Fake online shopping websites business thriving in Pakistan: Report
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ISLAMABAD - Online shopping websites operating in a large number in the country to provide variety of dresses, shoes and other accessories to the citizens without any hassle have made their life quite easier but reliability of many of these websites is still a question. A number of fake websites created on the names of famous brands are making the buyers fool by showing the original branded pictures of dresses and other stuff with high charges but delivering substandard stuff, replicas and copied items. “Those fake websites are even using exact names and logos of the famous brands that anyone can hardly feel the difference between original and the fake ones”, Sanam Arbab, a regular online buyer said. Talking to APP, she said, “I placed the order of two dresses on a popular brand website after fulfilling all the requirements. Within two days, a man from the TCS courier service company delivered a packet to my office, received payment from me and left.” “When I opened that packet, both of the dresses were totally opposite to what I ordered. The poor quality of fabric, design and embroidery were reflecting that these belonged to some Landa Bazar. Even the phone number mentioned on the TCS packet was also fake one”, she said. “On that day I decided, it is better to visit the branded stores for shopping instead of relying on the online shopping websites. I cannot understand why these brands do not take any action against the fake websites using their names and logos and spoiling their image”, she observed. Ali Akbar, another buyer said, “I liked a jacket through an online shopping website (local) and I got crazy to buy that urgently. Payment through credit card was the only option to purchase that jacket so I paid the amount”. “It has been two months now since I placed the order and the jacket never arrived. But I think it was my mistake that I blindly trusted on an online shopping website without checking the facts”, he said. The tempting sale offers on the fake online shopping sites are attracting the buyers like me and the relevant authorities must take action these website owners who are looting the customers, he insisted. Asif Illyas, an IT expert said, “Checking the credibility of online shopping websites is not an easy task for a common citizen especially those who 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 brand that either it is official one or fake. About local websites, he said the buyers must go through the reviews about the shopping websites and try to avoid shopping from those websites which require initial payment through credit cards, except one or two very reliable websites. /395
