Online shoppers frequently encounter receiving wrong items in their orders, prompting them to contact customer service for refunds and share their grievances by tagging delivery companies on social media platforms. Numerous similar stories often emerge. In one such instance, a customer who ordered sneakers from Tata Cliq Luxury faced this exact scenario. However, the situation worsened when the company declined to refund the money, despite acknowledging the mistake.
An X user shared the story, claiming that he purchased 'New Balance 9060 Grey & Blue Sneakers' valued at Rs 22,999 from Tata Cliq Luxury. Instead of the anticipated stylish kicks, he received a pair of simple slippers.
Despite lodging a complaint for an exchange, Tata Cliq Luxury cited quality standards as grounds for withholding a refund, as evidenced by the email screenshot shared by the user.
"Tata Cliq Luxury is defrauding customers of their hard-earned money. I've lost my money, but please save yourselves from being scammed. I ordered New Balance sneakers; they sent a pair of slippers, now refusing to refund money saying quality check failed," the user said in a post on the microblogging site X, formerly Twitter.
As the post went viral, the online community weighed in with their perspectives.
"How can a returned item fail their quality standards? Isn't that the purpose of a return?" questioned an individual, prompting a response from the user: "They claimed the correct product was delivered, so they won't process a refund. It's easier to blame the customers than to implement quality checks by the delivery partner to ensure the correct product is delivered in good condition."
"Scams like this are becoming increasingly common because companies rely on third-party vendors for deliveries, and the scam occurs at their end. The only solution is to record the unpacking of your products and take strict action against the company," asserted another individual.
"Lesson learned. Unboxing expensive/luxury items should be recorded with proper details on the delivery tag," a third said.
Tata Cliq Luxury has acknowledged the issue and expressed regret for the inconvenience caused.
