Too-good-to-be-true online retailer is … too good to be true, ombud warns

It has a low trust score on ScamAdviser, a shabby-looking website and prices that are far too good to be true. And now, the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud (CGSO) has issued an alert against eGadgets.co.za, an online retailer purporting to sell electronic goods, for failure to deliver items that have been bought and paid for by online shoppers. 

ScamAdviser bases its trust scores on ownership details, location, popularity and other factors relating to reviews, fake products, threats and phishing. It says eGadgets has received votes on ScamAdviser that it may sell fake products, which are often a lot cheaper than the real thing and could potentially help organised crime and endanger health.

eGadgets has also received 57 (out of 69) one-star reviews on Hello Peter, which does not allow consumers to give zero-star reviews. Complaints range from purchasing Black Friday deals dating to 2022 that were never delivered, refunds that were never processed, buying lithium-ion batteries that never arrived, to inferior products and damaged goods. 

Among the raft of complaints warning fellow consumers to steer clear are 10 hard-to-believe glowing reviews, such as: “Placed an order and received it within 4 days as promised. These guys do have very strong competition but still have the best pricing. Definitely legit as my cousin as well as myself have placed orders and received them. Further more [sic] one can see on Hello Peter that this is a verified business so a business that’s not legit will not be verified. Once I requested a refund due to backorder taking too long. Got the refund. I have learnt that when one shops online one needs to read everything very carefully as there is no physical salesperson in front of you. These guys explain upfront when something is on backorder which automatically means there is a wait. Giving them 5 stars because they are definitely an awesome company to work with.”

And another: “I was able to chat to a very helpful sales person via WhatsApp who went out of his way to answer all my questions. Delivery was prompt! Excellent service! Recommended!”

These clearly fake glowing reviews are a big red flag.

The more believable ones describe eGadgets as the “worst online shopping experience”, a “scam” and “unacceptable”, with one warning specifically “NOT [TO] BUY FROM THEM”.

The ombud says of the 32 consumer complaints lodged with the office against eGadgets in the past 12 months, only 11 have been successfully resolved.

Ombud Lee Soobrathi says eGadgets has simply ceased to cooperate with the CGSO, despite numerous attempts to engage with the company, which meant the ombud’s office had to close 17 unresolved cases and instruct consumers to open new cases. 

When a supplier refuses to cooperate, the ombud is forced to issue a termination notice because it does not have powers of investigation or sanction, which effectively closes the case. The consumer can then escalate the matter with the National Consumer Commission, which has the power to investigate and enforce sanctions.

Soobrathi says eGadgets has consistently failed to fulfil customer orders within the stipulated time frames, despite promising to do so. It has also refused to refund consumers who – having given up on their orders arriving – try to cancel their orders, which is in contravention of the Consumer Protection Act.

“Section 19 of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) provides that a supplier must refund a consumer if they are unable to deliver the agreed goods or services on the agreed date or time and no alternative arrangements have been agreed by both parties. The CPA also prohibits conduct relating to false, misleading, or deceptive representations regarding the availability or delivery of goods or the performance of services at a specified time.”

In the ombud’s latest quarterly update, Soobrathi notes that his office is acutely aware of the human suffering behind the complaint statistics, which is why the CGSO is so committed to lobbying for increased protection for consumers and raising awareness about healthy online shopping practices.

“​​Judging by the complaints received over the past three years, online shopping is fraught with pitfalls that can snare even the most vigilant and tech-savvy consumers. This office routinely shares tips on what consumers can do to avoid an unpleasant and potentially disastrous online shopping experience.”

Efforts were made to reach eGadgets for comment, but there had been no response by the time this article was published. DM