Unscrupulous Shopee vendors ‘fleecing’ customers unfamiliar with return process?

A NETIZEN has highlighted how some unscrupulous online vendors are taking advantage of shoppers unfamiliar with the return policy.

In his post on X (formerly Twitter), @robotys claims that he had ordered an outdoor lighting unit. What was delivered, however, was a cheap travel plug.

Taktik Scam terbaru daripada @ShopeeMY Seller

Barang order: Lampu pagar RM100
Barang sampai: travel plug RM2

Macamana dia scam?

1) Kita order barang A (mahal)

2) Dia hantar barang B (murah)

3) Bila kita mintak refund kat shopee app, kita wajib return barang dulu

cont.. pic.twitter.com/Z6ZmhJJVQV

— Robotys (@robotys) February 13, 2024

The poster highlighted that such vendors were banking on customers NOT dropping off the items at the relevant courier to be returned within a specific time frame.

He claims that this “dark economy” consisting of such fraudulent vendors was thriving on online shopping platforms where the customer’s ignorance is abused and taken advantage of.

He also vented frustration at having to deal with chatbots rather than real humans, claiming that many would not have the patience to deal with the prolonged process to file a request for refund over a fraudulent transaction.

Given how prevalent online shopping has become, many netizens had something to say. Here is a sample of others who shared similar frustrations.

Others highlighted modified modus operandi to scam unsuspecting purchasers.

Others highlighted the convenience offered by a rival shopping platform while stating that this is how the process should be.

Nevertheless, some did say that their refund process was relatively hassle-free with the offending vendor removed.

Given that the post has generated 1.4 million views at time of writing, it is no wonder that the merchant had reached out to investigate the complaints posted in the thread. It would be interesting to find out if any of them led to a successful resolution.

However, the fact remains that unscrupulous vendors are aplenty on online shopping platforms, wilfully sending wrong items in anticipation that the buyer is slow or does not return the product, hence allowing them to pocket the proceeds even though the transaction was never properly fulfilled.

Online shopaholics … you have been warned. – Feb 16, 2024