There has to be a more secure and established mechanism to oversee the process of online purchasing as more people turn to e-shopping for their needs, said Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association (Fomca) president Datuk Paul Selvaraj.
With the growing popularity of e-shopping and deal sites, he said the mechanism would need to be put in place to ensure the authenticity of these dealers.
“More and more deal sites are popping up. There must be a system to help customers know which sites can be trusted, such as a mark of validation,” he said.
Fomca, he assured consumers, would continue to survey e-purchasing trends.
“If needed, we will put forth a memorandum in order for the authorities to enforce stricter action against unscrupulous deal sites,” he said, adding that the need for better monitoring of e-shopping was a global issue.
It was recently reported that the National Consumer Complaints Centre (NCCC) had received over 400 complaints against some 10 deal sites between September and December last year, 61% of which were about the quality of purchased products.
This year, the centre, which is affiliated with Fomca, had received more than 100 complaints pertaining to deal sites.
Selvaraj advised consumers to do as many background checks as possible on the sellers of the products before making their purchases.
“They should also do research on the products that they want to buy. With online purchasing, it is harder to verify the authenticity of a product or service because, often, you do not see what you are buying right away. A lot of this is based on trust,” he said.
He also urged consumers who were dissatisfied with their online purchases to inform their dealers right away.
“If the dealers do not want to address the issue, lodge a complaint with the centre. We will push for action based on the trends that we see,” Selvaraj said.
With the growing popularity of e-shopping and deal sites, he said the mechanism would need to be put in place to ensure the authenticity of these dealers.
“More and more deal sites are popping up. There must be a system to help customers know which sites can be trusted, such as a mark of validation,” he said.
Fomca, he assured consumers, would continue to survey e-purchasing trends.
“If needed, we will put forth a memorandum in order for the authorities to enforce stricter action against unscrupulous deal sites,” he said, adding that the need for better monitoring of e-shopping was a global issue.
It was recently reported that the National Consumer Complaints Centre (NCCC) had received over 400 complaints against some 10 deal sites between September and December last year, 61% of which were about the quality of purchased products.
This year, the centre, which is affiliated with Fomca, had received more than 100 complaints pertaining to deal sites.
Selvaraj advised consumers to do as many background checks as possible on the sellers of the products before making their purchases.
“They should also do research on the products that they want to buy. With online purchasing, it is harder to verify the authenticity of a product or service because, often, you do not see what you are buying right away. A lot of this is based on trust,” he said.
He also urged consumers who were dissatisfied with their online purchases to inform their dealers right away.
“If the dealers do not want to address the issue, lodge a complaint with the centre. We will push for action based on the trends that we see,” Selvaraj said.
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