Rediff Shopping sucks



This is a classic example of CHEAP AT TWICE THE PRICE.

I ordered a book “The Interpretation of murder” by Jed Rubenfeld through rediff shopping on 4th July 2008, and paid via ICICI bank transfer. Astonishingly the book was dirt cheap ! INR 258 only !

So the order is supposed to arrive at my doorstep in a week. I wait anxiously for it. After a week when the order does not arrive I login to rediff shopping and it shows the delivery status as PENDING. So I send an email to the seller:

Hi  !!

This is regarding order number

4703702

from rediff shopping. The book “The interpretation of Murder.”

Please let me know by when I can receive it. Also please let me know the consignment number of the courier so that I can track the order at the courier’s website.

Regards,

Arnav.

In response I get the following email from the seller.

Dear Arnav,

There has been price revision of this book which did not show up on the website by Rediff. Due to which the title ordered by you could not be processed. We have no other choice but to cancel your order.

We apologize for any inconvenience caused to you.

Thanking you,

Sincerely,

XXXXXXX

Customer Service – Online Sales

So I call up the seller, and they tell me that they cannot claim responsibility for the same, as rediff failed to show the price revision on their site. So I would have to contact rediff for the same. I look up into the sky (ok, my ceiling), and do that thing I do (U)

I send rediff shopping customer support this email:

Name: Arnav
Phone Number: **********
message : Sir, my order has been cancelled by the seller.
They said:
“Dear Arnav,
There has been price revision of this book which did not show up on the website by Rediff. Due to which the title ordered by you could not be processed. We have no other choice but to cancel your order.
We apologize for any inconvenience caused to you.”
Please refund my money asap.
Now was the above English very hard to understand?
I get the following reply from rediff.

Dear Sir / Madam,

Reference to your order placed with us, we would like to inform you that all products on our site carry a lead-time of delivery. This is the delivery period within which your order is scheduled to be delivered.

Due to an overwhelming response to the recent offers on our site, there has been a slight delay in the dispatches and we apologize for the same. As of now, all orders are being processed for dispatch and the site will be updated shortly with the airway bill number. Be assured that your order will be delivered within few days.

We thank you for your patience.

Warm Regards,
Support Team

Rediff Shopping

P.S: Please do not change the subject line for future correspondence .
So according to rediff my order shall be delivered in a few days, even though it stands cancelled by the seller itself. Aggravated, I send the following reply, (fonts, colours and all), trying not to use profanities:

SIR,

PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO MY PROBLEM RATHER THAN REPLYING BLINDLY.

There has been a price revision in the product which failed to show on rediff.

The seller is denying any responsibility of it.

They said:

There has been price revision of this book which did not show up on the website by Rediff. Due to which the title ordered by you could not be processed. We have no other choice but to cancel your order.We apologize for any inconvenience caused to you.

YOU have to refund my money as the order has been cancelled.You don’t understand PLAIN ENGLISH OR WHAT??

Arnav.

After waiting for some days to allow the highly qualified rediff staff to understand the syllogisms used above, I get an email saying that:

Dear Arnav,

Greetings from Rediff.com

We regret to inform you that the title ordered (THE INTERPRETATION OF MURDER) is out of stock with our vendors. They have attempted to procure the same, but have not been successful in doing so.

Hence, we are canceling your order: 4703702 and arranging to refund the amount charged for the same. Please be assured that the refunded transaction shall reflect in your next monthly card statement.

We are really sorry for the inconvenience caused to you on behalf of our merchant partner.

Assure you of prompt and courteous response on all your visits to Rediff.com

Warm Regards,

XXXXXX

P.S: Please do not change the subject line for future correspondence .

Well, thanks. After 23 days of the payment of my order on rediff, I have neither the book nor the refund. They will refund my moolah and it will show in the next month’s statement. That is a separate story that I am leaving for the UK in 20 days’ time and shall be closing my bank account, and so there will be no place to refund the money.
I am disgusted.
P.S. Meanwhile I get the book from a local bookstore and read it.



3 Responses to “Rediff Shopping sucks”

  1. Shailesh says:
    March 18, 2010 at 6:02 PM

    Dear Arnav, you correctly pointed out rediff problem that the customer service doesn't bother to read/understand the mail before blindly replying it.

    The staff seems untrained/inexperienced and hence highly unprofessional. I have been through this many times with them.

    Shailesh

    Reply
  2. PT1 says:
    August 25, 2011 at 2:50 PM

    Their website kept telling that the transaction could not be completed due to browser problems. So I tried with three times using different browsers/computers. And still same thing. So I actually called my parents to buy Rakhi and send it to my brothers. Then I found out a day later that the order through Rediff has actually been placed 3 times. So I called immediately to cancel the redundant orders. And they asked me to send an email at customer support. I did that. They responded back 4 days later that the order cannot be cancelled because it has already been dispatched. I am still fighting with them and they will not return my $100 for all the three orders put together.
    They are just interested in somehow extracting money from the customer. Customer care is the least of their priorities.

    Reply

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