Chinese web torture as online deal turns into a four-legged steal
THE devil lies in the detail, so online shoppers beware. There are devilish spiders on the web who won’t hesitate to lure you in. I learned this to my peril during the January sales when, on the lookout for some bargain shoes, ended up on a wesbite which I should have ignored.
But then common sense isn’t so common anymore and in mitigation I was simultaneously frantically car shopping online, I took my eyes off the ball and bought without prejudice, without a scintilla of investigation, without a thought for my wallet’s safety. The website had a returns policy for the shoes which were selling for 40 per cent cheaper than anywhere else online. The company had a London address and the transaction process seemed fairly legitimate. Worry set in after a few days when no email was forthcoming appraising me that the purchase had been dispatched. As the website said the package would take around seven working days to arrive I took it that I would get an online notification the day the package was due to land.
It was only when I arrived home last Wednesday that I found a note stuck through my letterbox informing me that I could pick up my goods at the local depot that I began to believe that, a). the company has a terrible communications system, b). is dodgy, but c). was good for their word.
When the man at the An Post window hatch informed me the package had come from China, my heart sank. I hurriedly left the depot, discovering to my horror when I opened the package in my new car that there were white Nike runners inside, small looking ones at that.
The package was sent by a Mr Huang from China. There was a phone number but it didn’t work. In desperation I reasoned that it was a simple mistake. Maybe the two pairs of shoes I ordered would arrive.
So lo and behold a second notice was stuffed through my letterbox on Thursday and once again, a pair of Nike runners was my lot, this time in a box.
I checked my Google history and found the website and immediately knew that my money was gone and that my first online shopping burn had occurred.
If you look up warning signs for fake websites they invariably warn about poor English use and this website was littered with terrible English.
There, in actual print, in the Shipping & Returns part of the website lie the following lines: ‘Once you receive the wrong items or damaged items, we will reship the good one to you for free. If you are not satisfied with our products, we will offer you complete return service.’
Underneath the caveat section which outlines reasons why refunds will not be provided, (i.e. for used or damaged goods), there is this humdinger: ‘In order to make the returning processes more smooth and fast, please read our return policy carefully. It usually costs 9-15 days for the entire processes. And during this time, please wait patiently. If the problem about the item is not big enough, please do not make fuss about it. We will be gratitude if you take care of it by yourself. And for the unfit size problem, to send it away as a gift is a good choice and also can save your precious time and avoid the unnecessary waste.’
Words could not express my anger and frustration at having fallen for such a gramatically inept, morally dubious company. So CCfed.co.uk thanks a lot. The fact that the Nike runners were a size too small just adds salt to the wound.