The advent of eCommerce has seen more Ugandans start shopping online for items they used to buy in traditional shops. There’s nothing more magical than making a few taps on your smartphone to order an item online, and a few hours later, the item gets delivered to your doorstep. You don’t have to leave your house when you want to shop for anything. What you can’t find in one online store will be available in another.
Shopping online in Uganda is the trend, but the process is not streamlined yet, and wrong and unprofessional people have infiltrated the trade. To prove my point, visit Buyer Beware Ugandan groups on Facebook and see the number of scams and unprofessionalism of Uganda online stores that are reported daily.
Also read; How to stay safe while shopping online in Uganda.
Annoying things about shopping online in Uganda
In addition to scams and unprofessionalism, these are the 9 most annoying things that have made many Ugandans shy away from online deals in Uganda.
1. The delay
A Ugandan online store can promise same-day delivery, but the item arrives 2-3 days later even when you are located in the same area where their warehouse is. Most of them don’t provide order tracking services. You won’t know the status of your order, which creates a lot of anxiety in case delivery takes longer than the estimated time.
2. Sellers who demand payment before delivery.
When a seller demands payment or delivery fee before delivery of the item, it sounds scandalous. We Ugandans believe after seeing. Why would I pay for what I have not seen? The worst scenario is when the item delivered turns out to be faulty; chances of getting back your money are slimmer than zero as the seller can decide to ignore or block you if you remain persistent.
Also read; How to spot an online shopping scam in Uganda
3. What you see is almost always not what you get.
Product descriptions and images are supposed to explain the value for money. However, some crooked sellers in Uganda display images stolen from other websites. In most cases, these images are deceptive and do not reflect what they exactly have in store.
4. Out-of-stock alert
Have you ever placed an order for an item, and received a notification about a delivery, only to be told later that the item is out of stock? Some sellers order items abroad and start marketing them using free stock images without indicating the items aren’t in their store yet. That is wrong. It is very annoying to add an item to the cart, and complete an order, only to be told it is out of stock. Don’t just sell what you don’t have.
5. Snail pace customer service.
If you want to start your day angry, call the customer service line of a Ugandan online store or inbox them on social media. They won’t pick up the call, or if they help you pick up, the customer representative will respond with burning moods as if you are their co-wife. Social media messages go unanswered, and if they answer, they will do so after ages and, of course, with totally unhelpful responses. One may think these online stores are on the payroll to frustrate their customers!
6. Getting a refund is a war.
If the product delivered is defective, damaged or wrong, a long, arduous process begins as you request a refund or exchange. Online sellers in Ugandans are interested in making sales but not giving value to their customers. They do not have clear return and refund policies. Others have them simply for formality. You might be forced to involve the police to recover your money for an order than went wrong.
Also read; How to avoid buying fake products online in Uganda
7. Sellers whose delivery team has a poor sense of direction.
A delivery boy can get lost in your neighborhood because he misunderstood your directions. You are forced to walk around the hood or peep from your balcony, looking to locate him. The time and airtime you waste in such a treasure hunt is enough for you to visit a traditional store and forget about online shopping in Uganda.
8. High delivery fees.
High delivery charges suck, and most of the time, they do not equate to the value or weight of the product you have purchased. Many crooked online sellers want to profit from delivery fees and the item itself. You wonder whether they deal in the business of logistics or eCommerce. And none of them offers combined shipping; they will charge delivery fees for every order you place!
9. Expensive products.
Buying online is not cheap. Sellers hike product prices moreover with fake discounts. Online sellers assume buyers are ignorant and know nothing about product price trends, thus hiking prices. Sometimes it is cheaper to take a boda, go to Kikuubo Market, and buy an item than ordering the same online. Online products are more expensive than those in the local market.
Summing up!
Online shopping in Uganda is a trade that’s just a few years old. It is still in its teething stage. However, mega-developments are expected in logistics and online payments, which will give a flawless experience while shopping online in Uganda. But for now, we can only shop and pray!!
Haha