A FEW days ago, I saw one of my colleagues looking visibly upset. He is someone who does not get stressed out easily, and I knew that this was most definitely quite unusual for him. When I found out what had happened, it was a cause of concern for me because I, too, stand a chance of being in the same predicament if I am not careful.
You see, he recently decided to purchase some new furniture as his current set was run-down and in dire need of replacement. He settled on getting them online, as there would be no need for travelling and physical transportation of goods on his side. It seemed easy enough; all you would need to do is to simply click a button or two, make an online transaction and voila! Your purchase would arrive at your doorstep in a matter of days.
Unfortunately for my colleague, luck was not on his side.
He had paid hundreds of ringgit on a wardrobe from one of the local companies listed on the online shopping portal, and it promised to deliver the item in good, working condition.
Regrettably, that was not the case. He received the product some days later, but it was damaged upon arrival. Naturally, he was not able to set it up and resolved to contact the company he had purchased the product from to have it returned and replaced.
In an awful turn of events, the company refused to take responsibility for the damage to the product. Instead, they pointed fingers at the courier service in charge of delivering the product. Unsurprisingly, the latter declined to get involved in the dispute and my colleague was left helpless. He had spent a huge sum of money on something that he cannot use, and it does not seem like he would be refunded in any way.
I admit that I was quite disturbed when I found out about this, because I, too, am fond of online purchases. Quite rampantly, I must add.
Back in the day, things were a lot simpler. If you wanted something, you leave home to go get it. One would have to physically visit a store in order to acquire a product of choice, no matter what it was. There was no question of getting anything while you stay at home sipping a cup of coffee in your pyjamas.
However, things have drastically changed in recent years. For better or worse, I dare not come to a conclusion. One is able to work and get paid while at home. Bills can be paid online and almost anything under the sun can be obtained via an Internet connection. There is a plethora of online shopping portals, where one is able to purchase anything from grocery items to furniture, and cosmetics to clothes, all with a few clicks of the mouse.
Yes, to a certain extent life has gotten a little easier with online purchasing. Although I enjoy physically driving to the hypermarket to get my pantry stocked up, sometimes I simply do not have the time to do so. I resort to ordering them online and having a random stranger pick my oranges and cabbage and have him deliver it to me at home, at a time that I’m available. If I realise that my gym gloves are about to give way, I simply order another pair online. If I remember that I need to get another oven to bake cookies because my current one has given up the ghost, I simply purchase another set online.
That being said, online purchasing can be risky. There are chances that you would receive damaged goods, or never get them at all. Sometimes, you may even get cheated by unscrupulous online sellers, and stand to lose your money.
The important thing is to always be wary of who you’re buying from. Do your homework, ask around and read up on reviews. Make sure that the seller is trustworthy. One can never go wrong with background checks. If something looks too good to be true, it probably is.
If you’re careful, chances of you unwillingly parting with your money would be low.
The writer, a lecturer at Sunway College, is a Malaysian-born Eurasian with Scottish/Japanese/Indian lineage. She believes in a tomorrow where there is no existence of racism and hatred