Dear Flipkart, Providing Used Handset For New Isn’t Replacement But Thuggery

TL;DR Flipkart says, they understand my problem, that I have received a used phone and how they are sorry about it but won’t exchange the same.

So like many on the big day (Thursday 16 March, 2017) I placed my order for Moto G5 Plus. I was told it will arrive after 5 days. Disheartened but I told myself to wait like everyone else.

Fast Forward.

I received my set on Monday 20 March, 2017. I used the set for a while and in the process noticed that there is some fault from the manufacturer. It was making the unusual ‘click’ sound if you press the section beside SIM card holder. Clearly some error from assembling unit. I then started cautiously checking other parts and noticed how power button was loose as well. It was a mess of sort. I then gave the handset into a friend’s hand who is more familiar with electronics. He was quite sure there was some hardware issue and suggested me I raise the replacement request.

Following day, on Tuesday 21 March, 2017 I placed a replacement request. I then received a call from Flipkart asking further details about the same issue which I duly provided. They also told me they will arrange for a technician visit to check the phone. And eventually after all the procedure has been complete, it was up for replacement and I was told to give the defective set and get a new handset from same delivery guy. So far so good.

After a week, on Monday 27 March, 2017 I got a call from Flipkart delivery guy asking for replacement of my set. I duly gave him the old piece and received the new box after standing in a 30 minute long queue (the guy was dead slow taking forever to search for each parcel as people gave him their name). I was happy to finally get the replacement and was thinking, this was it. But then the biggest nightmare of sort came true.

I opened the Flipkart packaging. There was my Lenovo Moto G5 Plus box. There was seal which is supposed proof that the package is not tampered with. I opened the same. Checked set and all other promised accessories inside the box. And then started to switch on the set. While it was switching on, I went checking for old flaws. Checked for any ‘click’ sound like previous set and was happy there was none. But then as I turned the handset, I was aghast with shock. There were stains around Motorola’s ‘M’ logo. Some sort of spillage. Clearly, this was not a new set like I was promised. Disgusting.

Flipkart had in a way, fooled me with their vile trick.

I had always wondered what do they do with the exchanged ‘used’ handsets. Didn’t knew they did this.

Now I don’t know if this had happened with any other person as well but there I was cursing my luck. After some minutes of going through rage, I opened Flipkart’s site only to be amazed even more. I could only ask for ‘return and refund’, there was no ‘replacement’ anymore. I called their customer care and spoke for more than half an hour without any result. When I called again next day, another gentleman picked the call whom I had to explain my story all over again. The guy told me he will take replacement request but after putting my call on hold for around 3–4 minutes told me their system is not working right now and that I give them a call after 2 hours. I asked him if he can call me back because if I do it from my end, I will be connected to random executive again to whom I had to explain my case all over again: colossal waste of time. He said, there’s no such option.

Two hours later, around 12 midnight I placed the call which went for an hour with repeated on-hold and one interesting “speak with my senior” session. he kept on insisting that “he understood my situation and he’s sorry” and I kept on telling him that “he didn’t. If he did, he would have straight away taken my replacement request”. His argument was,

Flipkart has a policy — First replacement and then return.

I asked him in return, what is replacement to you? “Providing new set in place of the damaged goods” “Fair enough! That means you guys never gave me a replacement. I was never given a new set but a used one. So the replacement was never complete. If anything you have conned me and not provided replacement.”

For an apple, apple is a replacement not orange.

I was given a orange in the name of apple!

Then he asked me how I can accept the ‘refund’ and buy the same phone again. Sounds fair right? But that’s the whole point. If I wanted return, I wouldn’t have called their customer care in the first place. I could do so from their site itself. I bought the phone on first day when there was 15% off. Big deal, eh?

Update(30 Mar, 2014 01 AM): Imagine you buy a product for X bucks when market price of the same was X bucks itself. Then you sell it for X bucks while its market price has increased X+1700 bucks. Now you want to buy the same product again but now you have to shell out 1700 bucks more… Not fair!

After fair deal of exchange he offered me to transfer the call to his “seniors’, I said fine. After 3–4 minutes on hold, the same guy comes on call and explains how his senior too is saying the same ‘this is our policy, nothing can be done now’ facade. “Don’t give me this policy shit. I know how strongly you guys follow your policy,” I continued.

“You have a policy for undergarments — no replacement or return. Yet I have got one underwear replaced from you. So don’t play this ‘policy’ game with me.”

The call went on and on without any amicable solution in sight. Finally, the gentleman suggested he will transfer the call to his senior. I said, please go ahead. I insisted on speaking with his senior for which he put my call on hold for another 3 minutes or so. And then something very peculiar happened. In all my opinion, it was the same voice I had spoken for so long from other side but the voice introduced itself as ‘senior’, I begged to differ. “Sir, I doubt this is someone different. I hear same sound like I was speaking just a while ago.”

Speak to my senior. Pause. Voila! Speak to me again, I’m the senior!

Reminded me of this instance from Seinfeld series. Have a look — When they say, they’re speaking with their supervisor/senior. This is what they do.

As the call proceeded, he was assuring me how they will take action against the seller, to which I said, the seller is your own, do whatever you like to do but what good will it serve me. I’m left with a used product here for the price of new. I continued to speak with him for some more time and then cut the call as it was going nowhere.