My ordeal started when I decided to buy the
Brother HL L2351DW laser
printer from
Flipkart. I ordered it on 10-9-2021 & it was delivered on 12-9-2021. After I received the invoice by email I noticed that the serial number on the invoice does not match at all with what’s shown on the product. I raised this issue using the call back option. Strangely the seller as seen on the website is OmniTech Retail but the invoice came from ‘Consulting Rooms Pvt Ltd’!!!!!
On 13th Sept I got an email asking me to send the pics of the serial number of the product as seen on the printer. I sent 2 pics of the label on the printer & its box immediately. I thought that would be the end of it as I thought that it was a clerical error which could be corrected easily. How wrong I was
. Again On 13th Sept evening I got another call from a Flipkart agent who told me that she had contacted the seller who had said that the invoice cannot be changed & the only options were replacement or refund were the only options. I was truly shocked by this as this was my first instance of returning a product. So I asked for more time to decide so we mutually decided, she call back the next day (14th sept) at 4pm.
On 14th sept at 4pm I got a call & told the agent that I had opted for a return & full refund & they could initiate the same from their end & send someone to pick it up. I was told I would have to do it myself as he could not do it from his side for some technical reason (most probably he didn’t know how to do it or didn’t want to) which I found strange as in the past an agent had done it quickly & w/o any fuss for some other product where I had got cheated, anyway I went ahead & did it. Now I found that my problem was totally different from what was offered in the different options given in the drop down list boxes on your site. The agent who was on the phone told me what to select & in the text I clearly mentioned my problem.
On the same day I get an email at night that I would have to
“To help you with your return request, please share the below details as an attachment within the next 48 hours
- Scanned copy/ clear photo of both sides of Aadhaar or Driving License or Voter ID. Please ensure that the information on your photo ID should match the details on your recent order(s).
- Full image of the product received (front side of the product)
- Image of the manufacturing label (manufacturing date, expiry date, etc.)
- If the product is damaged, image of the product such that the damage is visible”
And all this has to be done in 48 hrs. Gosh I never expected so much bureaucracy.
After being a customer for so many years the details I had provided to Flipkart was enough to make purchases but when it comes to returns, all this rigmarole happens. They give only 2mb space for the uploads when I tried to upload the pics I got an error that only 2 files can be uploaded but Flipkart has asked for at least 4 pics. So I had to create pdf file in which I inserted the jpeg files. I wonder how many of their customers can do all this. I found this particularly galling as I had packed up the printer in its original box on 13th itself after I decided to return it. So I had to unpack it, photograph it & pack it up again.
On 15th I manage to create the pdf files with the required pics managed to send it which was confirmed by their agent. Now I wait with trepidation about what next ingenious ‘
step’ they will come up with.
On 16 at 1505 I get a call from their agent asking for the full story which I had to recite all over again. Then she curtly told me that I would get an email which will contain the info about my refund. I immediately got an email that my issue was resolved & the refund was rejected as I had given incorrect info.
But the problem arises with their stupid software which is close ended & did not give me the options which pertain to my problem so the agent I was talking to had told me what to select. Their agents give false info, mislead the customer to get good feedbacks. After this I logged in & I asked for a call back & the agent has re raised the issue from his end (the reason he has given in his wisdom is
‘multiple issues’, he said it would get me my refund) as I was not satisfied with the so called resolution. Which came a few minute later as I was typing this another person called & gave the same spiel that it’s with the senior team. It actually worked.
On 18th Sept I received the sms & email that seller has agreed to refund. I even got a bot call basically asking for my feedback. A little later I got a confirmation from my bank that’s there’s a credit for the amount of the printer. Phew!!!! What an ordeal.
A few observations:
- Their close ended options for returns cannot match many problems customers in such cases like mine where even when guided by your agent, it will get rejected the first time.
- Also noticed that when the agent feels that the customer is upset the feedback email does not reach the customer. This has happened to me on two occasions.
- I think there’s a supreme court ruling about who can ask for Aadhar not sure pvt companies are included.
- Looks like when they want someone’s money the details provided before in the profile was good enough but when they have to return you create all these hoops for the customer to jump thru.
- Another thing I noticed all requirements are NOT given in one go. It seems you create new hoops as you go along. Their systems are not v user friendly.
- For this delay I blame the person who called me on 16th Sept at 1505 who when she asked the whole story did not hear or didn’t understand what I told her, never bothered to read the text which I posted during the return process. Went along with her preconceived ideas & rejected the FIRST return request & delayed the whole process and increased stress & work for the customer.
This experience makes me feel I am dealing with a fly by night bureaucratic setup. And people say OmniTech Retail is part of Flipkart but their systems & staff now don’t give any confidence anymore. Now I am back to square one in looking out for a Brother printer. They seem to be in short supply & grossly over priced. A repeat of last years hair
clipper experience
But they always called back, atleast during this experience.
