Man orders laptop, claims Flipkart delivered Ghadi detergent – Times of India

A Delhi man who ordered a laptop from ecommerce website Flipkart during the ongoing Big Billion Days Sale has claimed that the online retailer sent him packets of Ghadi detergent instead. In a LinkedIn post, Yashaswi Sharma said that he purchased a laptop for his father from Flipkart and instead of the laptop he received Ghadi detergent soap bars. Incidentally, both Amazon and Flipkart have ‘Open Box’ policy for electronics and other high-priced items. Wherein the delivery guy makes a video while the shopper opens the package. There’s an OTP that is to be shared with the delivery person only after the customer is satisfied with the product he/she has received. In this case, Sharma claims that his father shared the OTP with the delivery agent without checking as he was not aware of the policy. “He assumed OTP was to be given upon receiving the package – as is usual for prepaid deliveries – so he gave it when the box was delivered,” Sharma wrote in his LinkedIn post.
For those unaware, in Open Box Delivery, the delivery person opens the package in front of the customer. The aim of this is to ensure that in case a customer finds the product/or a part is missing, damaged or completely different from what ordered they can return the product immediately. “In Open Box Delivery, our Wishmaster will open the package in front of you at the time of delivery. Both outside as well as the brand packing is opened and shown to you. This ensures that you only receive what you ordered,” says Flipkart on its page describing the Open Box Delivery.
Sharma wrote that the Flipkart’s customer care service initially told him that a refund would not be possible as his father had shared the OTP without checking the laptop. He, however, later updated the post saying that the Flipkart team contacted him to inform that a refund has been processed. He added that so far, he hasn’t received it.
As for deleting the post, Sharma wrote that he will avoid deleting the post as he wants online shoppers to be aware of ‘Open Box’ delivery. “I will avoid deleting this post because I think it could continue to educate individuals about the open-box concept. Further, various comments have interesting details on possible recourse options as well as other surprising issues faced by e-commerce customers,” he wrote.
Here’s the complete LinkedIn post:
Flipkart sent detergent in place of a laptop but their customer support is only blaming me. Despite CCTV evidence.
I purchased a laptop during the #bigbilliondays sale for my father. He was unaware of “open-box” delivery concept (if you don’t know what it is, yes, most people in India are not familiar with it yet). Open-box means he was to give OTP to the delivery boy only after inspecting the laptop.
He assumed OTP was to be given upon receiving the package – as is usual for prepaid deliveries – so he gave it when the box was delivered.
I have CCTV proof of delivery boy coming and going without the box being inspected. And subsequently the unboxing revealed no laptop inside.
Despite this, Flipkart’s seniormost customer support executive says: No return possible. Your father shouldn’t have given OTP without checking the laptop. This is our final stance. This matter cannot be escalated further.
My father’s fault is that he assumed the package – coming from a #flipkart assured seller – will contain a laptop and not detergent. Why couldn’t the delivery boy inform the receiver about the open box concept before asking for OTP?
Posting this as my last attempt at resolution before I approach the consumer forum. Middle class Indians cannot simply absorb a laptop worth of loss very easily. Please amplify!
Flipkart: Refund on the way