ShopClues.com — Declining my return request

Address:	Gurgaon, Haryana, 400018
Website:	www.shopclues.com

On the 3rd of September 2016, I ordered for a refurbished iPhone 5s on Shopclues.com. Over the next few days, I received SMSs and emails stating that my order was in progress but however on the 7th of September, I got an email from them stating that my order was cancelled. That was my first brush with the company's terrible services.

I reordered another refurbished iPhone 5s (64 GB) from them (which I shall regret forever as I should've let go after that first glitch) with the seller/merchant being WeTrust.in, applying for Cash On Delivery. After a number of delays, on the 14th of September, I myself visited the Aramex office in my locality in the morning to collect my phone and make the payment. As soon as I reached home, I excitedly unpacked the box and took out the iPhone 5s and turned it on. I realized that the packing and accessories were not fully original but because it was a refurbished phone, I didn't mind that.

The phone's battery was nil and it refused to turn on so I put it on charge. Within minutes, I noticed that it had heating issues and the back of the phone was getting heated to a certain noticeable degree. That was just the beginning of all my future troubles. I swished through the features of the phone and even used the camera. All of it ran well. I was happy with my phone.

Half an hour later, I decided to revisit my phone and check some other features as well, inserting my sim card into it. After about 10 minutes o[censored]sage, the catastrophe started. The iPhone did not respond positively to my touch and swipes and also, apps began opening up randomly. In certain instances, the left side of the screen was functioning while the right side was not, despite my desperate taps. I tried my hand at restarting the phone but to no avail. The problem persisted and in fact the malfunctioning went up a notch higher to the point that I was not able to even turn it off. My brand new (okay refurbished.. but then 'like new') iPhone was malfunctioning on day one!

I felt that it would be okay the next morning so I tried it then, but the problem still existed. Unhappy, I logged onto the Shopclues orders page and immediately lodged a return and refund request with them on the 15th of September morning. I did not want a repair from them since a repair on an already defective and refurbished device did not appeal to me. My order ID is 98413849 and return ID is 3134525.

The next day, they sent me a mail apologizing for the inconvenience and asking me to send them pictures of the phone, its packaging and the shipping label as well. I did all of that and more, sending pictures of the phone from all angles and a picture of the invoice as well. They said this was required because they hadn't received a confirmation of the delivery from their courier partner even as the orders page on their site displayed a 'Delivered' status of this order. This was on the 16th of September 2016.

Since then, I have been trying to get assistance from Shopclues in myriad ways. I have messaged them on Facebook, tweeted time and again on Twitter and made long pricey phone calls on their Customer Care number. None of this has helped ease my problems. After repeated emailing and tagging on social media, they ultimately decide to contact me and remember that I have a return request unaddressed and pending.

On the 19th of September, they emailed me and told me that that my return request had been "declined" by the seller which is a totally stupid and foolish thing to tell a customer, since I had purchased this product through Shopclues and not directly through the seller. It was their job to help me, not the seller's. The transaction was between me and Shopclues. I made my point clear to them and reinstated my request, adding that it was my right to ask for a return/replacement/refund to them in case of such a circumstance. They told me that they will forward my request to their so-called teams and asked me to wait for a day or two.

Later, they told me that my device was covered under a 6 months Gadgetwood warranty and so I could send my device for repairing through that warranty service. I outright declined that since I was not going to send for repair, a phone that had arrived defective right out of the box. I was well within their 7 day return policy and other T&Cs as well but they were plainly rejecting and delaying my constant requests. If I had used the product for even a week's or a month's time at a minimum and had encountered such problems, it would make sense to send my device for repairing under warranty. However, this was a simple evident case of Shopclues delivering a defective device to me and I was fully eligible to pack it back, inform them about it and urge a return and refund.

After repeated taunting on Twitter, they gave me one call in the afternoon which unfortunately, I was not able to receive. Later in the evening, tired of waiting for their later calls, I dialed them up and put my plea forward again but they kept parroting the exact statements and tried their best to persuade me into sending my product for repair. I insisted again on getting a return and refund and they once again (predictably) asked me to wait for a couple of more days as my request would be forwarded to their "concerned teams".

It has been almost ten days since I have filed a return and refund request with Shopclues and there has been no action on this till now, rendering me helpless and frustrated. I have never ever faced such a horrible online shopping experience and customer support from anywhere. They have constantly told me to contact the warranty-providing third party and get my gadget repaired and only if they are not able to help me, they would come to my rescue. This is downright ridiculous. I am an ordinary customer who saw a product on a pretty famous e-commerce site and placed an order for it. I happened to receive a completely defunct product and within 24 hours, pleaded for a return and refund of my order.

I am losing all my patience and this issue has been tormenting me over the last week and before. I have tried my level best at contacting and staying in touch with Shopclues and hoping for a decent service from their end. In this, they have miserably failed and so I am forced to type this entire complaint down. The defective phone that I do not want with me anymore, has been repackaged as before and sits waiting for Shopclues' call and further assistance. The purchase has cost me approximately Rs. 24, 800 and that is a big sum involved, at least for me. I hope and pray that this is the final request/plea/complaint/effort that I am pitching in regarding this nuisance. I wonder WHY the company does not want to refund me and take back their damaged item. I am deeply vexed and hope this gets over and I get a legit refund as soon as possible.

I am, in this regard, posting as many pictures, screenshots and other data possible to support my complaint. Thank You.