I recently signed up for Jabong, on seeing their promotional ad, that promised Rs. 2000 gift vouchers to new signups. the voucher I received was conditional - I could use it in 4 instalments of Rs. 500 each, on minimum purchase of Rs. 1500 each time, and that too within 7 days!
Anyway, I decided to make the best of it, and at least use one Rs. 500 voucher. I selected items worth Rs. 1600, used the voucher, and paid Rs. 1100 via credit card. After a week, I received only 2 items worth Rs. 400, and a "sorry" note that said that as my order couldn’t meet Jabong’s stringent quality tests, it was not completed. I would be charged full price of those 2 items, and remaining amount would be refunded in 21 days!
To me, this is sheer fraud. I bought those items simply because I was getting 33% discount (Rs 500 off on Rs 1500). If I have to buy those items on full price, I can buy them from anywhere - and in fact, I may choose not to buy them at all.
Online shopping sites should steer clear of making such false claims to increase their customer base, as real business comes not from first time shoppers but from repeat customers.