Though online prices are attractive, many e-commerce websites fail to retain customers for long.
When an expensive electronic product is purchased offline, the retailer will not usually dump a poor quality/defective product on the customer, especially when it is under warranty, as the customer is likely to return to the shop and ask for after sales service.
He or she will also tell the local community about the shoddy product.
When he or she visits the shop and complains, it will also act as deterrent to other prospective customers who will refrain from further purchases. In addition, in real life, sellers genuinely try to help buyers, as they hope they will make repeat purchases from their store.
On the other hand, when a product is purchased online, some e-commerce stores feel that they are under no obligation at all to provide any kind of after sales support even though the product is under warranty for a year.
The customer’s hard earned money is wasted on a non functional product and they have to spend a lot of their valuable time and money making phone calls to the customer support number, visiting the various service centers, trying to get the product repaired. At the most, the customer can take the store to the consumer court, or publicize the problem on blogs and forums. Most of the e-commerce companies do not have local offices which a customer can visit to resolve the issue. Technical support is provided on phone and by email by incompetent individuals, who also do not have the requisite knowledge and are often not even interested in helping the end customer.
Examples of defective/non working expensive products purchased online ( costing Rs 10000+)
Toshiba Netbook – Windows booting problem
Blackberry playbook