines.

Online purchasing has actually gone downhill in Philippines.  It used to be fair to OK to buy things online and have them shipped.  Now it has been a disaster every effort for the last 4 or more attempts.

OLX:  I don't use them anymore.  They used to be great but changed their way of doing business such that more and more scammers started selling on OLX

Lazada:  Despite my other rants about them, they still have things I want so I tried twice to make a purchase in November and December and both times the transaction was canceled after 3 days.  Reason was:  Shipper did not ship item on time, auto-cancel.  Well of course they didn't.  Its Philippines at Christmas.  I expected to wait, not get the transaction canceled.  But at least they refunded my money.

AliExpress:  So I tried to purchase the item on AliExpress.  The deal went through.  A couple of days later I get a message from the seller.  "Please send US$35.  Shipper say you in remote area and want more money"  I argued for a bit about the shipper, DHL, having an office here and I could pick it up there but what they really wanted was another $35.  I put in a dispute with AliExpress about accepting my money for the deal and then upping the price.  They said the seller could do that so:  transaction canceled but at least I got my money back.

Shopee:  As a last resort I tried this one.  I had to send the payment through L'Huillier as they did not accept my credit card.  Again:  transaction canceled because shipper took too long to ship BUT this time they kept my money and put it in a Shopee Wallet.  Guess what, its a beta function not available to all customers and I cannot use my money.

Feck Me!   What a nightmare.  I have been shopping online for 15 years or more in one country or another and this is the worst I have ever seen it!

[JDDavao II]

My wife orders from Shopee all of the time (and I mean ALL of the time ). She's had the wrong items arrive but I don't think she's had any other problems.

I've not had any problems with Lazada on the buying side but when I was an affiliate, I found them to be too Filipino to do business with. I quit their program.

I haven't used any of the others.

My current problem is with ShippingCart. Apparently they took the holiday week off without notice. They're not responding to email inquiries.

I don't understand Filipino business practices at all. From the sari-sari next to the sar-sari across from the sari-sari down the street from the sari-sari, to never calling back and never replying to email inquiries. It's almost like they're trying to not make money. 

[hk blues]

I only use Lazada and have only had 1 delivery issue which may have been my fault anyway. Yes, to pay 115php shopping for a 300php item is OTT but I look at it as a 415php item all-in. 

So, I have to say that as far as Lazada goes, I'm ok.

 

[GeoffH]

SMWBO uses Shoppee fairly often, she hasn't had any issues with it.

I've used Lazada a few times but never near Christmas I have to say, 1 transaction was cancelled but I got the money back.

Edited December 30, 2018 by GeoffH

[intrepid]

33 minutes ago, JDDavao said:

It's almost like they're trying to not make money. 

 

33 minutes ago, JDDavao said:

I don't understand Filipino business practices at all.

Our local Dunkin Donuts moved from inside the WalterMart to one of the spaces which has its own entry.  My wife likes their coffee but they do not open until 10AM.  By this time she is already starting to prepare lunch.  She sent me there before in the early evening to get some donuts for evening snack.  I was there at six and they close at nine.  The racks were empty but they tried to sell me coffee.  The sales boy told me if I want donuts I should arrive before four when they sell out.  WHAT?  Why do they even open and stay in business?

On topic:  Dave, no issues here with online shopping.  Wife and daughter purchase monthly and me sometimes too.   I suppose part of your issue may be location.

[Dave Hounddriver]

56 minutes ago, intrepid said:

I suppose part of your issue may be location.

I realize that part of my stress issue is being from a generation where the customer is always right.  This is not the case now.  If the customer has a complaint they just shuffle you around from one call center agent to another until the customer realizes you either do it their way or it does not get done.  It does not matter that their way is complicated, frustrating, time-consuming an inefficient.  It is what it is and if you want the product you will keep trying until it works, or give up and go away.  

[Arizona Kid]

2 hours ago, GeoffH said:

SMWBO uses Shoppee fairly often, she hasn't had any issues with it.

I've used Lazada a few times but never near Christmas I have to say, 1 transaction was cancelled but I got the money back.

Over the years I've ordered 50 plus things from Lazada. I always use C.O.D. Only one issue. I ordered an item that they later told me was out of stock, so I ordered something else to replace it. The new item I ordered and the "out of stock" item arrived at the same time by the same shipper. I only paid for the new one. Other than that, no problems.

[graham59]

C.O.D only for me with outfits like Lazada.  Any problems so far have been sorted to my satisfaction, and cost half-arsed traders money, not me. 

.

Oh, and I'll throw this one in for free....  

.

 

[robert k]

15 hours ago, hk blues said:

I only use Lazada and have only had 1 delivery issue which may have been my fault anyway. Yes, to pay 115php shopping for a 300php item is OTT but I look at it as a 415php item all-in. 

So, I have to say that as far as Lazada goes, I'm ok.

 

Using Lazada, it's rarely free shipping or my minimum, economy shipping charge is p282. It's kind of hard to be philosophical about paying p282 shipping on a p117 magnet. Pardon me, the seller cancelled the other 13 (p9800) items and the standard shipping was p402, for a p117 magnet. But mostly, Lazada has worked.

[RBM]

23 hours ago, hk blues said:

I only use Lazada and have only had 1 delivery issue which may have been my fault anyway. Yes, to pay 115php shopping for a 300php item is OTT but I look at it as a 415php item all-in. 

So, I have to say that as far as Lazada goes, I'm ok.

 

Same experience here although after a mix up now buy only COD an open parcel in front of courier to ensure product is what I ordered.