Showing posts with label online shopping safety. Show all posts
Showing posts with label online shopping safety. Show all posts

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Online shopping!

With the technology nowadays, shopping can be done online. I've been shopping for quite a while now, at ebay, auction.ph, multiply, tipidcp are just some of my favorite sites online. And I love it! Beats having to go to places with so many people and lots of check out counters, and sometimes I get them more cheaper too! I don't really have much problem dealing with the sellers, because most are honest and reliable, and can easily became long-term business contacts hehe

Unfortunately, I experienced problems dealing with local sellers than with international ones. There was this one girl Romina, unfortunately, who made the holidays depressing and frustrating for me!

I bought several products from her, with a Herbalife satisfaction guarantee to lose weight in 30 days. She was a rather impatient seller while I was inquiring through SMS, probably dealt with bogus buyers, so I didn't fault her much for hurrying me up. But she was much nicer upfront, and seemed to be trustworthy, so I  bought the items from her. (Though a friend of mine, had this gut feeling that the girl is "antipatika". I just defended her, saying things like, "Bakit nmn? Hindi mo nmn siya kilala para sabihin iyon." She cannot say anything, she said it's just a gut feeling.)

Anyway, unfortunately, nothing was happening in 2 weeks. By that time, one of the Herbalife products was already almost empty, since I've been using them consistently. I was afraid that if I didn't return it, my guarantee would not be honored anymore, and I didn't want to buy another one, because there doesn't seem to be any effect. However, when Romina and I met, according to her, there was a "significant change" because there was a 1 cm decrease in some of my measurements, like my waist. But then, I thought 1 CM IS NOT A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE, isn't it? Because it can be modifed by the position of the measuring tape (considering that the first time measurements were made by her, and the second time, I did the measurements), by my clothes, by how heavy I ate earlier, and even by my breathing. Regardless, the weighing scale didn't budge, and I wasn't satisfied... Which was what Herbalife guaranteed.

That's when the antipatika started acting up. She said that she had to go out of the country, and she cannot process the return of the items. So being persistent and all, I was the one who processed the items, and went to the trouble of going to Herbalife itself... Which unfortunately, wouldn't return my money, because the dealer has to be the one to process it. Herbalife would replace the products I would return, but no money will be exchanged, it would go through the dealer... Since Romina and I disagreed on the 1 cm as significant difference, she doesn't believe that she will refund the money. Instead, she will just replaced the items to me... Which I think is unfair, considering the MONEY-back written in the satisfaction guarantee. But being nice and considerate and all, I said fine, I thought to myself that I will just sell the items myself to get my money back)
Regardless, I have to wait for the dealer to come back from her trip. Fine... patience is a virtue...

Then when I got home, I got an email message asking for the transaction through ebay to be cancelled. In ebay, there is a 1-wk policy for me (as the buyer) to accept or not the cancellation. For me, I would have happily agreed to the cancellation... IF the transaction was already over, or if Romina wasn't going out of town for about 10 days. I even asked EBay Help for help on what to do, and basically, I refused to cancel the transaction because I believe it is too soon to close the deal, when it is being prolonged by her trip out of the country.

At least, the rest of the transaction is in eBay Message history! (most recent messages are at the top; hence, start from the bottom towards the top :)











Tsk, tsk... And I thought I learned already!
Unfortunately, even meet ups doesn't entirely work all that well...
I just have to look into my other successful transactions that were soooo good, I still want to continue online shopping despite transactions like these that turn sour!!



I wrote this blog several weeks ago, when the feelings were just so fresh.
As an addendum, she finally paid me the rest of my money today (Jan 25, 2009), which is almost 3 months after the transaction. I just have to blog it out like this for people to know what really happened with our transaction! There's actually, more email messages, but it's kind of tiring to be angry at someone, and write about it. So, I won't add them up anymore. I think I got my message across, anyway. Also, I don't want to give a negative feedback, while I know that my money is still with her. As I said... it's a trust issue.

Monday, August 10, 2009

List of Email Scammers

Here are the list of companies and details that I found out to be fraud using the Email Trace system, meaning the email address from where they sent it is actually different from where they claim to be the company is coming from. (Darn it! I would have saved myself lots if I just knew this from the start!)

Everyone knows that it's so easy to create an email account on the web using Yahoo, Google, Hotmail, etc. So stealing money using new emails happens a lot! Pretending to be yahoo.uk etc! Hmph!

1. COMMUNICATIONS INTERACTIVE MANAGEMENT LIMITED
Contact Name : Johnny Montreal
Telephone: +447024061860, +447024020599 (SALES DIRECTOR)
E-mail : commintmanagementltd@hotmail.com, commintmanagementltd@yahoo.com

2. MOBILES 4 U LIMITED
70, SEAFORD STREET, SHELTON, STOKE ON TRENT, ST4 2EU. United Kingdom.
TEL:+447023097674
FAX+447005980625
E-mail: mobilephonesl@yahoo.co.uk

3. Choice Business Limited
Contact Name: Mr Martin Ortis
WWW.UKTRADEWORLD.COM
choicebus@live.com

4. Laptop Shop
Jones Owen
sales@wizzardtechnologies.net

5. THE MOBILE PHONE COMPANY LIMITED
C/O VADORIS LIMITED
112-113 HOUNDSDITCH
LONDON
EC3A 7BD
UNITED KINGDOM
t_mopcoltd@hotmail.com
MR. Philip Malcott


Go on and google up your prospective sellers! Look on their reputations, names, contact info if they are scammers before sending anything. There are many other sites with list of scammers.

How Not To Be Scammed

Shopping online? Seems so convenient isn't it? And it's sometimes way cheaper, too!
But before you go and send that money, here are some tips not to be fried!

1. First, research about the company that you will be buying from. Google their company name, contact person, even email address and type scam (e.g. "Orient Trade" Scam ). Sometimes, as easy as that, you get to know if the seller is a scam or not. You will find blogs, lists, forums of people telling their experiences with such sellers. You could also ask them what ever questions you may have.

2. Try to trace their email. Scammers easily create a new identity, a new email (especially with lots of free accounts such as yahoo, hotmail, google, etc), which could be created from anywhere in the world. For me, I use Email Trace. They have a box there, and I could copy and paste the email address heading. Sometimes, it's only accurate to the country, but that's fine with me (it said that I'm surfing from Rizal, but actually I'm from QC). I have some potential sellers saying they're from UK, but they're actually from Nigeria (where majority of scammers live). It's just a little hard to trace, when the seller is Chinese :).

3. Try to verify online their authenticity. For me, I try and ask for the seller to take an actual photo of the item that I am buying, requesting for him to write his company name as background. I also tell him to send an actual picture of the serial numbers, etc.

Another buyer told me, he wants to see an actual photo of the delivery receipt with his name on it and the total price, with the items that he's buying.

4. If you've researched, verified, and convinced yourself that he's ligit, then the next step: Payment! Trust me, there's nothing like COD if you live in the same country and can do meet-ups (actually most of the above things I'm not so strict on when I know I could easily contact and meet the seller).

Western Union and Bank Wire Transfers don't have protection! NEVER SEND MONEY through that unless you really KNOW and SEEN this person. It cannot guarantee anything. They are just the messengers, and once the money was delivered, they basically cannot do anything. Even if you complain to them, give them evidence, there is really nothing that they can do... Especially if it's an international transaction. Just wish and pray that karma will come. Scammers insist on this payment method because you won't catch them once they got your money. They claim to have no other modes of payment? That's bull! If they're a big company that serious in making their customers happy, there is always a way!

If the transaction is from eBay, and you pay using PayPal, it's easily covered by the Buyer Protection Program. So, you will... eventually received your item (sometimes it takes so long because of the customs). However, take a look at that package and test it before you go and rate your seller. Sometimes, there are defects. And if there are complaints or if you didn't get your package or the seller doesn't reply to you after you paid (which happens a lot for those scheming $%&*@), you can go to PayPal and file a resolution dispute. (I experienced this, so I should know.)

If the transaction is outside ebay, and you are using PayPal, there is still a chance of Buyer protection, though I haven't tested it out yet (I am still in the middle of a resolution dispute conducted outside eBay).

5. Next step: shipping! If there is an option to choose shipping, avoid using EMS at all costs! Especially if you live in the Philippines! Try to google "EMS Philippines" and you will see lots of blogs and forums with complaints on the corruption of the Customs and the length of unnecessary time standing by in the Post.
A friend told me FedEx is still the best, though it's really more expensive. But hey, better safe than sorry right? I'm telling you now, once you still have the chance.

Because I'm now in a middle of a resolution dispute, because either the seller didn't send the items yet (but he did send me the tracking number already; just that the status haven't been updated in a week! I'm getting white hairs from worry!) Or it really is here in the Philippines, but since it's EMS, I will get it in a month's time! Geez...

Yup, it was actually all that worrying in my mind that prompted me to write this blog and share my "wisdom"...