Online Shopping: What I Ordered vs What I Got

If you are social media buff, you'd aware of the surge in memes out there talking about online shopping. Recently, since it was prom season in America, a lot of kids bought their dresses online and some of them didn’t turn out to be as expected. Those dresses were turned into memes online so that at least people could have a laugh.

A prom dress bought online - What was displayed (left) and what was delivered (right) // Pic credits: Pintrest

In India, online shopping has been like a sigh of relief for every internet user. You don’t have to go from shop to shop, hunting for things, now they can be delivered right to your doorstep.

There are certain things you can be sure of when ordering online such as groceries, grooming products, jewellery and electronic items. However, when it comes to buying clothes, shoes and accessories online - it can still be tricky. Even though the exchange and return policies of most online retailers has become much easier - it can still be a pain to follow up with returns.

We, at SheThePeople.TV spoke to some women and found out what their online shopping experience was.

Aswira Siraj, a 24-year-old based in Bangalore told us, “When I was sick and bedridden, all I did was shop online. One such experience was absolutely horrible. I ordered a pair of shoes online from a relatively new start-up. When I received the shoes, they were not the design I ordered! It took me two weeks to return it to them because of their process. Once I received the cash back, I ordered another pair. They delivered the wrong shoe size this time stating they didn’t have my size! So, I returned those as well and just decided to order my mom a pair instead. When these arrived, they were finally the right design and the right size! What a pain!”

Another issue with many online retailers is the return policy. If the pickups for returns aren’t fast enough, people lose interest, and would rather make the effort to go to a physical shop instead.

Often Start-ups face a lot of hiccups when it comes to customer service. A lot of Aswira’s struggle could be avoided, if the online retailers had made an effort with her order, simply picked up the phone and called her instead of sending her the wrong shoes!

Another issue with many online retailers is the return policy. If the pickups for returns aren’t fast enough, people lose interest, and would rather make the effort to go to a physical shop instead.

Wagisha Jha, based in Bangalore said, “Return and refund policies sometimes have big loopholes. For example, some online shops, while delivering send all items together, returning is a different story, they take it back one by one and make you follow up on refund endlessly." This can be a frustrating experience.

“I purchased an item for $15, and later found out that it automatically signed me up as a member of the online store, charging me a membership fee of $89.99 per month.” -Joanna

Joanna Antony James, a student based in the US told us that she had a disastrous experience when she bought something online and realised that the website had auto-subscribed her to their service. A lot of Indian online retailers are also following the policy of subscription. The US influences a lot of ways in which the Indian online retailer market functions.

However, it is not a gloomy state for all, even though people have bad experiences, they move online stores and find ones that suit their needs instead. Neha Arora Nicholas, a resident of Bangalore said that she has never had a bad experience when ordering online, “I’ve ordered books, furniture, clothes and other knick-knacks, but it has always been a good experience for me.”

Online shopping is way too convenient for the internet savvy generation // Pic credits: KDM Digital Marketing

Online shopping, even though it may have its loopholes, is a little too convenient for the internet-savvy generation. Online retailers also give better discounts and offers to lure customers.

Since they don’t need a physical space to display their product - their rent expense goes down and they are able to give better discounts. Most online retailers are making their services faster, and their returns much easier so that customers have little to complain about in the future. Online shopping has recently gained momentum in India, and there is a lot more to come.

Pic credits: News 18

Also read: Women Are Commanding A Workplace Fashion Revolution In India