You Would Be Shocked To Know What Nigerians Are Experiencing While Shopping Online
Buying and selling through the Internet has been the order of the day in Western world for decades. In Nigeria, trading via the Internet, unarguably, has been gaining popularity as each day passes.
Today, buying and selling of goods and services take place through the telephone, social media and online retail portal depending on the buyer or seller’s preference.
Most analysts believe one of the reasons people prefer to trade through the Internet is to ease the troubles of having to go out physically to make purchases or dispose goods or services.
Internet trading affords, among others, the convenience of getting goods purchased delivered at the convenient of the consumer. And service rendered without having to be there in person.
Since the advent of Internet trading in Nigeria, there are have been ample of retail market portals that Nigerians make use of to do their buying and selling. Some of these online retail stores include: Jumia.com, Konga.com, Kaymu, OLX, Dealdey.com and many others.
However, the extent of credibility of these online market stores is beginning to come to the fore as Nigerians are beginning to complain about such cases as undelivered purchases, contraband or fake products, dubious transactions and being ripped off over the Internet.
For Mr Junaid, his experience of online buying and selling was a pathetic one as he narrates how he became victim of Internet scamming while he was trying to purchase goods online recently.
“I have been hearing of Internet purchase for some time but I really don’t know how it works.
“I made attempt to try it out recent by typing online sale on Google and I was directed to so many links where I would have to choose one.
“Then I chose one BuyEasy.com and placed my order online. I was asked to pay 40% commitment fee and that I would have to pay the 60% balance on delivery. After I did as instructed, I was surprised that my goods never came till date.
“I tried reaching them on the contact address on the website but I did not get response from them.
“It was since that time that I vowed that I shall never buy anything online again,” Junaid said.
Mr Jacob Odunsi, a banker, warns potential online traders to always be cautious of online retail portals where they would buy or sell goods.
According to him, “One of the things I look out for as red flag is websites where everybody is a buyer and seller. There is always a probability that either the seller or buyer, who of is not physically known or can be trusted, might be a scammer or an armed robber.”
This was what happened to Anthony Ayotunde who said he almost fell into the hands of an armed robber.
He explained: “I had wanted to buy a wristwatch which I knew would cost about N56,000 and I found it on OLX.com for N45,000.
“When I called the guy, who placed the wristwatch on the website, we both agreed to meet at Moshalashi bus stop around Alimosho.
“When I got to the destination, I saw a two guys looking so suspicious so I called his number to know if he was one of them.
“I saw one of them pick up his call while the other guy moved to a corner.
“When I ended the call, I crosse to the other side of the road to inform a traffic policeman of the situation and he volunteered to monitor our activity.
“I went to the guy and introduced myself, after which I asked him to bring out the watch. He suggested that we move away to a more enclosed corner to perform the transaction.
As we got to the corner he suggested, the hidden guy emerged and held me by my waist belt as he tried to drag me closer.
“At that moment, the traffic officer appeared with two of his colleagues and apprehended them.
“It turned out there was no wristwatch with them but they had planned to collect the money I came with and go their way.”
Mr Gbenga Ogunlesi, a building contractor, who says he is a regular trader on the Internet, informed that he has been wary about online stores that require your credit information for purchases.
He said experiences in Nigeria has shown that such online store usually hack into users’ account and cart away all their money.
He advised potential Internet trader to always trade on credible websites.
Mr. Gbenga also stated that every online store user should be careful when typing names on the search board as any mistake might link the buyer to a wrong website.
“Would you believe that if you mistakenly type Facebook as facepok, it would link you to a market site? This might confuse such person to believe he is at the right market place. I think there is the need for public awareness about this issue,” he added.
Commenting on cases of Internet trading frauds, a policeman at Ajebo Police unit, Mr Kinsgsley Omoh, 32, said the laws that would be binding on Internet market users are still on the process of being enacted.
“We treat cases of online market frauds everyday but most of the cases were unsuccessful as we usually can’t connect parties involved.
“This is because, in most cases, as soon as the deal is done, the accused party ‘go dark’ by destroying the phone contacts involved in the transaction,” the policeman explained.
Source: Legit.ng
