Why Shopee and Lazada are becoming Cancelledt

Wazzup Pilipinas!

"DTI Philippines IS DOING SOMETHING - Wag matakot magreklamo!

Remember my previous post na nakakagalit dahil si Shopee ninakawan ako ng income. Imbes na may profit ako, nalugi pa, dahil pinaikot ikot ang item na dpat sa Manila lang idedeliver, naligaw pa sa Laguna at binalik ulit sa Manila. 

Unang nabigyan ng DTI notice ang Ninjavan na nauna ng pumayag na ibigay ang refund/discrepancy payment pero dapat daw si Shopee ang magbibigay, kay Shopee icclaim.

Si Shopee, hindi pa din ibinabalik ang pera ko at sinasabi na sa Ninjavan ko daw icoordinate eh sabi na nga ni Ninjavan na kay Shopee dapat kunin. Ang kakapal ng mukha.

SOBRANG INCOMPETENT ng Shopee support. #Bopols. Binigay na nga namin pati convo screenshot from Ninjavan, parang di pa din makaintindi. Sobrang slow or walang umiintindi sa side ng seller. 

So base sa notice ng DTI, dapat within 2 days kontakin ako ni Shopee. 

Tingnan lang natin. Update ako sa mga mangyayari. 

Nakailang email na ako at follow-up pero pinapasa pasa lang nila at ayaw i-grant ang refund. Mga nkakabuwisit!" - Jane Abenoja or Mary Jane Famaranco on Facebook.

This is one of the reasons why I don't use Lazada or Shopee anymore. It gives both sellers and buyers an opportunity to deceive each other by putting the blame on the online shopping portal which is not equipped and competent to handle complaints. 

These shopping portals are both not probuyer or proseller. Though there are benefits like a bigger market opportunity and shipping convenience, there are also a lot of factors to worry about.

Someone ordered for two mobile phones on Lazada and he got blocks of wood instead. Before it was rocks or stones. Lol.

Below are just some of the examples of alleged scams on online shopping portals

Why go through the middleman when you can go straight to the seller. Shopee and Lazada were only significant pre-covid. Now that everyone is online, go to the sellers directly.

Imagine what the buyers have to go through to have these incidents fixed. Commenters are saying it must have been the seller or the courier who delivered the package, but it could also be the buyer who also wants to scam either Lazada, Shopee or the seller. We wouldn't really know at our perspective unless it personally happens to us. All these could just be another sabotage to ruin reputations.

There is no clear distinction on to whom to put the blame when there are too many parties involved where each could be the suspect. It shows the society has gone bonkers as even pranksters are joining the fray.

Have you heard about the prank call orders to food delivery riders? There's a few incidents to worry about and we are not even sure if they are indeed pranks or intentional to destroy the industry. After all, you'll start to doubt the online delivery platforms if these are happening often.

Without any doubt, online shopping including food and item pickup and delivery via riders or couriers have revolutionized the way we buy and sell, or barter / trade, and do business as a whole, but when either syndicates or pranksters infiltrate the scene, it becomes a messy platform.

Who benefits from all these confusion? The traditional businesses. But we are not saying they are involved in these incidents. We are saying they could be since they have a lot to benefit from it. As they say, if you can't be one of them, but them out. Buy the competition. But when it's a nationwide trend, hire scammers to spread distrust.

The Department of Trade and Industry  (DTI) could only mediate. I would know as I personally went to them to complain as well against the scammers who called themselves The After Six Club. However, DTI could only do so much as to call out to both parties to meet and reconcile but if you want to.push through with the complaint, you still have to get a lawyer, file a case and spend days in court....aside from spending for your lawyer's fees.

So why go through a third party especially now that everyone is going online. We can order via messaging them on their Facebook page and sending a text or SMS using our mobile phones.

Those discount and free shipping vouchers are perks becoming "pampalubag loob" to attract customers but the stress you get if you become one of the unlucky victims are not worth the few pesos you saved.

If the online shopping portal would not shape up and implement better platforms that are safe and secured for both buyer and seller, and if they are not proactive in addressing other potential issues, and if they do not actively engaged with complainants, people will resort to other means outside their industry. They will become extinct.

Cover photo: Marga Villanueva

Documents images: Jane Abenoja

Lazada scam screenshots: CTTO