Tuesday 30 December 2014

The different kinds of people you meet on Carousell

Ok, so I'm freaking pissed right now as I've blogged a whole entry using my iPad and it's all GONE!
So much for trusting an iPad *rolls eyes*
Well.. It's okay, I guess I shall re-blog it again although I can never put everything in exact words anymore.

Yes, I'm gonna blog about something that may interest many of you (especially if you are one shopaholic). Don't worry, this isn't a sponsored advertorial and I am in no way paid for this.

So I've noticed colleagues and friends around me who are currently using this:
(Yes, that's Carousell)


If you are interested in knowing how Carousell works and the DIFFERENT KINDS OF ANGELS AND DEVILS on the platform, then read on.

In case you have no idea what Carousell is, it is basically a mobile app that allows you to BUY and SELL things fast and... steadily.
I guess one of the reasons why Carousell is getting increasingly popular is due to its easy user interface. 
Seriously, it doesn't take one long to figure out how to use it.

I have been using Carousell since its early days, and there is no denying that I was hooked to it. Somehow it motivated me to search for all kinds of junk items in my house and list them up for sale. LOL.
Of course, I was skeptical whether someone would really offer me $$$ for those junk items but hey, IT WORKED
Subsequently, I got addicted to shopping on Carousell too as I could find many items on there at a good deal as most of the sellers are open to negotiations. I'm not ashamed to say this, but I LOVE to HAGGLE and I may be a low-baller sometimes. HAHAHA. Nothing wrong with trying your luck, right?!


Of course, everything has its pros and cons as well. As much as I enjoyed my Carousell experience, it is inevitable to come across unethical people on there, too. I'm gonna' share some of the most commonly-heard experiences here and probably it might benefit someone *shrugs*


1) Sellers who don't mail your items out
So the seller has promised to mail out your items after you've transferred the money to his/her account. 
You wait and wait... 
And finally you ask - after a week-
"WHERE THE HECK IS MY ITEM?!?!?!?!"

To which the seller replies, "Sorry, I am not responsible if it happens to be a LOST MAIL."

FOR THE BENEFIT OF ANYONE who is confused about postage, I'll take some time to explain it here. You can thank me later.
There are two kinds of postage methods - NORMAL MAIL (likely to have a risk) and REGISTERED MAIL.

So what's the differences between Normal Mail and Registered Mail? Basically, a Normal Mail (NM) is the cheapest mailing option. Simply put, the seller writes your name and address on the envelope, goes to the nearest post box, dumps the envelope into it and Voila! The seller's responsibility ends there.
In other words, there is absolutely NO WAY for you to track where the mail is at after it leaves the seller's hands. Let's just say the postman accidentally misplaces or drops your envelope somewhere (You may not believe it, but this can actually happen), you will NEVER receive it, ever. 
Worse still, you can't blame it on the seller because he/she will tell you that it is not their responsibility for the lost mail. 
And you? Yes, suck thumb and blame yourself why you opted for Normal Mail in the first place.
(There are sellers who take advantage of this and claim to have sent out your items when, well.. in actual fact, DID NOT. They can easily dismiss it as a lost mail and there is nothing for you to fall back on.)

As for Registered Mail, it is considered a safer mailing option that requires an additional top-up $$ for an extra service. (It depends on whether you are stingy or not to spend that bit of money for the security feature)
So what is the "extra service", you ask?
Yes, this means that the seller has to provide you an unique TRACKING CODE (provided by SingPost) after he/she has mailed out your item at the post office. With the tracking code, you'll be able to track the mail online and chances of a lost mail is relatively low.

I've tried to google for an example of the tracking code, and here it is:
(Notice the numbers on the top left)



Here's a screenshot example of the tracking page:

Instead of having the mail delivered to your mailbox, the post man will KNOCK on your door and deliver it personally to you. (& you have to SIGN on the receipt)

My suggestion: If your item is a non-expensive item, then it is alright to opt for Normal Mail. Choose this option only if you can afford to bear the risk. For extra "security", you may request the seller to take a "Photo proof" or "Video proof" of the envelope before mailing. It is quite a common practice on Carousell now, so do not be embarrassed to request for it.


If your item is kinda' costly (let's say $20 or more), then I would suggest it would be safer to go for Registered Postage. It doesn't hurt to top up that bit of money to exchange for a peace of mind, does it?
Again, the choice is yours.



2) Sellers who do Pre-Orders

So you have finally found that item you always wanted but it is on Pre-Order and requires a waiting time of 2 - 4 weeks


Usually, the seller would request for payment or a minimal deposit to confirm your order.
This is based entirely on trust.
There are many cases of sellers making use of Pre-Orders, only to delay stocks or worse, close down their accounts and disappear. JUST. LIKE. THAT.
The buyers will have no other choice but to cry victim and lodge a report... (But seriously, lodging a report even to the police doesn't really work. Its SO common nowadays!)
Personally, I have never trusted Pre-orders, despite how reputable a seller may appear to be. One of the main reasons is because I don't like to WAIT. It's either INSTOCKS or nothing. Period.

3) Sellers who MIA-ed (This applies to buyers too)

If you have no idea what MIA means, it stands for "Missing In Action".
Imagine arranging an appointment with the seller only to find yourself standing at the location like a fool for half an hour.
AND NOT A SINGLE SOUL IS SEEN.
Don't think this isn't impossible, because I AM SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE.
I was played out by this #(*$&)(# seller once, and had to return home empty-handed with a huge portion of my time wasted.
Well, the seller eventually got back to me.
"Sorry, my handphone battery was flat."

FLAT?! Are you freaking kidding me?!
(If you are not interested in selling it to me, just say lah!)

4) Sellers who agree to do TRADES

OK,it is a VERY common sight to see people requesting for trades on Carousell. I'm one of them. Trades are for people who are on a tight budget and yet they hope that their item would somehow interest the other party so that a mutual agreement can be met for an exchange of items. It can be a rewarding experience when the deal is completed on a non-monetary basis.
However, I have seen and heard of countless Carousellers who do trades via POSTAGE. Seriously?? Do you really trust the other party - who is a complete stranger - so much that you feel safe trading via postage? 
If you have agreed to do this, then please, for goodness sake... DO NOT whine or complain when you did not receive your item. Either you have been played out by the other party, or the postman has simply left your mail somewhere in Neverland.
Get into the real world and deal via meetup, please.
If you have time to be on Carousell so often, then there should be no issue with you taking time out to travel and meet PHYSICALLY for the trade.
How big can Singapore be?

5) Sellers who are... Creepy



I've came across sellers who are downright creepy. So creepy that I've decided to pull out of the deal despite the item being the cheapest on Carousell.
The seller would SPAM me with constant messages and asked the same question over and over again, repeatedly,
"So do you still want the item?"
"Are we still meeting up?"
"I'll meet you later ok?"
"Hello?"
"How old are you?"
"How do you look like?"
Oh God, tell me.. TELL ME.. Can you picture yourself meeting up with this person?



Shop smart, people. No doubt that Carousell may be a convenient online shopping portal, but be vigilant when dealing with others. 
It's always recommended to ensure that the seller has clicked on the "ACCEPTED OFFER" button before proceeding with the deal so that you will be able to leave a feedback.
(Should the deal goes unexpectedly sour, at least you can leave the seller a -ve feedback!!)
Personally, I feel that it is important for sellers/buyers to have positive feedback. LOTS AND LOTS of them. I am the kind of buyer who will STALK (ok lah, not that scary) the seller's profile page and check out their accumulated feedback before dealing. I am sure many other buyers will do that, too.
So sellers.... Building a good reputation on your page IS important as it pretty much sums up how trustworthy you are.
Of course, I have dealt with people who have zero rating on their profile (Everyone starts from 0, so I'll give chances) and the deal went smoothly. I am NOT implying that those with 0 rating doesn't deserve to buy or sell on Carousell, OK?
You'll have to judge for yourself.

Personally, I opt for meet-up than postage (unless the item I am purchasing is really cheap. I can't possibly meet up for an item that cost $2 or less, right? My transport fare alone cost more than that! LOL)
At least, a meet-up has more pros than cons:
Pros - Able to check the quality of item. Can reject paying on the spot if item is not of satisfactory standard. No money wasted here.

Cons - Only wasting of time or transport fare should the other party doesn't turn up.


There are all kinds of people on Carousell. Some are downright crazy, but there are still legit ones out there.
Just be more cautious when dealing with... Strangers.
Someone has came up with a hilarious site dedicated to people who create hell on Carousell. Quite an interesting read for your morning rides.

If you ever have an interesting Carousell experience, feel free to share with me here!

31 comments:

  1. Recently saw some selling the FOC trial voucher for xin beauty facial treatment, from Samplestore. One selling 25 one selling 30, one 50! I purposely left a comment on the 50 bucks one, saying the voucher is given out free from Samplestore, plus expires in 31st dec, and that I'm a patron of xin beauty and they're fully booked for 2014, don't bother selling/buying it.
    Today I checked back the listings, the 50 bucks one is gone, but the 30 bucks listing sounded exactly like the 50 bucks one, plus state she bought this voucher with her own money. Pfft!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OMG Yes! I have often came across such unethical Carousellers as well. Selling FOC items and pricing them at a ridiculous sky-high price.
      I am glad that you posted on that listing to warn other users ; that probably probed the seller to remove the listing. I have went to search for the xin beauty facial treatment on Carousell that you mentioned and found the 30 bucks version and reported the listing. HAHAHA.

      Thanks for sharing your encounter here!

      Delete
  2. Nice post you have there! :)
    have a look at mine? :)
    http://christophertangible.blogspot.sg/2015/05/why-is-carousell-called-caourhell.html

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  4. Hi i have a question. I never done postage via normal mail or registered before. But can i use stamps bought in minimart for normal mail or must i buy / get stamps for like a post office or something ? Thanks !

    ReplyDelete
  5. So far it was a blessing for our #blogrcart blogger theme users as they have another gr8 app to market their items up for sale.

    They could just list the item and all detail info for that item is avail. at their blogspot store.

    Instead of reaching out to targeted users at carousell, they could also reach out to the www. Really help build reputation for store owner since that at 1st impression shows the seller is dead serious in doing business.

    Another thing is online payment like Paypal would help out. Receive payments online & secured. The best part... stops nego & the transaction policy is fair for both buyer & seller.

    Monies can be held, reimbursed if a deal went sour (for buyers) and for sellers send back the money or fight for the claims by sellers (make sure all history convo kept).

    At least there could be more options. Settles a few faced issues at carousell trading envirionment but at least lower down those negative impact - both buyer & seller.

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  6. So far it was a blessing for our #blogrcart blogger theme users as they have another gr8 app to market their items up for sale.

    They could just list the item and all detail info for that item is avail. at their blogspot store.

    Instead of reaching out to targeted users at carousell, they could also reach out to the www. Really help build reputation for store owner since that at 1st impression shows the seller is dead serious in doing business.

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  7. Had a similar situation with lost mail. Seller didn't even bothered letting me know she posted. I had to message her to ask for the proof etc which of cos she didn't have. I really suggest either meetup or reg mail above 15 bucks of purchase.

    ReplyDelete
  8. The annoying part to find a message in inbox asking "still available?" or "I am keen" and you reply 'Yes still available.' And then phoof! They disappear. No reply. It's alright if you'very changed your mind and don't want it, just say so. Don't leave the conversation hanging!

    ReplyDelete
  9. dont ever use carousel, the support/admin of Carousel are just as crappy as the scammers on the App. I had plenty of expericence emailing and corresponding with them and I could conclude they are mostly probably adults with lower than avg I.Qs. So dont expect help from them, YES, its that bad now.

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