Taobao Bad Experiences

[kerhhk 0]

I saw many home makers buying furniture/stuff from taobao, just want to share my bad experiences, for your awareness.

1. I started buying things from taobao this year. In the past, I used an agent like 65d**g**. Switched due to trying to save cost. I started with only small value purchases to test the system and to minimize loss.

Bad countered 1

My first bad encounter is when I purchase the following battery tester.

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a1z09.2.9.31.Iz6k0u&id=14100066084&_u=71vq1h347384

My warehouse oops did not receive the goods, but seller reported as "delivered". Unfortunately, due to too many items, I did not track this timely, and the payment was released to the seller. When I contacted the seller, there is no service from him, and he declined to make any checking nor clarification with their local courier. This is a S$4 lesson.

More cases to share....

Bad countered 2

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a1z10.5.w4002-6193391067.15.KeWHNw&id=37931771877

After a few smooth purchases, I thought the taobao seller listed "Reviews" can be trusted. I am so wrong. DON"T TRUST THOSE LISTED REVIEWS TOTALLY. Many are staged.

On 11.11.14, I purchased a bed from this seller.

Pattern No. 1

When I placed the order the system shows delivery and assembling are inclusive.

However, subsequently, the seller (海伦）told me that I had to arrange for self-collection from a distribution warehouse (??)

I argued that their system indicated delivery is inclusive. She changed the story but said that they will only sent to the ground floor, and I had to arrange to bring it into the house myself (??). Lucky my forwarder, Oops, is on the ground floor.

Pattern No. 2

A few days later, I checked with the seller, and was told the goods was delivered. But when I checked with my forwarder, they didn't receive.

I contacted the seller to clarify, and she told me to call their delivery company myself to check, and refused to assist.

After another argument, she finally sent a photo of the signed Delivery Order to me. When I email to my forwarder, they confirmed that 1) there is no company stamp 2) the signature does not belows to any of their staff.

I contacted the seller again- and she insisted that the goods was signed off. I checked the system info, and confirmed that they delivered to a different company called East Asia.

Pattern No. 3

TRUE COLOR is out, now the seller kept insisted that the goods was delivered, even I tried to explain to her she had sent to the wrong place. My forwarder warned me to quickly request for refund, before the system times out and auto make payment to the seller.

In the end, I raised a refund request, and she rejected. I escalated to involve Taobao, which indicated that they will resolve this in 4 - 6 days.

It's almost 2 weeks, my refund still yet to happen......

Pattern No. 3

Just yesterday (6/12), the seller message me and asked me to return the goods...

Vomit blood; i tried to make her understand that the goods is not with me, that's why I requested for refund.

The seller just kept repeat the same message that the D.O. was signed, etc, etc...like a broken record. She even asked me to call up the other forwarder who they sent the goods to , and ask them to return her the goods(?). I told her that I had no business with this forwarder (East Asia), and don't have the right to do so.

Edited December 7, 2014 by kerhhk

[fannz 3]

^{Sorry to hear about your bad experience.}

^{Both sellers have quite good rating (above 4.8) which I think should be ok. I have used Amcon twice to ship my items and they are quite good and so far no such incident yet. There was once the seller did not send me some items that I bought but they insisted that they have sent. Anyway it's not so expensive and I just gave up on explaining to them. And one of my boxes were missing from my first shipment but it's with Amcon as the seller did not put my name outside the box. Thus I just need to go Amcon to collect it.}

^{For your bad encounter 2, it's quite common that some sellers provide free shipping to a distribution center and you need to go to self collect. I ordered a swing chair from taobao and the size is big and I'm aware that they only provide free shipping to a distribution center (I also read the same from the review). Thus I talked to the customer service and paid additional charges for them to ship to Amcon's warehouse and they did.}

^{There's always risk to shop at any online shop and not only taobao but it also provide significant savings if you select the right seller. I invited quite some friends over to my house for house warming parties and they are really impressed with the stuff I bought from taobao. The parties normally end up to be a "taobao discussion" and now I have to organize another round of taobao purchase for my friends.}

[finkfad 1]

^{Sorry to hear about your bad experience.}

^{Both sellers have quite good rating (above 4.8) which I think should be ok. I have used Amcon twice to ship my items and they are quite good and so far no such incident yet. There was once the seller did not send me some items that I bought but they insisted that they have sent. Anyway it's not so expensive and I just gave up on explaining to them. And one of my boxes were missing from my first shipment but it's with Amcon as the seller did not put my name outside the box. Thus I just need to go Amcon to collect it.}

^{For your bad encounter 2, it's quite common that some sellers provide free shipping to a distribution center and you need to go to self collect. I ordered a swing chair from taobao and the size is big and I'm aware that they only provide free shipping to a distribution center (I also read the same from the review). Thus I talked to the customer service and paid additional charges for them to ship to Amcon's warehouse and they did.}

^{There's always risk to shop at any online shop and not only taobao but it also provide significant savings if you select the right seller. I invited quite some friends over to my house for house warming parties and they are really impressed with the stuff I bought from taobao. The parties normally end up to be a "taobao discussion" and now I have to organize another round of taobao purchase for my friends.}

Buying online, especially Taobao, is always a big hit and miss, but expectations have to be tempered in accordance with the price you pay. I recently got another batch of stuff which is hit-and-miss.

As I mentioned in my T-Blog, I bought 60 wooden hangers from Tmall.com that had pretty good reviews. Now I just went through them and I don't think I will be using any of them now. Some of the wood has patches that are unvarnished, and I'm afraid I'll either get splinters, or my clothes will get snagged on the wood and gets destroyed.

Now I'll have to give the whole batch away to a friend who wants them despite their conditions.

[G_luv_M 3]

i used to have high expectation of Tao Bao too. But all changed after my first order was not sent to me. I requested for a refund, which they refunded me in points instead of refunding me directly in cash. So all the points are lying inside the alipay which i dont even have a registered alipay account.

[kerhhk 0]

i used to have high expectation of Tao Bao too. But all changed after my first order was not sent to me. I requested for a refund, which they refunded me in points instead of refunding me directly in cash. So all the points are lying inside the alipay which i dont even have a registered alipay account.

Hi,

You should quickly open a alipay account, and transfer those points over - they are same as cash.

[kerhhk 0]

Sorry to hear about all these bad encounters - my experience is don't trust those scoring and reviews too much.

Alot are staged - they paid someone to 'buy' and then write good reviews.

In fact, I ever bought an item from a shop with low scoring, and only 2 average reviews - but they are very customer oriented, and follow through all the transaction......

Perhaps, we should start a Good / Bad listing on taobao shops on renotalk, based on actual transaction experienced? To help the community up.

Rather then ti kang ti kang and buy on "fake" ratings...

Bad encounter No. 3

http://trade.taobao.com/trade/detail/trade_snap.htm?spm=a1z09.3.0.0.X9fkrH&trade_id=847973374146824

http://shunny88.taobao.com/view_shop.htm?shop_id=100101686

Ordered 10 pieces of these as Xmas token, the seller :

1) Failed to ship out within 24 hours. And remained offline 24 X 7, hence uncontactable. I sent a request for refund, and the seller cancel my request, and change the status to 'shipped'

2) The goods never arrived, but seller marked in system as 'delivered'. I escalated to Taobao to ask for refund. After 5 working days, the seller LL refund the money.

The only good news is now the price dropped further down.

Edited December 10, 2014 by kerhhk

[kerhhk 0]

Lesson 2 update

I checked my system record, I escalated to Taobao since 26 Nov....Their standard response is they will make decision in 4 - 6 days.

It's 10 Dec, still no judgement.

Edited December 10, 2014 by kerhhk

[Doris Chin 4]

My relative in China has a friend who used to sell on taobao, she said there are lots of fake reviews.. Because she is experienced, she knows what to look out for. Lucky for me as she helps me to chk out which sellers are good.

[kerhhk 0]

Lesson 2 update (14 Dec)

I decided to start a counter to track how long will taobao takes to solve my case...

Start : 26 Nov 14 reported.

As of : 14 Dec 14

Counter : 18 Days since case reported to Taobao and remains open.

Let's see how well their system works.....

[mavicaste 58]

All that we purchased from Taobao for our home were lightings from 3 different sellers. One of the item was shipped with a missing part and we highlighted this to the purchasing agent whom promptly escalated the issue to the seller. To sum it up, the process to get the missing part shipped out to us wasn't as straightforward as one would expect and it involved quite a bit of email exchanges. Somehow we got the feeling that the seller thinks we are trying to con them of a few dollars part when our order with them is over S$200.

We actually limited our purchases to "flagship stores" of major brands on Tmall and such was the experience we had when something does not turn out as expected. I can't imagine the frustration one will have to deal with if the purchase was with one of those small time dealers. Being accustomed to the exemplary service levels of Amazon, this it quite a stark contrast and a reminder to ourselves to best stick with reputed online merchants if we want peace of mind.

[kerhhk 0]

Lesson 2 update (19 Dec)

I decided to start a counter to track how long will taobao takes to solve my case...

Start : 26 Nov 14 reported.

Counter : 23 Days since case reported to Taobao and remains open.

Let's see how well their system works....

Updates : After I posted a remarks on taobao SEA facebook, a taobao staff called me on 16 Dec....after asked me a few questions, the case remains OPEN.

[wakawakajas 0]

For more groupbuys or share shipping infuture, please join https://www.facebook.com/groups/1503506503275156/

[spike 9]

I bought an office chair from Taobao before, and the seat kept getting depressed to its lowest position no matter how I adjusted it. Really poor QC.