A lot can go wrong when you are unable to physically inspect a product you’re purchasing online before you make the payment. A Facebook user identified as Shamie Fox learnt this the hard way when she decided to make a purchase on 10ngah.com.
10ngah.com is an online platform that is accessible to Zimbabwean buyers and sellers for the trading of various goods. Shamie decided to use the platform to purchase a refurbished laptop. She was disappointed at the service she got from the online entity when she discovered that the laptop was malfunctioning and did not look like the one she had ordered on the site.
After being treated unfairly Shamie Fox described her ordeal on her Facebook page saying:
“I don’t usually complain hangu but this time ndagurwa kunorira
I buy a laptop online from 10ngah worst decision ever.
Turns out I can’t view or test it kuona kuti is it working well. On top of that it’s not what I wanted so we ask to return it hanzi they take 35% so ndakatobirwa ndakasvinura 😭 they decide to take $20 instead of $60 they were supposed to take.
So I write a review on their page ah they blocked me and called us kuti we are reversing the deal because you gave us a negative review. Dai tese taidzinga customer because they gave us a bad review zvingaite here.
Anyway when dealing with 10ngah.com just know its daylight robbery zvayo. Now I am stuck with a machine that doesn’t work because if I give them it’s a loss and keeping it it’s a loss too.”
This is definitely an appalling review from a paying customer. However, this is not an isolated incident either as many other people have also spoken about having bad experiences with the online business. How is 10ngah getting away with withholding money from unsatisfied clients and also failing to be answerable to their clients? When one takes a look at their website and Facebook page, the red flags are quite visible.
- There is no contact name and proper office address
Most companies- though they operate online- have “about us” information. And this information usually includes names and short descriptions of key people that usually manage the company. These people can be held accountable when things go wrong. 10ngah also does not have a proper business or office address. The addresses they have on the website are “South Africa” and for some reason, Madison Avenue New York (pictures below). When asked by a client on Facebook where they are located, the response was “we are situated virtually” (picture below). Chances are if things go wrong you will not be able to pin anything on anyone at 10ngah. Addresses provided in Zimbabwe are “warehouses” and if you go there you will probably be told the “owner” of the business is not available.
- Terms and conditions.
The terms and conditions of a company are guidelines that are set between them and clients. These guidelines outline how business proceedings will be done between the two parties. Online companies state their terms and conditions and request that you agree to them before you do any dealings. Most times if you disagree you will not be able to access the services offered. In the case of 10ngah, the terms and conditions (pictures of some terms and conditions below) are not favourable to their clients. They reserve the right to basically do whatever they want and you cannot sue them for it if you agreed to those terms. That may also be the root of overconfidence. According to the terms and conditions on their website, they can cancel payments and refunds if they want to or when they feel “threatened” by the client. And reporting you to the police is thrown in there to make it a little scary. Chances are if you approach their warehouse and workers feel “threatened” by you they would be justified to treat you like they did Shamie Fox.
- They sell top brands for “up to 30-60% of retail”
There are discounts and then there’s the “10ngah deal”. Imagine buying an iPhone for up to 30-60% of the retail price! We don’t want to say it’s impossible but…you judge for yourself. A client once expressed this thought on 10ngahs Facebook page and they got insulted for being “ridiculous” (picture below). Apparently, those that sell at proper retail prices are overpriced. This trend is popular with people that sell clones of electrical goods that are close to but not the original product. And because of their terms and conditions (that they do not guarantee how a product looks in real life), you cannot sue them if they deliver an iPhone clone. An interesting post by 10ngah on Facebook is an ad that guarantees that what you see is what you get in one of their Facebook ads (picture below).
A quick search on Scamadviser.com (pictures below) reinforced the red flags mentioned above. Scamadviser also noted that 10ngah did not have reviews on popular review websites. For a company that has been around for a long time, surely a few people would have thrown in a good word by now. They also do not have any bad reviews on their site or social media pages. What are the changes that they are perfect and have never had a bad encounter with a client?
10nagh is one really confusing company. Is it a scam? We will not call it but we will advise you based on their business ethics, to be cautious when dealing with them. Make sure you read the terms and conditions well and if you accept them, also accept that when your money leaves your wallet or bank account, chances of recovering it if you’re unsatisfied are slim to none.