ISLAMABAD – Online shopping websites operating in a large number in thecountry to provide variety of dresses, shoes and other accessories to thecitizens without any hassle have made their life quite easier butreliability of many of these websites is still a question.A number of fake websites created on the names of famous brands are makingthe buyers fool by showing the original branded pictures of dresses andother stuff with high charges but delivering substandard stuff, replicasand copied items.“Those fake websites are even using exact names and logos of the famousbrands that anyone can hardly feel the difference between original and thefake ones”, Sanam Arbab, a regular online buyer said.Talking to APP, she said, “I placed the order of two dresses on a popularbrand website after fulfilling all the requirements.Within two days, a man from the TCS courier service company delivered apacket to my office, received payment from me and left.”“When I opened that packet, both of the dresses were totally opposite towhat I ordered.The poor quality of fabric, design and embroidery were reflecting thatthese belonged to some Landa Bazar. Even the phone number mentioned on theTCS packet was also fake one”, she said.“On that day I decided, it is better to visit the branded stores forshopping instead of relying on the online shopping websites. I cannotunderstand why these brands do not take any action against the fakewebsites using their names and logos and spoiling their image”, sheobserved.Ali Akbar, another buyer said, “I liked a jacket through an online shoppingwebsite (local) and I got crazy to buy that urgently. Payment throughcredit card was the only option to purchase that jacket so I paid theamount”.“It has been two months now since I placed the order and the jacket neverarrived. But I think it was my mistake that I blindly trusted on an onlineshopping website without checking the facts”, he said.The tempting sale offers on the fake online shopping sites are attractingthe buyers like me and the relevant authorities must take action thesewebsite owners who are looting the customers, he insisted.Asif Illyas, an IT expert said, “Checking the credibility of onlineshopping websites is not an easy task for a common citizen especially thosewho are not well educated and have very little knowledge of internet usage”.He said, the buyers must check before placing order on website of any brandthat either it is official one or fake.About local websites, he said the buyers must go through the reviews aboutthe shopping websites and try to avoid shopping from those websites whichrequire initial payment through credit cards, except one or two veryreliable websites./395
Fake online shopping websites business thriving in Pakistan: Report
