Xiaomi or Xiao-miss? Man orders 32-inch TV, receives packet of tissue instead

When it comes to online purchases, the products can be either hits-or-misses. 

For one man, it was a definite miss when he received a packet of tissue paper instead of a brand new 32-inch TV. 

The man, surnamed Shen, told Shin Min Daily News on Monday (Nov 14) that he needed a new TV as his old one was spoilt.

Seeing a suitable model online retailing on Lazada for $138.49, the 61-year-old MRT engineer decided to place an order. 

It was the first time that he'd bought something online but as it turns out, there was no beginner's luck in his case. 

Thinking he scored a good deal, he made payment for his order via PayNow. 

Four days later, Shen received a notification from the online shopping platform that his order was delivered. 

"I happily went home that day, thinking that I'd finally be able to watch TV that night, but I only received a package that contained a small pack of tissue paper. It didn't even weigh 400 grams," he complained. 

To add insult to injury, Shen only realised he made a mistake when he went to check the shop's page on the app. 

Although the shop's page carried the Xiaomi logo, the actual advertised product said "Xiao-miss" instead, to his dismay. 

"I contacted [the platform's] customer service to request a refund, but I had to wait for the seller to agree to the return of the item, and decide if the item can be refunded before they can process it." 

Shen continued: "Each step takes about three to five working days, which means it might take two months before I get my refund." 

Thankfully, Shen received a refund on Monday afternoon. 

However, the shop's page disappeared shortly after. 

In response to Shin Min's queries, Lazada said that they have investigated the matter and have refunded Shen the amount. 

A spokesperson from the online platform added that they offer a seven-day and 15-day free return policy for non-LazMall and LazMall sellers respectively. The refund method will depend on the customer's payment method. 

According to Lazada's website, LazMall is a "curated selection of leading international and local brands from reputable retailers and resellers". 

Lazada said they have since banned the seller. 

"The platform can detect fraudulent sellers, [but] we encourage customers to check other customer's feedback before purchasing a product," said the spokesperson. 

For peace of mind, the spokesperson encouraged customers to purchase products from LazMall's brands and authorised dealers. 

Plastic straw instead of phone

Just last month, another man was also suckered when he ordered a Samsung mobile phone from Lazada — but received a package containing a single plastic straw instead. 

The man surnamed Zhang told Shin Min then that he decided to buy the phone off Lazada as it was $180 cheaper than buying it from a physical store. 

He said that he had looked through the seller's page before making the purchase, and went ahead after seeing that they had a physical store listed on the page. 

"Lazada's customer service told me they would handle the matter, and they've asked me to send the goods back for verification. But so far I haven't received a reply from them, so I called the police," said Zhang. 

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claudiatan@asiaone.com