Guy Who Buys An iPhone 6s For RM3,109 Receives A Big Padlock Instead
Unfortunately, he can't swipe to unlock.
By Tang Ruxyn — 08 Mar 2016, 09:41 AM — Updated about 8 years ago
Last Friday (4 March), a customer got an unwanted surprise when he bought an Apple iPhone 6s via the online marketplace website 11street only to discover that the box contained a padlock instead of a brand new phone!
The customer, Alans Ng, bought an Apple iPhone 6s 16GB Rose Gold unit via 11street from merchant Ezibuy Online Store three days earlier on 1 March.
When he opened the parcel that he received on 4 March, Alans was in for a shocker because there wasn't any iPhone 6s in the box and only found a padlock! Puzzled by the incident, Alans wanted an explanation.
When 11street didn't respond immediately, Alans took it to social media to tell his side of the story while demanding for a response from the e-commerce company that was launched in Malaysia last April.
According to Alans, the package arrived safely and there was no sign that the packaging was tampered as the box was still sealed with shrink wrap, thus dismissing the idea that the courier service was responsible for the unfortunate event
Alans also got in contact with the seller, Ezi Buy Marketing Sdn Bhd, who claimed that the supplier (Brightstar Malaysia) was responsible for the fraud case.
"So why did the iPhone become a padlock? I have no idea, but for sure, this is not the seller’s attempt. Just think logically, they will lose everything and will gain nothing from this. There must be something wrong within the supply chain process, and that is subjected to the police investigations,” Alans said.
A photo that was uploaded on Alans' Facebook shows that the purchase cost him RM3,109, just RM90 cheaper than the recommended retail price (RRP) of RM3,199
Alans' frustration finally came to an end when 11street responded on Sunday (6 March). Alans then met up with a representative from the seller's side at the 11street office for a product replacement on the following day, 7 March.
As of yesterday, 7 March, Alans has collected the replacement item at the 11street office and immediately made his second purchase.
"Everything was solved swiftly, and I lose nothing from this incident. I gained a free lunch with the 11street General Manager and PR Manager. I also received some coupons as a token of apology," Alans said.
“I believe this is truly a case of potential stolen goods as the seller and 11street were swift to respond and logically speaking, they were also victims of this case. It is from my understanding that with the ESCROW system, 11street will not disburse payment to the seller, until the buyer confirms and is entirely happy with the purchase. In my case, the iPhone I received today is verified genuine and with such good deal, I’ve decided to purchase another set from the same seller,” Alans said, according to a post by 11Street.
11street uses an ESCROW system where it will not disburse payment to the seller until the buyer confirms the purchase. This is an added safety feature and gives peace of mind to shoppers.
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The fraud case is still being investigated by the police, according to 11street
"11street takes fraud cases seriously, and as the package arrived sealed and untampered, the case is deemed a criminal offence for the potential of stolen goods and we are working with the seller to file a police report for investigation," it said on its Facebook page.
"While the fraud case is still being investigated by the police, we are happy to be able to resolve this with Mr. Alans in a timely manner. We were also delighted to learn that Mr. Alans had decided to purchase a second iPhone from the seller!"
"We at 11street are grateful to all who alerted us on this case and are working hard to ensure incidents such as these are not repeated. We hope to continue improving our products and services to offer all Malaysians the best possible online shopping experience for both sellers," it added.