In the last few years, online shopping in Pakistan has created its own class. Where it has saved retailers from facing rental costs, there, it has also made the lifestyle of numerous people who used to find shopping a genuinely frustrating task. Whether it is through Export leftovers, Alibaba or Daraz, E-commerce in Pakistan reached new heights in 2018 but still, the country has to go a long way because only about one-fifth of the nation knows the usage of the internet. Being said that, There’s not only the internet factor but also many, including the complicated procedures, late deliveries, frauds and payment methods. It is seen that the majority of online buyers in Pakistan prefer COD (cash on delivery). It is because in this case, they have to pay only when the product arrives. If you are new at it then this read is a must for you to realize what might come across your way of online shopping. Let’s start exploring each one by one until we confront again at the end of this read;
1. Inappropriate Titles
Whenever a customer needs a product online, the first thing he does is that he starts searching it over desired sites. However, not everything that appears on top of the search is related to that particular product. That’s how the customer ends up buying the wrong item and gets disappointed.
2. Wrong Description
When you are into a product and look it up, the first thing you notice is the appearance of the product rather than reading the description first. This is what comes in handy for the vendors to make the appearance as alluring as possible while ignoring the description. The descriptions for various products are either insufficient to guide the buyer or they are irrelevant (copy-pasted from the other similar product’s description). Consequently, the sellers don’t get to pay their description writers.
3. Confirming Out Of Stock Orders
Who doesn’t want to have some list-long orders? Also, not everyone is willing to make a move by checking out the availability of the ordered product. Consequently, there are a large number of delayed deliveries, dispatchment of totally different products and also cancellation of the orders related to online shopping in Pakistan.
4. Problems In Delivery
I must say that I have never received my online shopped parcel without having to pay the charges first. The delivery men are always in a hurry so they can’t wait up for you to first open up the parcel and then after the inspection, pay the delivery charges. It always works in a way where you get to pay the delivery man and later to unpack the parcel with a chaotic heart.
5. Fake Sale Price
Now that is not only what you confront in online shopping, but also in the regular shopping days. It is an old trend to give no actual discounts or a little discount while stating the products as ‘the mega sale discounted items’. To be honest, the term ‘sale’ influences us a lot and makes us load our bags asap.
6. Overpriced Replicas
The sites being attached to the online shopping platform often claim to have original products offered. Impressed by the statement, people make purchases and the final outcome is the replicated or defective piece all the way. While these buyers paid the exact large amount for the items hoping them to be original as per the claim, they never shop online again but visit the shops regardless of the effort.
So How To Be Wise When Shopping Online?
This doesn’t mean that you should not be a part of e-commerce but the purpose is to tell you to keep an eagle eye when shopping online because just like everything, it also has its negative and positive aspects. To assist you, we have marked some essential tips to help you choose the best from what is available to you. Let’s have a look;
- You should check the quantity of the items before confirming your order as we often make the quantity double, mistakenly.
- It is not necessarily that anything that seems too good is true. Such as a ‘70% off’ claim is not a real discount to make the purchase.
- Make sure you have read well the terms and conditions as well as the shipping details. As I heard a lot about AliExpress, I got impressed by their prices and ordered myself the party wear gown for the farewell which was due the very next week. Later, I came to know that AliExpress delivers it at least after two months and so, I had to buy another attire for myself to meet the occasion.
- It is recommended to read the reviews first and must read the description. For instance, I once ordered myself ear studs from Daraz. As the statement said ‘Trendy ear studs for women, I thought it must be a pair of ear studs but as the parcel arrived, there was just one ear stud. In a nutshell, it was useless for me. Later, I went through the description and it said the package includes only one ear stud.
- Make sure to shop from a verified and well-reputed retailer.
- Try to shop from the discounts but don’t forget that if something is unbelievably low in price then there must be some minor to a major fault in it.
- Don’t forget your budget because as we are ordering from the comfort of our house, we barely notice that we are setting fire to our month-long budget.
- Don’t click on the malicious sites and links popping up your screen when you are shopping online as they can be a source for the viruses to your device.
- Don’t shop from public computers but try using your own as well as a stable internet connection.
Hopefully, now you have an understanding of what can happen to you if you become an online shopaholic. On the flip side, you should always shop from renowned platforms like Export leftovers, AliExpress and Export Mall.
