My complaint:
On September 28, I purchased a new iPhone from the Apple Flagship Shop on Lazada. Shortly after, I noticed an issue with the phone’s screen – certain areas were unresponsive to touch. Consequently, I initiated a return following Lazada’s prescribed procedure.
However, to my surprise, Lazada rejected my return request, citing the fact that I had opened the package as the reason. This practice is highly irregular in electronic product retail and was not clearly stated in their policy. Furthermore, they insisted that there was nothing wrong with the phone and told me that t it would be returned to me. Regrettably, I had no alternative but to accept their decision.
According to Lazada’s customer service, the returned phone was expected to be delivered back to me within 7 working days, starting from October 4. Regrettably, I am still unaware of the whereabouts of my SGD 2,300-worth phone. Over the past few days, I have reached out to Lazada’s platform more than 20 times, yet their customer service responses have been confusing and unhelpful. Although they repeatedly assured me that I would receive a update or a call from their manager within 24/48 hours, the reality was far from that. They marked each case as resolved by sending me automated system-generated emails.
It has now been over two weeks, and I have not received either a refund or the phone. When I requested a refund, they informed me that the phone would undergo another round of quality evaluation. This is perplexing, as it seems they have the ultimate authority to decide the outcome.
It is ALSO HARD TO BELIEVE that such a big online shopping platform can lose the track of a 2300 SGD phone after the transition between different teams. The structure of the logistics system system cannot stand up to scrutiny.
What exacerbates the situation is the lack of a proper channel for me to escalate this issue to a higher level or bring it to the attention of an independent regulator. My rights as a customer have not only been denied, but I have also endured significant frustration and mistreatment throughout this ordeal.
Suggested solution:
1. Fully refund
2. Send me a non-defective new phone
