Bad Experience With Weloveshopping.Com

[richardt1808]

Having been bitten by the Radio Controll bug, I was looking to purchase some RC items locally instead of importing them and I chanced upon a great looking online website based in Bangkok who had a pretty good range of products at very reasonable prices. Since one often experiences postage delays when ordering things from overseas, I was prompted to buy from a local retailer so that I could get the things immediately... so, I added a list of items to the shopping cart which is part of the local weloveshopping.com infrastructure, and made my purchase. Within 3minutes I received a confirmation SMS on my phone and the transaction was done.

The next morning I found myself with some free time and since the website also has a physical shop (not naming names yet), I decided to give them a call and ask if I could actually go and pick up my order. Imagine my surprise when I was told that none of my items were in stock - and that the shop was now ordering them for me from overseas !! What a load of <deleted>. Isn't the idea of a 'shopping cart' that you add things to it, pay by credit card, and then they are sent to you ? Anyway, I asked the shop to cancel my order and refund my money so that I could go the eBay route after all and also enjoy the buyer protections that are offered there. No problem said the shop - my card would be credited within 2 days. Needless to say several days went by and no refund was given, so after calling three more times over the next two weeks, I started to get annoyed. The amount was almost B10,000, not a killer amount but certainly better off in my wallet than some rip-off merchant. On the 4th call the shop owner then informed me that the financial side was totally the responsibility of weloveshopping and he would ask them to call me and explain the delay. Finally got a call from weloveshopping and was then informed that, according to their policy, I would have to wait another 30days before they could process my refund! What nonsense!! First, they permit merchants to list items which are not actually in stock, and then you either have to wait an incredible amount of time to get them, because they are then being ordered from elsewhere - and sometimes even at a higher price than the stated amount on the website; or, you have the choice of waiting 45days for a refund.

Sorry, but this is just NOT what online shopping is about. Anywhere else that one sees a shopping cart and a price, we know that the items are in stock and that they will be shipped on receipt of payment. If items are not in stock, there will be a note saying 'out of stock' or 'backorder'. How is it that Thai companies think they can do things any different? So, its just a warning for any others out there who may be tempted to do online shopping in Thailand.

Personally, I will definitely be sticking with eBay from now on. They have a brilliant record of looking after buyers; transactions are guaranteed and one can check the feedback of all sellers and where there is a dispute eBay mediates immediately and can refund your payment at the click of a button (which I have now experienced several times) so it is actually even better than using a credit card in a local shop.

[giddyup]

I agree with you re Ebay. I've bought probably more than 100 items from them in the last 5 or 6 years and only had a couple of cheap items from China not turn up, which I was refunded for. You also have PayPal protection if the item is not as described or faulty.

[GreenSnapper]

Welcome to Thailand!

I restrict my shopping here to the absolutely necessary. Too many times cheated, even from respectable shops. It's their way of business and my way is to avoid them.

[bonobo]

Forget waiting for a refund. Just contact your credit card company, tell them what has transpired, and ask for a chargeback.

[giddyup]

Welcome to Thailand!

I restrict my shopping here to the absolutely necessary. Too many times cheated, even from respectable shops. It's their way of business and my way is to avoid them.

By cheated do you mean overcharged? I don't know how a respectable shop would cheat you, most are fixed price anyway, with prices prominently displayed.

[Tywais]

I nearly always contact the online company via e-mail or phone to verify they actually have stock of the items of interest listed on their website. This is due to experience the OP had.

[h90]

Forget waiting for a refund. Just contact your credit card company, tell them what has transpired, and ask for a chargeback.

right, that is the way. And "according to their policy, I would have to wait another 30days before they could process my refund!".

According to your policy you want your money back.

As they didn't had it on stock, it was an unauthorized charge --> Credit Card company.

[h90]

I nearly always contact the online company via e-mail or phone to verify they actually have stock of the items of interest listed on their website. This is due to experience the OP had.

On purchases on strange shops I don't know, I even ask non sense questions. If I never get any answer I don't buy there, because I know they don't read the emails.

[GreenSnapper]

Welcome to Thailand!

I restrict my shopping here to the absolutely necessary. Too many times cheated, even from respectable shops. It's their way of business and my way is to avoid them.

By cheated do you mean overcharged? I don't know how a respectable shop would cheat you, most are fixed price anyway, with prices prominently displayed.

Selling used stuff as new.

You must be careful here, no consumer protection at all.

[giddyup]

Welcome to Thailand!

I restrict my shopping here to the absolutely necessary. Too many times cheated, even from respectable shops. It's their way of business and my way is to avoid them.

By cheated do you mean overcharged? I don't know how a respectable shop would cheat you, most are fixed price anyway, with prices prominently displayed.

Selling used stuff as new.

You must be careful here, no consumer protection at all.

I got caught at Homeworks. I bought a LCD TV that was advertised for 17,000 baht. Maybe my mistake, but I got the floor display model that had a couple of hundred hours on it. They certainly didn't point out to me that I was buying a display model.