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Amazon, Flipkart big sale goes wrong, buyers get wrong products

Amazon and Flipkart's festive season sale started on September 23

Let's start with Yashaswi Sharma who says that he purchased a laptop from Flipkart Big Billion Days sale. To his disappointment and shock, Flipkart delivered packages of Ghadi detergent. The delivery was accepted by his father who was unaware of the "open-box" delivery concept and simply accepted the order without inspecting it, Sharma says.

A snapshot of Yashaswi Sharma's LinkedIn post

Now, Sharma says that he has CCTV footage to back up his claim of a Flipkart delivery boy coming and going without the box being inspected. But, the e-tailer’s customer service executive asserted that since the delivery was accepted, no refund is possible.

Similarly, Arpit Mehrotra says that he has received a Noise smartwatch instead of the Apple Watch that he ordered from Amazon. “We ordered an #applewatch in their ongoing #greatindianfestival. First our order got delayed suspecially after being out for delivery on 23rd September and then today it was delivered. But to our surprise it was not an apple watch but a #Noisewatch," he writes in a LinkedIn post.

A snapshot of Arpit Mehrotra's LinkedIn post

Mehrotra has contacted Amazon’s customer support who have asked him to wait for three days to know the result of the report.

Both incidents highlight the lack of awareness about the open box delivery service among the buyers. The service is offered by both Amazon and Flipkart for free.

“Flipkart as a customer-focused organisation observes a zero-tolerance policy on all incidents that impact customer trust. It is of utmost importance to us to ensure the best possible online shopping experience for our customers. In this specific case that offered an Open Box Delivery option, the customer shared the OTP with the delivery executive without opening the package. Once the details of the incident were verified, our customer service team initiated a refund that will be credited within 3-4working days. We have identified the issue and have also initiated action against the errant party," Flipkart said in a statement.

What is open box delivery?

With Amazon’s Open Box Inspection, the delivery associate will unpack your order package at the time of delivery for your inspection. You can verify the order to ensure the right product is delivered without any damages and has the required accessories enclosed. Open Box Inspection eligibility messaging is displayed on the product detail page for eligible orders. Similarly, in Flipkart’s Open Box Delivery, the delivery associate will open the package in front of you at the time of delivery. Both outside as well as the brand packing is opened and shown to you. This ensures that you only receive what you ordered. In case the order is eligible for Open Box Delivery, you'll get an option of Open Box Delivery at the Order Summary page. You can avail of the service by selecting the same option while ordering. Both platforms offer this facility for free. So next time you order expensive gadgets or electronics online, do make sure to check the open box delivery box to ensure safe delivery.

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