Flipkart — Flipkart means Fraudkart

Address:	INdia
Website:	flipkart.com

Flipkart order no. OD[protected].
New users on Flipkart beware while purchasing non-electronic items as the company will take you for a ride. In an unlikely event of a return, they will not refund you the entire amount.
I had placed an order during the shopping festival for 5 items on 5 August 2021. There was an offer on my Amex Blue card, which promised a discount of 20% up to Rs. 300 on a minimum order of Rs. 1500. Obviously, I was thrilled to pay just 1200 instead of Rs. 1500. However, at that point of time, I did not think what will happen in case an item needs to be returned for a refund.
The discount was instant and over the next few days I realised why Amazon is the king of the e-commerce industry.
The order was placed for the following items.
Sr. No Item Festival price Amex discount Effective price
1 Sonex bag 498 100 398
2 LED bulbs 145 29 116
3 Power bank 299 60 239
4 Softtoy(tiger)159 31 128
5 Rain wear 399 80 319
Totals 1500 300 1200

I had ordered XXL size rainwear and received a smaller size. As a result, the return was done and a refund of Rs. 319 was processed. The soft toy was supposed to be a tiger and the seller shipped out a Dog instead. I initiated a return for a replacement and received the Tiger today, even though I doubt whether it is 32 cms.
The Sonex bag had a broken zip and the overall quality wasn’t up to the mark. So I initiated a return for a refund. The order was picked up and Flipkart processed a refund of Rs. 278 instead of Rs. 398. On contacting customer care, I have been given vague answers. They now tell me there were certain conditions in a fine small print which allows Flipkart to deduct amounts before processing refunds.
I must say this reflects the narrow minded approach of Flipkart. I have spoken to 3 phone representatives and they have given conflicting information. They speak of shipping charges, supplier commissions and what not. The last phone rep. advised the conditions in fine text available on the website.
The matter is simple. In case I pay Rs. 1200 and return the entire order back for whatever reason, I should expect Rs. 1200 as a refund to the original mode payment. However, as it appears here, in case I were to return the entire order for a refund in case of damages or any other issue beyond my control, I will be refunded just Rs.960. The beak-up is Soft toy (tiger) Rs. 97, Power bank Rs. 179, LED bulbs Rs. 87, Sonex bag Rs. 278, Rain wear Rs. 319. This means Flipkart will earn a 20% profit (Rs. 240) in case the entire order were to be returned for no fault of mine.
I will always remember this order as FLIPKART T20, which when simplified means Flipkart Twenty-20. An order which provided me a 20% Amex Blue card discount topped up with a 20% Flipkart fraud.
I am not a frequent visitor to the Flipkart site and my past purchases were limited to mobiles only. The last time I ordered here was around 2 years ago when I purchased an iPad. This is the first time I have placed an order for non-electronics items like toys and rainwear and the experience is pathetic. It is just not true that Flipkart offers free returns as they have filled their pockets courtesy, returned orders. It is indeed a shame, for an order of 5 items, 3 have to be returned.
Moral of the story: Flipkart will never be able to compete with Amazon as there are no such issues with Amazon.