I had ordered a Sony Ni-MH AAA 800 mAh battery worth Rs. 390 via Home Shop 18 website. The product link is https://homeshop18.com/sony-nh-aaa-b2k-2pcs-800-aaa-nimh-battery/camera-camcorders/accessories/product:30166632/cid:3172/
However, when I finally got the product, it was a different (and cheaper) battery model. Not only that, the actual battery which was delivered was not even available on the Home Shop 18 website!! So they have delivered a product which technically they don’t even have in stock!
The MRP of the battery which they have delivered is Rs. 340, i.e. Rs. 50 less than what I paid for it!
The whole purpose of online shopping is not only to save time but also money by getting deals and discounts which are not available in local stores. Why will anyone pay extra (over and above MRP) to get something which is available at MRP nearby?
And after going through some of the other reviews, it seems like this is a standard practice with Home Shop 18 across various product lines.
Luckily for me, I had selected Cash on Delivery as the payment option. When the delivery came, I offered to pay by credit card (they allow this payment option). While the delivery man was trying to get his card swiping machine to work, I opened the package and saw that the battery was different from what I had ordered.
I immediately refused to take delivery and gave it back to the delivery man. He fought with me, talked to his supervisor and finally took the product back.
I will never again buy anything from Home Shop 18. I have bought several items online in the past, both cheap and expensive. I once even purchased a 32" LED TV on eBay. But never have I faced such a scenario where the item delivered was different from the item ordered, and in fact was not even listed on the website!