No response to complaint Zurich man receives broken watch - online store goes into hiding
A man from Zurich bought a smartwatch with a two-year guarantee from the German company Stahlgear. But after a short time, the watch broke and the company refused to replace it.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- A man from Zurich bought a Stahlgear smartwatch that broke after a short time.
- Despite a two-year warranty, the company refused to replace the broken watch.
- Consumer protection assumes dropshipping.
A man from Zurich buys a smartwatch online from the German company Stahlgear to measure his heart rate. The company advertises the watch online with a two-year guarantee. And the battery is supposed to last ten days.
However, the battery soon only lasts for two hours, after which the smartwatch stops working altogether. The 59-year-old assumes that he will receive a replacement product because of the warranty provision.
Want to console customer with compensation
Rejoicing too soon. The company tries to console the customer with compensation. First they offered him a refund of 10 percent of the purchase price. After he complained several times, the company gradually increased the offer to 20 and then 30 percent.
If the customer did not agree to this, he could return the watch to China at his own expense. There is no mention of a full replacement or a refund. The Zurich resident told SRF: "I feel cheated." The communication style of Stahlgear is particularly annoying. The company had not responded to his request for a replacement product.
When asked by SRF, the company responded with standard e-mails. It does not respond to the allegations and instead asks for an order number.
Presumably this is dropshipping
According to Consumer Protection (SKS), this could be a case of dropshipping. Consumers order an item via an online store and the goods are seen directly by the supplier, who is usually in China. The supplier is usually in China, which means that store operators do not need to maintain a warehouse.
Consumers are left with cheap goods. Sara Stalder, Managing Director of the SKS, warns against returning items to China: "The goods are not even picked up there and you don't receive a replacement product."
To avoid falling for dubious providers, it is advisable to check the website carefully before placing an order. Reputable stores usually have a full legal notice.
It is also worth looking for customer reviews. And: dropshipping companies often place large-scale advertising on social media. It is also advisable to read reviews of the providers on the Internet.
