Lessons from online purchasing
A buddy has told me a story of an online crime wherein he was duped. One of the trending activities these days is non-physical purchasing through the internet.
While being a netizen for quite a long time, my buddy is addicted to online shopping of different electronic gadgets, sports apparel and perfumes. Recently, he bought basketball shoes of a familiar brand and named after a famous National Basketball Association (NBA) superstar player.
He is meticulous when it comes to purchasing. He sees to it to have his money’s worth in the things he buy. He is very particular to brands and the originality of the things he buy. Well, he is good at it as he is an expert on making sure of the quality of his purchases.
Among his priorities in buying online is the genuineness of the items in their original packaging and the manner of delivery. He makes sure that his purchased items are handled with care by delivery teams.
For quite a number of his purchases, he never realized that he was fooled by a popular online market when he purchased the rubber shoes he longed for since the rise to fame of its endorser NBA player.
Despite his excitement to see, wear and use the rubber shoes he purchased, he was disappointed due to the delay in the delivery and the vividly fake items he purchased. When he opened the box of the rubber shoes, the items were evidently mere replicas just like those being sold on sidewalks.
He tried to call the hotline of the online shopping network but failed to as the telephone number he has search on the internet only provided a busy or a hanged-up tone. To his dismay, he is now waging war against online shopping networks by inciting the public to be more aware and more careful in engaging to online shopping.
Perhaps the Department of Trade and Industry can look on this. Consumer welfare groups may also delve into this kind of schemes on the internet as the interest of the buying public is affected.
Despite several warnings to scammers, manufacturers or sellers of fake items, we cant help the public from being fooled sometimes. Government authorities meanwhile can run on these to protect unaware buyers to become potential preys from online scammer s.
The public on the other hand should be extra careful and exercise extra ordinary prudence and diligence in engaging in online purchasing of items on the internet.
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