[Chetan_Rao]

One thing that would be harder to spot and correct on app-only sites would be opt-ins set to 'Yes' by default. Save card info, purchase additional paid warranty, express shipping, blah blah. Most of these options used to be opt-ins, but increasingly becoming opt-outs (I especially hate every shady e-commerce website assuming I want to handover my credit card info for their 'secure' keeping).

May not look like much per user, but these tricks do make them a lot of money. I bet it's easier to miss stuff like that on tiny phone screens compared to full-size desktops/laptops. Majority of customers (esp. the non tech savvy ones) just enter info and repeatedly hit continue to the end of transaction, not noticing the fine print and minuscule check-boxes about stuff they 'agree' to.

[metropolis]

Hello folks,
Need a clarification and advice here:
I was searching for some item and found the same on amazon.de, when I was on the checkout page, got the info that I have been offered certain amount of discount stating "offer valid on first time card application". I did not understand and hence did not enter my card details there. There is no shipping price indicated seems it has been adjusted in the discount but this appears to be strange since the order is more than 80 Euros. Please suggest if this is a safe site to buy unlike ebay which is linked with paypal. Anyone tried amazon international?
Thanks in advance

[diyguy]

Originally Posted by metropolis

Anyone tried amazon international?

Amazon international sites offer you a credit card through their own company. You get an Amazon credit card. They usually give you 40$ or equivalent euros off your order if you qualify for their credit card. It will usually in my knowledge not work for Indian applicants. That is what you have seen as a discount...

[metropolis]

Originally Posted by diyguy

Amazon international sites offer you a credit card through their own company. You get an Amazon credit card. They usually give you 40$ or equivalent euros off your order if you qualify for their credit card. It will usually in my knowledge not work for Indian applicants. That is what you have seen as a discount...

Alright, I'm fine even if no discount offered; but, is that site safe enough to enter my card details if I proceed to purchase? Worst, they would refund the amount back to my card. Never dealt with Amazon international or Indian one.
Thanks

[arunphilip]

Originally Posted by metropolis

Alright, I'm fine even if no discount offered; but, is that site safe enough to enter my card details if I proceed to purchase? Worst, they would refund the amount back to my card. Never dealt with Amazon international or Indian one.

I've ordered from Amazon's Indian, US and UK sites and have always paid by credit card. I've not had any issues thus far - its been a positive and pleasant experience. I've not tried Amazon's German site, but I presume the experience will be similar.

The nice thing about this is that for Amazon fulfilled orders shipping from abroad to India, they'll take care of customs clearance, customs duty payment, etc. If they've estimated a higher amount for customs duty (Amazon US always overestimates this, which is a good thing), they'll refund the difference a few weeks after delivery.

If the order is rejected/cancelled for some reason, they will credit your card back promptly.

Originally Posted by theexperthand

First bad experience from AliExpress - ordered a powerbank, which was sent back by customs citing 'Undeliverable Item'.

Recently, I bought a 30,000 mAh jump-starter from Ali Express costing ₹ 3,651.25 plus ₹ 860 of customs duty, totalling ₹ 4,511.25. The package weighed 500 g measuring 165 x 79 x 40 mm. I got the jump-started delivered at my Chennai home after more than 2 months with the customs duty paid at the time of delivery.

[Roomy]

Yet another poor performance by Flopkart.

I had ordered a 40" Philips LED tv during the citibank 10% cashback offer they had running last week. I had opted for an exchange offer under which I would get 1500INR for my old CRT. As luck would have it, the tv which was working flawlessly until march didnt turn on when the delivery guys came on sunday and I asked for a delayed delivery so that I can fix the TV and let them pick it up.
All went well until I got a message saying the order has been cancelled and a return requested. Shocked, I called up CC who informed me that their logistics partner cannot hold on to the parcel and automatically cancelled the order. If I want to proceed, I would have to reorder again which would lead to me losing the offer of 2500 cashback. No amount of talking to the executive over phone is helping me.

Any suggestions guys? The TV price has also gone up now due to which I would be losing close to 3K compared to the offer I had earlier.

[binand]

Originally Posted by Roomy

Yet another poor performance by Flopkart.

As luck would have it, the tv which was working flawlessly until march didnt turn on when the delivery guys came on sunday

Was the condition that the TV you are exchanging needs to be in working order, part of the deal? If yes, then why are you blaming Flipkart here? Obviously nobody can hold that expensive stuff for long especially since nobody's paying demurrage.

[athanedar]

Originally Posted by Roomy

Yet another poor performance by Flopkart.


All went well until I got a message saying the order has been cancelled and a return requested. Shocked, I called up CC who informed me that their logistics partner cannot hold on to the parcel and automatically cancelled the order. If I want to proceed, I would have to reorder again which would lead to me losing the offer of 2500 cashback. No amount of talking to the executive over phone is helping me.

Any suggestions guys? The TV price has also gone up now due to which I would be losing close to 3K compared to the offer I had earlier.

This is a classic case of "good opportunity" wasted. Flipkart is no saint but this time they are not at fault. They give free deliveries and you are expecting them to hold the package till you fix the tv which you were going to exchange. This wont work at all.

My suggestion is to move on look for more deals. I am sure you will get a good one.

[metropolis]

Originally Posted by arunphilip

I've ordered from Amazon's Indian, US and UK sites and have always paid by credit card. I've not had any issues thus far - its been a positive and pleasant experience. I've not tried Amazon's German site, but I presume the experience will be similar.

The nice thing about this is that for Amazon fulfilled orders shipping from abroad to India, they'll take care of customs clearance, customs duty payment, etc. If they've estimated a higher amount for customs duty (Amazon US always overestimates this, which is a good thing), they'll refund the difference a few weeks after delivery.

If the order is rejected/cancelled for some reason, they will credit your card back promptly.

Hey thanks Arun for the valuable info. I'm placing the order finally and just a while back received a reply from the seller clarifying further.

Lets see how it works finally, was only a bit worried to share the card details directly on the site.

[diyguy]

Originally Posted by metropolis

was only a bit worried to share the card details directly on the site.

Most major banks provide you the facility to generate one time use credit cards that have a life of 48 hours. You can use that on sites that you are unsure of. I use this for all my transactions on Aliexpress.com. I also used it recently on a flight ticket booking for a friend and gave him a printout of the credit card that was generated for the booking. Totally safe.

[Roomy]

Originally Posted by binand

Was the condition that the TV you are exchanging needs to be in working order, part of the deal? If yes, then why are you blaming Flipkart here? Obviously nobody can hold that expensive stuff for long especially since nobody's paying demurrage.

Originally Posted by athanedar

This is a classic case of "good opportunity" wasted. Flipkart is no saint but this time they are not at fault. They give free deliveries and you are expecting them to hold the package till you fix the tv which you were going to exchange. This wont work at all.

My suggestion is to move on look for more deals. I am sure you will get a good one.

Let me elaborate.

1. I asked them for a delayed delivery and the delivery guy informed me he can come on next saturday to which I agreed. I was never intimated that such a delivery is not possible. If that had been the case, I would have made arrangements for the same.
2. On the same day that the first delivery was attempted and the TV was not turning on, I offered to pay 1500Rs that was originally reduced from my bill and process the order as a normal delivery without exchange. I even called up CC for the same and they informed me that the original order has to be cancelled and the product returned to the warehouse. I would have to place a fresh order for the same TV.
I am just pointing out how unaccommodating the whole FK process is as they actually are increasing their overheads when the whole thing can be settled with a minor change in the order.

[binand]

Originally Posted by Roomy

I am just pointing out how unaccommodating the whole FK process is as they actually are increasing their overheads when the whole thing can be settled with a minor change in the order.

What you suggested to them is not a minor change in order. As far as I am aware, the VAT on the TV would have been calculated and remitted to the government based on the discounted price, and when you told them you actually don't need the discount they cannot simply charge you the higher price as then, they'd be seen as cheating on tax. They have to cancel the sale and book a new one.

Every vendor in the world does what Flipkart did here.

[kiku007]

Originally Posted by Roomy

I am just pointing out how unaccommodating the whole FK process is as they actually are increasing their overheads when the whole thing can be settled with a minor change in the order.

That minor change from the customer pov is an nightmare for the Order Fulfillment & Accounting Team's pov.

Purchase, cancellations and returns have never been so easy ever unless it's our neighborhood shop. In this case, I think what FK did was ok.

Originally Posted by binand

What you suggested to them is not a minor change in order. As far as I am aware, the VAT on the TV would have been calculated and remitted to the government based on the discounted price, and when you told them you actually don't need the discount they cannot simply charge you the higher price as then, they'd be seen as cheating on tax. They have to cancel the sale and book a new one.

Every vendor in the world does what Flipkart did here.

True. These VAT related changes aren't impossible but just too cumbersome and it's best for them to write the courier charges as a loss and cancel the order. In this case, they still have to refund the customer, recall the tax deposit etc.

[Roomy]

Originally Posted by binand

What you suggested to them is not a minor change in order. As far as I am aware, the VAT on the TV would have been calculated and remitted to the government based on the discounted price, and when you told them you actually don't need the discount they cannot simply charge you the higher price as then, they'd be seen as cheating on tax. They have to cancel the sale and book a new one.

Every vendor in the world does what Flipkart did here.

Originally Posted by kiku007

That minor change from the customer pov is an nightmare for the Order Fulfillment & Accounting Team's pov.

Purchase, cancellations and returns have never been so easy ever unless it's our neighborhood shop. In this case, I think what FK did was ok.



True. These VAT related changes aren't impossible but just too cumbersome and it's best for them to write the courier charges as a loss and cancel the order. In this case, they still have to refund the customer, recall the tax deposit etc.

My good Lord, why didn't I think of all these?
Thanks guys for setting the picture right.