Team-BHP - The Online Shopping Thread

Restaurants need to pay commission to Swiggy/Zomato. So they hike the prices on the menu to offset that. Then delivery partner fee, delivery distance charge, rain charge, packing fee, platform fee, tip, gst adding on, it gets pretty expensive.

Amazon delivery is going down the pan.

Twice in the last couple of weeks I have had "out-for-delvery" items suddenly become "running late blah blah blah" items. Stuff that was offered as next-day, or even same-day delivery. And it is not like it just slips to the following day: that I wouldn't mind. The tracking seems to freeze and it just gets lost for two or three days. Maybe they do loose it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by deathwalkr (Post 5814665)

Will it cause any tax evasion (don't know whether GST is applicable on commission) since food is taxed at 5% or is it correct shifting the tax burden to customer on the commission value (may be yes). I think restaurants will claim the overall order GST value as Input tax credit.

I am absolutely okay with commission as it gives me convenience to order food and it is the price to pay. But if a clear and transparent invoice is provided, it will be good.

What's with Google results displaying fake websites as the top results when searching for shoe brands?

I was looking for Vans shoes and the first result is https://www.vansstoreinindia.com/
The webpage looks deceptively real but it is not. Since I had prior experience with the fake Hush Puppies India site, I did some digging around and realized even this is fake.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaguar (Post 5816172)

A good antivirus is a must these days. Kaspersky does not even allow me to visit the website without me okaying the dangers posed by visiting it and even after okaying it, it still blocks me saying DANGER!!

I have stopped buying from Amazon and similar portals. I prefer visiting the mall, local stores seeing items, talking to people, eating out. I enjoy the entire shopping experience. Now a days we also have the option of click and collect, which is the next best thing for me.

For shoes and stuff, I try to find similar design in stores. Call me old school, but I enjoy window shopping, walking in and out of stores.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr.Ogre (Post 5816459)

Same here. My family realized that except for dining in person over the weekend, everything else was happening online. We have reversed some of it. We take a day off every 20 days and do our shopping on a weekday when crowds are thin and sellers are willing to give you attention. We have also begun going a step further by trying small vendors - in essence avoiding established brands altogether. So far we have really enjoyed it. The personal touch of small vendors is very different - they aren't money minded, they put their cards in front of you and let you choose.

Had ordered for a few dresses from bewakoof.com. I had purchased from them previously and had no issues, but this time they shipped the order through Xpressbees. Neither are they Xpress nor are they like bees!

Shipment reached my destination city on 18th and not yet delivered!

Sent mails to bewakoof (they don't have a customer care number), got one reply saying that they will look into it but no response to reminders after that.

Sent mails to Xpressbees, said they will look into it. Spoke to them yesterday, said will get delivered today, and status was updated to out for delivery.

Now they have updated it as wrong pincode! Called them again and said address pin code is correct and if they had an issue the local team could have called me to check.

Asked for office address so that I can go pick up but of course, they don't have an office here!

Just bad experience all around

Am I the only one facing the issue where 50% of "Tomorrow" Amazon Prime deliveries do NOT actually show up the promised day (usually some rubbish cancellation reason logged from the delivery person + a 1-ringer missed call given at 10PM+ to just prove they "tried to contact the customer")

It's reached a point now where it could be being falsely used by these eTailers to get more sales, as any smart customer is going to choose the eCommerce site that's offering a faster delivery for the same product.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rehaan (Post 5832685)

Yes, I have seen this trend. Delivery person calls at some odd time and expects you to answer within the first 2 rings. Then you immediately get a message that you couldn't be reached, delivery will be attempted next day.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rehaan (Post 5832685)

I have been facing this as well. Guess it is not unique. Especially for items promised next day morning delivery. Evening deliveries have better success rate.

I haven't even been getting that call, and certainly no use of the door bell. I think, in one or two instances, the product actually went missing and they were unable to deliver. In another instance, the product (a 36k lens (it was a very special special offer)) did show up eventually (phew). In other cases, I just get a notice that I'll get a refund.

In instances where we have been out, previously the guy would phone: we would either arrange someone to take it off him (made lives very nearby) or the product would always arrive the next day. Now it's one day, three days or maybe never. And once the first so called delivery is missed, the tracking system goes dead.

At this minute, I am waiting for a 20k tablet, on same-day-Prime delivery with current status "out for delivery." We'll see: it's due by 8pm.

I was a keen Flipkart customer, from the days when they were mainly a bookshop. I only shifted to Amazon because Flipkart customer service went down the pan. Now Amazon is following the same path. What to do? Give my legs and car more exercise I suppose!