Online Shopping Addict - Gmarket

I believe most of you out there have heard of Qoo10.sg, or previously known as Gmarket (Seriously, I just couldn't get used to their new Qoo10 name - how the heck do you pronounce that! They should have just stick back to Gmarket. Grrr.. )

Well, I wasn't really an addict/fan until I began mass shopping recently on the site. I ordered things that are quite high in rarity, such as my mobile case cover as I am using Huawei brand that most stores outside do not have.

It was a pleasant experience until now. All of the goods I ordered came in good condition as expected, and delivery was reaaaallly fast.

But there was one thing about them that disturbed me generally whenever I was doing some random online shopping on the site.

They often trick customers with too-good-to-be-true prices (such as $0.99 or $1.99 for an item that's worth $19.90) on the front page of the website. Of course, you click on it and you'll be led to their page.

You will then have the misconception that most of their items are really going LOW at that price. 

You start to happily pick out and jot down the list of items that you want from the store...

Without noticing that there is an OPTION price on the dropdown list.

(For those of you who are no familiar with the site, the option price is like an "add-on" price on top of the "attractive" price that they advertised so nicely on the page.

In a way, the $0.99 price that you saw is considered as only the BASIC price. You cannot really purchase anything with the advertised price unless you ADD on from the option list.

And sometimes, the Option prices are so ridiculous. It can be $10.00 or even $20.00.

In total, you will be paying the initial advertised $0.99 ON TOP of the $10.00.

I came across a perfect example a few weeks back, but the listing is no longer available when I check back now. Hence, I shall take a random example:

Notice that the item was advertised at only $9.90.

But you CAN'T actually click on the purchase button until you select from the drop-down list that has a top-up price of $22 and $35 respectively.

Come on, the prices are not even close!

I am not sure if anyone feels the same way as I do (since I am not really an expert on qoo10 as it was only recently that I started online shopping on the site.) 

It was just that I felt some of the sellers are trying to mislead potential consumers into thinking that their items are REALLY going at that kind of low price, leading them to click on their page.

They will then attract consumers with beautiful photos of all the items they are selling, and more often that not - those items required ALOT of add-on price.

As a shopaholic, I know it's all in the shopper's mind. If you have spotted something nice, you'll begin craving for it and develop the "OMG, I MUST HAVE IT" mindset.

Eventually, you decided that you wouldn't mind paying the additional price for the products, even though they cost a bomb.

Sounds familiar?

Plead guilty, now. (LOL)

I have so many things to complain whenever it comes to online shopping, especially on deal websites. That will be something I am going to blog about in time to come. It will be beneficial for you because I'll be blogging from my personal experience!

P/S: I have nothing against Qoo10.sg with regards to this entry. I am just commenting how some of the deals work - They are misleading to a certain extent.