Lots of Israelis have ordered items on Black Friday online, but what do you do when you want to return the product?
Most of the time we depend on the kindness of the companies • The Guide for the Confused
Preparations for the shopping holidays at the Israel Post's e-commerce center in Modi'in
Photography:
Jonathan Saul
Many attractive products have been offered on the websites over the past weekend as part of Black Friday, and already tomorrow (Monday) additional discounts will be offered on Cyber Monday.
While in Israel there is a consumer protection law that protects buyers, in shopping abroad we depend on the mercy of the companies, and here things can get complicated. How do we return a product abroad and what can happen to us along the way?
The Guide for the Confused.
Asus
On the Asus website you will be asked to return the package in the original envelope in which it was sent, so if you accidentally threw away the envelope, you are already in trouble.
You are offered two return options, via Israel Post or via an e-mail distribution point.
In the mail you will pay for the return according to the weight of the items and in the mail, tracking the items, you will pay a fixed amount of 14 dollars for a weight of up to 4 kilograms, not cheap at all.
Shipping costs abroad are up to you. So if you order heavy boots for example, you will sometimes find that the return cost is very high and unaffordable. One hundred shekels, a waste of time and the cost of shipping are not worth the effort, in which case there is not too much to do, you can donate or try to sell the shoes.
SHEIN
The Chinese website SHEIN has become a favorite of Israelis in the last year, but what happens when we do not like the item?
If you want to return an item to the site, you will be required to log in to your account, click on "Return Item" and mark the item you want to return.
Then go to the post office and return the item in the original packaging.
Please note, on this site most of the items are cheap and shipping to China is expensive.
A return will not be worthwhile and it is worth considering the matter.
In the case of both Shane and Asus, you can make the purchase through PayPal and use their benefit that allows you to receive a refund for shipping up to the amount of NIS 120 per year.
One customer who purchased products said that the shipping cost is higher than the cost of the items - in which case, you are completely stuck with items you do not need.
Ali Express
The Ali Express website is actually a marketplace with many stores and many sellers.
The products you buy on the website are usually very cheap and the option of returning abroad is not worthwhile at all.
If you received a low quality product, you can try to open a dispute and try to settle the dispute with the seller.
If you received a defective or damaged product, AliExpress will intervene and return your money.
If you received a product of poor or low quality, as is often the case, the seller may offer some compensation.
Conclusion: End of act in thought first, check carefully the review of the product, the score it received and the number of purchases from it before you purchase.
Amazon
Returning a product on the Amazon website is the most convenient and easiest of all, the return is free and you will not have to pay at all for shipping.
Go to the Amazon website and click on "Return Item".
You can then register if you are interested in returning to a DHL branch or you prefer a courier to pick up the product from your home.
If you have chosen the option of picking up by courier, you can coordinate arrival and he will arrive directly at your home, and all this at no cost.
Amazon is known for excellent service, and chances are everything will go smoothly, but what if you ordered a computer screen and it arrived broken?
How will you prove that he did not break in your house but on the way to you?
Amazon will probably agree to get the product back anyway, but keep in mind that here you may find yourself arguing and trying to convince.
BANGOOD
If you want to cancel an order before it is shipped to Israel, you can easily do so on the website.
If you have already received the product and you are not satisfied, you must contact customer service and return the product via Israel Post.
Usually the shipping costs will be particularly high because the products are usually heavy.
The danger on the BANGGOOD website is that you receive a defective or damaged product, you will have to convince that it is indeed such, you will have to send it abroad at your expense, bargain and hope that your money will be returned, not a simple matter at all.
In conclusion, when purchasing abroad, it is recommended to pay attention and check the return method. Rule of thumb: It is recommended to purchase abroad only if the price is significantly lower than the price in Israel, since there is a risk component that accompanies almost every purchase.
The author is an online consumer expert and owner of the "Lady Savings" Facebook group