For a few weeks, Panadol stocks ran out at pharmacies as a surge in Covid-19 cases in China led to many Chinese nationals stocking up for themselves and relatives at home.
So when a customer went online to look for the medicine and only found a merchant selling 120 Panadol Extra pills for S$150, they decided to take the plunge.
However, when the buyer elected to cancel the order prior to shipping, the request was rejected.
Later, when they tried to make a refund request, it was again rejected by the merchant, who this time accused the buyer of having “no quality of life”.
Shopee has since reached out to both parties and reminded the merchant that it should focus on maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction.
Speaking to MS News, the buyer, who wanted to remain anonymous, explained that they decided to buy the Panadol Extra pills even though they were overpriced due to a lack of stock elsewhere.
“My mum has very bad migraines at night and cannot sleep without Panadol Extra, so even though the price was ridiculous, we had no other choice,” they shared.
Image courtesy of buyer
When the buyer found another shop which had more reasonable prices for Panadol Extra, they decided to cancel the first order.
“Shopee policy states that ‘if a buyer cancels their order before the seller arranges for shipment, the order will be cancelled immediately,'” they noted.
However, this order was not cancelled automatically by the system. Instead, it was submitted as a cancellation request.
Image courtesy of buyer
On 10 Jan, the seller shipped out the package anyway, knowing the buyer already made moves to cancel the order.
The parcel arrived on 12 Jan, but due to poor packaging, the boxes were all dented or crushed on one side.
Image courtesy of buyer
Now dissatisfied with how the seller forced their way through the purchase and the fact that the boxes arrived dented, the buyer decided to submit a refund request.
This was when things got heated.
Right after the buyer raised a refund request, the seller disputed the request with Shopee.
They claimed that the buyer was an “errant” user and had deliberately destroyed the package.
Image courtesy of buyer
“I feel sorry for such user who lead with no quality in life (sic), let me know if I need to report the errant user,” the seller told Shopee.
Image courtesy of buyer
The seller also claimed there were no issues with the package and that it was shipped in “pristine condition”.
But the buyer disputes this. They said that the package was wrapped in a Nespresso plastic bag with tape, which was inadequate for protecting its contents.
The seller then continued to claim the buyer was lying and insinuated that they had dented the boxes.
Image courtesy of buyer
This was then followed by more accusations from the seller, who warned that action will be taken against the ‘fraudulent’ buyer once they provide evidence.
However, the seller declined to provide evidence of their own despite repeated prompts from Shopee.
Image courtesy of buyer
Jabs about everyone being unable to understand English were accompanied by a refusal to provide their own evidence from the seller.
Image courtesy of buyer
Eventually, the dispute was settled and the buyer dropped the refund request, but not before Shopee stepped in to speak to both of them.
The buyer noted, “This seller has always been rude, sarcastic and obnoxious, and it’s actually kind of funny that the seller throws all kinds of insults at others when you realise he or she fits his or her own insults perfectly.”
Checks by MS News show that the seller is now selling 120 Panadol Extra tablets for S$110 instead of S$150.
A screenshot of the listing on Shopee
The buyer told MS News that they were already prepared to pay the full S$150 for the tablets.
In their own words, they were “prepared to be suckers” since they’d eventually consume them anyway. However, the seller’s behaviour prompted them to write in.
“With the abhorrent behaviour of this seller, we feel compelled to warn other users about (them),” they said.
“I was fully aware that the seller was price gouging but due to urgency at that time, I bought it anyway.”
“I was just offended by the seller’s behaviour,” they added. “But once I realised people like that with a lack of moral compass and a repulsive personality are not worth anyone’s time, I’ve gotten over it.”
In response to media queries, a Shopee spokesperson told MS News that they’ve conducted investigations into the incident. They have also reached out to all parties involved.
“We would like to remind our sellers of the importance of fostering a safe and pleasant platform to transact online and encourage them to continue focusing on maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction,” they said.
“Shopee remains committed to providing a safe and reliable shopping experience. For any assistance, we encourage users to contact us via our Customer Service hotline at +65 6206 6610.”
The buyer responded simply by saying, “Hopefully the seller changes for the better, but I doubt it.”
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Featured image courtesy of buyer.
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