For years, many of us in the tech media fraternity have confidently recommended Amazon over other retailers in India. The reason was pretty simple: Amazon’s reputation for stellar customer service and hassle-free resolution of issues. 

But lately, for some reason, I’ve been hearing an increasing number of complaints regarding the brand’s customer service and resolution offers. 

And a couple of weeks ago, I personally had to go through with something similar. 

The Incident: Car Polish Instead of Headphones

In March, my sister reached out to me for recommendations on a cheap pair of headphones. For someone who has personally used the OnePlus neckband earphones before, my recommendation was pretty straightforward – get a pair of the OnePlus Bullets Z2 Earbuds. And I was the one who asked her to go with Amazon since I was confident that there wouldn’t be any issues and even if there were, it would be handled properly. 

But imagine our shock when, upon opening the package, she discovered not the Z2 earphones that she had ordered but a box of car polish instead.

The mix-up was so absurd it would be comical if not for the frustrating aftermath. 

When she called me, honestly, I was laughing. We have seen such cases before, but I never thought I would hear this about an Amazon shipment.

But immediately, I asked her to report it to Amazon customer service; I assured her not to worry. “It’s Amazon, not some other retailer,” I told her confidently. “They’ll sort this out without any hassle.”

My confidence was clearly misplaced.

The Response: “Nothing Can Be Done”

After what Amazon claimed was a thorough “investigation,” my sister received a stunning response: nothing could be done about the mix-up. 

This was not merely disappointing; it was shocking. The fundamental principle of retail is that the customer should receive what they pay for. If they don’t, the retailer has an obligation to make it right—regardless of where in the supply chain the error occurred.

I personally had a chat with one of their executives, and they said our fulfillment center placed the item in the box properly. So we can’t do anything about it. 

Now, I checked the box – there was no visible damage that could have hinted at any kind of tampering when we accepted the package. No holes, or visible patch-up work. No evidence that could have forced us to not accept the shipment. 

So Amazon’s refusal to acknowledge this basic responsibility represents a troubling shift in their approach to customer service, at least in the Indian market.

The end result — my sister has a nice car polish instead of a pair of earphones. 

A Matter of Trust

Honestly, I’m just glad that this was with a relatively inexpensive item. But it definitely shatters my trust in Amazon and its delivery service. Imagine if I had ordered a phone from Amazon (which I have done and recommended plenty of times before).

Like many Amazon customers, I’ve developed such trust in their service that I often leave packages unopened for days after delivery, confident that:

1. Mix-ups are extremely rare with Amazon
2. If a genuine issue occurs, their support team would promptly resolve it

That confidence has now been shattered. 

If Amazon can simply wash their hands of responsibility for delivering the wrong product, what does this mean for customers purchasing higher-value items?

The Broader Concern: Industry Standards Slipping?

What’s particularly concerning is that Amazon has long set the gold standard for customer service in e-commerce. If they’re lowering their standards, what can consumers expect from other platforms that have historically offered less robust customer protection?

The message seems clear: the burden of verification is shifting increasingly to the consumer. In an era of fast-paced deliveries and increasing automation, customers can no longer assume what’s inside the package matches what was ordered—even from retailers they’ve trusted for years.

It is now your duty to ensure that the package contains the right product. 

Protecting Yourself: What Consumers Should Do?

In light of this experience, here are some precautions I now recommend to all online shoppers:

• Open and inspect all packages immediately upon delivery even for retailers like Amazon, ideally while the delivery person is still present. 
• Record unboxing videos for high-value items as evidence. 
• Check the packaging for signs of tampering before accepting delivery.
• Save all order confirmation emails and screenshots of your purchases.
• Document any communication with customer service in writing.

The Bottom Line: Trust But Verify

For years, I’ve enthusiastically recommended Amazon to my readers, friends, and family. While I won’t stop using their services, I’ll certainly be more cautious with my Amazon orders. More importantly, I can no longer recommend them with the same confidence I once did.

Genuine and excellent customer support was Amazon’s biggest selling point in a competitive market. It appears that this advantage may be eroding, and consumers would be wise to adjust their expectations accordingly.

Whether this incident represents an isolated failure or a broader policy shift remains to be seen. What’s clear is that even with the most trusted retailers, the age-old advice applies more than ever: trust, but verify.

Have you experienced similar issues with Amazon or other online retailers? 

The post Amazon India ships Car Polish Instead of Headphones: Offers No Resolution appeared first on Gizmochina.

Oppo has just announced that it would be launching its own exclusive home delivery service in India. This delivery service will be centered around shipping its own electronic products across the country.

As per an announcement earlier today (24th May 2021), the Chinese tech giant is launching home deliveries in an effort to making the shopping experience easier amid the lockdowns caused by the recent second wave of coronavirus. For those interested, users can text on the WhatsApp application to place an offer for Oppo products. This service is now open and one can send a text to the number +91-9871502777 simply stating their state along with Pincode. Following this, they will a call back from the nearest retail stores.

Furthermore, the move is in line with the company’s Omni channel strategy that will also provide support to local stores and other mainline partners that sell Oppo products via WhatsApp. This also signifies that Oppo is remaining committed to its customer base despite the lockdowns across the nation, while also customers to reach an online solution with offline retailers.

The initiative is just one of the company’s efforts in easing the impacts of the COVID-19 lockdowns on its customer base. Previously, we had also reported on the brand extending the warranty for all of its products till 30th June 2021 as users were not able to reach out to customer care services.

RELATED:

• Oppo teams up with NIO to complete development of CCC 2.0 digital car keys
• OPPO Reno5 A launched with IP68 rating, Snapdragon 765G, 90Hz display, and more
• OPPO Reno 6 Pro+ 5G with Snapdragon 870 spotted on benchmarking site
• Oppo India extends product service warranty to encourage users to stay home

The post Oppo announces exclusive home delivery for its products in India appeared first on Gizmochina.

Earlier today (28th July 2020), Flipkart launched its new local 90 minute delivery service in India. The new service is dubbed as Flipkart Quick, which will have users receiving over 2,000 products in categories including, grocery, dairy, meat, and stationery items.

The new delivery will debut in Bengaluru and it will be expanded to six other cities over the course of the next few months. This will also tie in with the company’s Supermart store, which specifically sells groceries. Through Flipkart Quick, customers can order certain items, with a minimum delivery fee of 29 INR (roughly 39 US Cents).

Editor’s Pick: Redmi Note 9 Pro Max 8GB+128GB version launching July 26 for Rs.19,999 (~$267)

The orders will then be delivered between 6 am to midnight on the day of the order. Furthermore, the online store will also offer the option to choose between the 90 minutes delivery option or book delivery within the next two hours as per their convenience. According to Flipkart, the new service is being introduced to digitalize the local general and grocery stores within the country.

At the moment, it is available in Bengaluru regions like Whitefield, Panathur, HSR Layout, BTM Layout, Banashankari, KR Puram, and Indiranagar. Flipkart Vice President, Sandeep Karwa stated that “While we start with our dark store (no-walkin) model, wherein we enable sellers to store inventory close to the consumer; this model has the potential of encouraging local entrepreneurship and enabling new business strategies and partnerships.”

UP NEXT: Samsung Electro Mechanics gets iPhone camera contract as Apple looks to diversify supply chain

The post Flipkart Quick launched, a 90 minute local delivery service for over 2,000 products appeared first on Gizmochina.

Earlier today (12th May 2020), Wang Ziru, the founder of ZEALER (a firm that evaluates and reviews electronics products), shared a video on his official Weibo account. On the popular Chinese microblogging profile, Wang shared a video that revealed how Redmi installed its monstrous 98 inch Smart TV Max.

In the video, it can be observed that you need a dedicated logistics team and labor just to get the massive TV to ones’ doorstep. The delivery for this particular product is specially delivered and installed by trained professionals and not just simply shipped to a customer. A small truck arrives with about 4 or more employees that have to first check whether or not the large Redmi Smart TV Max 98 inch can even fit the elevator. If not, then they will be carrying it to houses in a tall storied building via the stairs.

Editor’s Pick: HiSense Gaming TV with 4k 120Hz display and MEMC anti-shake technology announced

Interestingly, Redmi will also be compensating for any damages done to the house or building while delivering the TV and will also have a team to pick up the orders in the case of returns or repairs. For those unaware, the Redmi Smart TV Max 98 inch is currently the largest TV ever made by the Chinese company. It can even be defined as a small home theatre screen with a high display to body ratio of 98.8 percent.

Just its size can be enough of a hassle during shipping and even installation. The video shared by Wang Ziru all but confirms the hassle just to get the Smart TV Max 98 inch even to customers’ doors. Fortunately, Redmi has taken various steps to ensure that the process is mostly taken care of. Generally, installing smart TVs is only a one or maybe a two-man job, but the 98-inch behemoth takes more than twice that amount all thanks to its large size.

Redmi Max TV installation

1 of 4

UP NEXT: Samsung is rumored to be working on a more affordable Galaxy Fold alongside two other foldable phones

The post Installing the monstrous 98-inch Redmi TV isn’t an easy task appeared first on Gizmochina.

Recently in India, the government has taken proactive steps to curb the spreading of the new strand of Coronavirus. The viral outbreak has been deemed as an epidemic and various districts and states within the country are seeing complete lockdowns. However, delivery services like Amazon, Flipkart, Zomato, Swiggy and more will still continue operations during this time. Although, delays may be faced.

For those unaware, a new strand of Coronavirus had started spreading in China at a rapid rate. Since then, confirmed cases of the viral infection has been found in upwards of 170 countries. As of right now, India is currently working on combating the virus and the foremost step being undertaken is to stop the number of cases from growing. Thus, the Indian government had imposed a lockdown in 75 districts, making staying and working from home almost mandatory with only essential service being allowed to remain open.

However, a government order has declared that such e-commerce platforms are also categorized under essential services. Meaning, Amazon, Flipkart, Zomato, Swiggy, Bigbasket, Grofers, and more will still continue their respective delivery services. Since the number of people being confined to their homes has increased, so has the number of online orders by a significant margin. Thus, the case of unavailability and longer delivery times has also become a common occurrence at the moment.

Editor’s Pick: Samsung outperformed Apple to become the world’s Third-largest Mobile Chipset maker in 2019

According to an Amazon spokesperson, “We are watching this situation closely with a focus on the safety of our teams and ensuring we can meet customer promises. We are closely following guidance from local authority and international organizations as this situation progresses.” So it can be assumed that proper safety measures are being undertaken during this period.

Notably, Amazon has set up a $25 million fund to help its delivery partners which are also facing challenges in the period of the viral outbreak. Even local competitors like Flipkart has been casing issues, while food delivery services like Zomato and Swiggy are currently working on ensuring safety first and foremost. Although, only time will tell how the situation plays out in the end.

UP NEXT: Redmi K30 Pro 5G & Pro Zoom Edition launched in China with SD865 & 64MP Quad cameras

(Via)

The post Amazon, Zomato, and other deliveries are still running during lockdown in India, but users may face delays appeared first on Gizmochina.

Earlier this month, Xiaomi applied for a trademark on the name Xiaomi Express. Based on the classes the the trademark was filed under, we made an assumption that Xiaomi was preparing their own parcel delivery service, with the name Xiaomi Express. Now we’re seeing those trademarks bear fruit, though now it’s just Mi Express, which rolls off the tongue much nicer in my opinion.

With Xiaomi having just launched their Mi Express door to door courier service, they’ll be going head to head with Chinese courier behemoth SF Express for the top spot as China’s number 1 courier service. Unfortunately, things seem to be off to a rough start as Xiaomi’s prices aren’t exactly matching up all to well with their main competition.

In terms of pricing, SF Express seem to have Mi Express handily beaten, especially with their current promotional prices. This is somewhat surprising considering how Xiaomi is usually the price champion, but it also makes sense. SF Express has been an established player in the courier game for a while now, while Xiaomi is just now dipping their toes in the market.

Xiaomi is going to need to take some time if they’re going to properly compete in the parcel delivery market, but we’re optimistic that they’ll figure things out soon enough. It’ll be interesting to see whether the company brings the service to other countries as well. It’s possible we’ll see the service come to India soon, considering it’s their biggest market.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi launches the Mi A3, Redmi 7A, Mi Band 4, and other cool gadgets in Ukraine

(Source)

The post Xiaomi’s Mi Express courier services launched in China appeared first on Gizmochina.