The rise of e-commerce trade in Uganda has brought about a lot of convenience and accessibility to a wide range of products and services that were traditionally accessed offline in the analog era. However, with every new technology or system comes a set of challenges that need to be addressed. Online shopping in Uganda is no exception, and several issues have emerged as the online shopping industry continues to grow. This article will explore the top 8 problems with online shopping in Uganda and their possible solutions. From slow and unreliable delivery services to lack of trust in both vendors and online payment systems, these problems have a huge potential to deter Ugandans from fully embracing the convenience that comes with online shopping. Both consumers and businesses need to be aware of these challenges in order to ensure a smooth shopping experience.
Top 8 Problems with Online Shopping in Uganda and their solutions
Here are the top 8 problems with online shopping in Uganda. Whether you are a seasoned online shopper or new to the world of online shopping, it is important to be aware of these potential problems in order to make informed and safe purchases:
- Scams
- Delayed delivery
- Costly delivery fees
- Poor customer service
- Horrible websites
- Lack of trust
- Poor quality products
- Payment issues
Also read; Top 16 Online Shopping Sites in Uganda 2024
1. Scams
One of the most significant issues with online shopping in Uganda is scams. There have been numerous instances of online shopping scams in the country. This has caused many people to fear for their safety and security when purchasing online. These scams often occur on social media platforms and classifieds sites like Jiji and involve vendors taking money from customers and failing to deliver products or sometimes delivering counterfeit goods. These negative experiences have made many Ugandans hesitant to shop online, as they do not want to risk getting cheated out of their hard-earned money.
Solution
One solution to this problem is to only shop from reputable online stores with a proven track record of honesty and reliability. Customers can also protect themselves by paying with a secure payment method, such as a credit card, or only pay for goods with cash upon delivery.
Also read; Top 12 Online Scams in Uganda and How to Avoid Them
2. Delayed delivery
Delayed delivery is a huge problem with online shopping in Uganda. Retailers take ages to deliver orders. Ugandan online retailers, especially marketplaces like Jumia, promise fast delivery, but the item often arrives 2-3 days later, even when the seller is located in the same area as the customer. Most of them don’t provide order tracking services, so you won’t know the status of your delivery, which can cause a lot of anxiety if the delivery takes longer than expected. If you order food online in Uganda, it might arrive cold or even sour. If you need to buy something online in Uganda and want it urgently, you might be better off forgetting it.
Solution
To address this issue, online stores can improve their logistics and supply chain management to ensure the timely delivery of orders. Customers can also choose stores that offer fast or guaranteed delivery options.
Also read; 11 Mistakes to avoid while shopping online in Uganda
3. Costly delivery fees
Online shopping in Uganda can be very costly due to the high delivery fees charged by retailers. These fees can sometimes make up to 70% of the total cost of the items being purchased. Some sellers even try to profit from the delivery fees itself by hiking the cost. Unfortunately, most online retailers in Uganda offer no options for combined or consolidated delivery fees, meaning that customers are charged for each individual order they place. This can be incredibly frustrating, especially for those who live outside the city or region where the retailer is located. For example, if you live in Gulu and want to purchase a pair of shoes online from a retailer in Kampala for UGX 40,000, you may have to pay a delivery fee of UGX 25,000. This adds up quickly and often discourages people from shopping online in Uganda. Despite the growth of logistics and courier services in the country, the high delivery cost remains a problem for many consumers.
Solution
To reduce delivery fees, online stores should offer free or discounted delivery on specific orders or for customers who meet certain criteria, such as spending a specific amount or being a member of a loyalty program. Customers can also choose stores that offer lower delivery fees or opt for pickup at a nearby location. Additionally, online retailers can offer consolidated or combined shipping and charge a single delivery fee instead of charging for every order.
Also read; 5 Irritating habits Ugandan online shops must stop
4. Poor customer service
If you want to start your day angry, contact the customer service of any Ugandan online store. They don’t pick up customer calls; if they do, the customer representative will respond with burning mood swings as if you are their co-wife. Social media messages go unanswered, and if they are answered, it will be after a long delay and with totally unhelpful responses. One may think these Ugandan online stores are on the payroll to frustrate their customers! For example, last month, I contacted Jumia Uganda via email inquiring about an error on their website that was preventing me from paying for an order with my credit card. It took them 10 days to respond to my email, and when they did, they sent a brief, moody, and unfriendly message that did not address my question at all.
Solution
One solution for online stores is to improve their customer service by providing timely and helpful responses to customer inquiries and concerns. They should hire a team of well-trained customer support personnel who would provide customers with professional support quickly and promptly.
Also read; 9 annoying things about shopping online in Uganda
5. Horrible websites
The other issue with online shopping in Uganda is the poor quality of many e-commerce websites. Poor-quality websites are often difficult to navigate, and most of them are not optimized for different devices or screen sizes. This makes it quite challenging for customers to navigate the sites to find what they are looking for, leading to frustration and a negative shopping experience. It is crucial for online stores in Uganda to invest in well-designed websites that are user-friendly and easy to navigate. Unfortunately, many Ugandan online stores have poorly designed websites that are based on cheap or even free WordPress templates, take forever to load, and have very poorly designed graphics. While some foreign-owned online stores like Jumia, Jiji, Ubuy, and Kikuu have better websites compared to those of native Ugandan stores, all e-commerce businesses need to prioritize their websites in order to succeed in this online trade.
Solution
Online stores can improve their websites by investing in professionally designed and user-friendly websites that are optimized for different devices and screen sizes. This can help improve the shopping experience and increase customer satisfaction.
Also read; How to start an online store in Uganda
6. Lack of trust
Another issue with online shopping in Uganda is a lack of trust among consumers. Many Ugandans are skeptical of using their credit/debit cards to pay online due to fraud and poor product quality concerns. A single negative experience with an online store, such as not receiving an item or receiving an item that is not as described on the website, can lead to mistrust of all online shopping stores, making it difficult for customers to embrace shopping online. There are also concerns about whether online retailers will deliver the exact items as displayed on their websites, leading some customers to order multiple items just to compare and choose the best one upon delivery. This lack of trust has led to negative cash flow for many online retail businesses in Uganda. For example, I ordered a pair of sneakers from Kikuu Uganda, and it took them 3 months to deliver, and when I finally got it, it was different from what it appeared in the photos on their website, and moreover, it was wrong size. With several factors affecting the lack of trust on the consumer end for online retail businesses, almost all online shops in Uganda continue to record negative cash flow.
Solution
To build trust, online stores need to provide clear and accurate product descriptions, as well as clear policies on returns, exchanges, and refunds. They should also offer secure payment options and provide good customer service to address any concerns or issues that may arise.
Also read; 13 Reasons to Shop Online in Uganda
7. Poor quality products
The poor quality of some products is another issue. Customers may order items from e-commerce stores and marketplaces only to receive products that are of lower quality, counterfeits, or do not have the features advertised online. This can be frustrating for customers and often leads to a negative shopping experience. For example, a customer can order a human hair wig online and receive a synthetic or rubber hair wig instead. Another customer can order a beautiful sofa online only to receive a toy sofa. These experiences have led to a lack of trust in online shopping and have discouraged customers from returning to online stores in the future.
Solution
To address this issue, online stores can improve their product quality by carefully selecting and sourcing their products from reliable and reputable suppliers. They should also provide clear and accurate product descriptions and offer returns or exchanges for defective or unsatisfactory products. Online stores like Kweli.shop are doing well in this regard.
Also read; How to avoid buying fake products online in Uganda
8. Payment issues
Last on the list is payments issues. While there are several payment methods available, such as Mobile Money, credit or debit card payments, and cash-on-delivery, technical glitches sometimes cause payment failures. This sometimes results in the payment being deducted from the buyer’s account or credit/debit card but not being received by the website. Customers may have to file a complaint with the website’s customer service in order to get a refund, but they may have to wait for ages for any action to be taken. In some cases, customers get denied refunds, which raises concerns about fraud among online shoppers. These payment issues make the online shopping experience frustrating and discourage customers from returning to online stores in the future.
Solution
Online stores can improve their payment process by using reliable and secure payment gateways and regularly testing and maintaining their payment systems. They can also provide clear instructions for customers on how to make payments online and offer fast support for any technical issues that may arise. Similarly, customers can also protect themselves by paying with secure payment methods and checking their accounts or card statements to ensure there are not any unauthorized charges.
Also read; Top 7 Payment Methods for Online Shopping in Uganda
Conclusion
As we have seen, online shopping in Uganda is not without its challenges. From people’s lack of trust in online payment systems to a lack of reliable delivery services, these issues make it difficult for Ugandan consumers to fully embrace the convenience and ease of shopping online. However, note that these issues do not only affect Uganda but many other African countries. Despite these challenges, online shopping in Uganda is on the steady rise, with more and more people now turning to the internet for all their shopping needs. These issues can be overcome with the proper measures put in place, which would make online shopping a more viable and attractive option for Ugandan online shoppers. Whether it is through the implementation of more secure payment systems or the development of reliable delivery networks, stakeholders in the e-commerce industry need to work tirelessly toward finding solutions to these challenges. With the proper steps taken, online shopping in Uganda has the potential to thrive, which would bring significant benefits to local consumers and businesses alike.
