Online shopping has become part of everyday life for many South Africans, offering convenience and access to a wider range of products. However, for many consumers, that convenience can quickly turn into frustration.
From fake online stores and misleading advertisements to delayed deliveries, damaged goods and refund disputes, online shopping continues to generate thousands of consumer complaints each year.
Speaking to VOC News, Consumer Goods and Services Ombud Lee Soobrathi said e-commerce has consistently been the organisation’s largest source of complaints since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“From an e-commerce perspective, since COVID, we’ve seen a proliferation of e-commerce trading and consumers using it. E-commerce has by far been our highest contributing category over the last three to five years,” Soobrathi said.
“The most common complaints involve consumers ordering goods that are never delivered, receiving products that don’t match the description or images they saw online, or receiving goods that are defective or not of the quality they expected.”
Soobrathi said consumers should distinguish between fraudulent online stores and legitimate businesses, as the process for resolving disputes differs.
“There’s a difference between dealing with a scam or rogue entity that cannot be contacted and dealing with a legitimate business. If it’s a scam, it becomes very difficult because you have no party to engage with. But if you’re dealing with a legitimate supplier that has contact details and a physical address, consumers should first give that business an opportunity to resolve the complaint.”
He said if the matter remains unresolved after 15 business days, consumers can escalate the complaint to the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud.
“If there’s still no resolution after 15 business days, consumers should approach the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud. We are accessible online, by telephone, WhatsApp and through our mobile application. We then engage the supplier through a mediation process to help both parties resolve the dispute, saving time, costs and effort.”
Listen to the full interview below.
VOC News
Photo: Pexels
