This was the very first time I had ever tried online shopping and I truly repent the decision. On 1st April 2015, I had placed an online order on ‘Rediff Shopping’ for an imported quality 7 feet by 7 feet mosquito net- Order no. 11389972, for Rs. 1047, - Vendor’s name: Real Marketing.
Rediff’s website product advertisement clearly stated the delivery time as 2 days, so I was expecting the product to be delivered to me by 3rd or 4th April. I didn’t get the mosquito net till 5th April, I called their customer support line and an advsior apologized for the delay and said that they would dispatch it on an urgent basis as it was already delayed.
After this call, I was initially relieved when I received an sms from Rediff saying that the mosquito net would be delivered within 3-4 days so I thought that this call solved my problem but my nightmare had just started!
After 3 days I received their sms saying that there is a delay in my product delivery so when I still didn’t get my product after 5 days, being upset I called customer support-complaints dept, again in the late afternoon and asked to speak to the manager but was told that the manager was not available. When I insisted, I was told the manager was having his lunch so can’t take my call.
When I got irate, he called one of the senior support staff - Kamini, who heard me out patiently. She sounded professional & polite and assured that she would look into the complaint. The same evening when I spoke to Kamini again, she said she would give me an update the next day but even till the next evening, no one called me so I had to call customer support, complaints dept. again and ask to speak to a manager.
This time I was again told that the manager was not available so being annoyed I again insisted but was told that the manager’s shift was over and had gone home and was also told that there is no manager after that time. I was fuming by then so my call was again given to the senior advisor Kamini who said that there was some problem from the vendor’s side.
It was already around 12th April then so I complained that they are 9 days behind the committed delivery date. She assured that my product would be delivered in 2 days. I didn’t trust them so I put conditions that either they deliver the product within 2 days or if they were later than that then I would want a decent discount on the price as I had paid Rs. 1047 for 2 days delivery & not for 12 days delivery of the product. And that if they can’t fulfil any of these, then my order should be cancelled & a complete refund provided for the money I had paid. Kamini advised that she would certainly escalate the issue and get an answer for me by the next day.
To my UTTER SHOCK – the next day I was told that the mosquito net that I had ordered and paid for, was OUT OF STOCK! I blasted her, asking how Rediff shopping could accept orders for products on their website and also take payments for products that were unavailable with their vendors?! And I got a reply that they didn’t know that the stock was over! In utter disgust I told her that this was not only unethical but also illegal that Rediff Shopping took money from me, from their website, for an unavailable product. I demanded an immediate refund of the entire amount I had paid and Kamini assured that the money would be credited back in my account in 5-7 working days. I also warned her that if I didn’t receive my money refund soon, then I would write about my this terribel agonising experience on review websites.
On 17th April morning, when I didn’t receive the money, I called them again but my calls kept disconnecting and after 7 attempts, I could speak to the manager Amay Dalvi, who said their phone lines had some problems so the calls were disconnecting. He said that he would speak to finance dept. for my money refund and that he would get back to me.
I was telling him about the frustration I faced with Rediff Shopping and that I had also wasted money on my phone bill, because of my repeated calls to Rediff Shopping to follow up or complain, but even during this, my calls kept disconnecting 4 times and the manager had to call me back to continue the conversation. In the evening, I was told that their finance department had made my payment but he had not got the transaction ID for it to provide that to me and that he would call me in 2 hours to provide the transaction ID.
It is 20th April today & I have neither received my money refund not the so-called transaction ID for the refund they claim they made on 17th April. I will again chase them up today for my money refund but I decided to first write this review about my HORRIBLE experience with Rediff Shopping, so that I can tell their manager on the call about this review I have written for their completely unprofessional & callous attitude towards customers.
I wanted to have some peaceful sleep at night by avoiding the mosquitoes so had ordered the mosquito net but I have faced much more trouble, agony, waste of time, waste of money, harassment, which was worse than the trouble caused by mosquitoes! Even the mosquitoes didn’t make me so angry & frustrated as ‘Rediff Shopping’ made me! Shopping for a Mosquito Net on the NET has landed me in Rediff Shopping’s(Cheating) Net & this has certainly made me vow never to shop on the internet again…. & if ever I do.NEVER with ‘Rediff Shopping’ for sure!