Rifat Islam
Directorate of National Consumers' Rights Protection is increasingly being overwhelmed with complaints against Evaly, with the e-commerce platform seemingly not doing enough to solve them.
The directorate received as many as 2,180 allegations of anti-consumer rights practices against Evaly since its launch in 2018.
The complaints range from delay in product delivery, cancellation of orders at their own will and dilly-dally in refunding against pre-ordered products.
The commerce ministry, after receiving such a huge number of complaints, wrote to Bangladesh Bank asking to undertake an investigation against the online platform over its alleged financial misconducts.
Cancellation of orders has become a common phenomenon of Evaly, DNCRP data showed. From January 2020 to January 2021, the platform completed 35.85 lakh shipments, which is only 32.68 per cent of 1.09 crore total orders during the period.
Only 5.01 per cent (5.59 lakh) received refunds against cancelled orders, leaving 57.06 per cent unsettled cases.
Consumers seem to express frustration and inconvenience saying they hardly get any solution to their order-related issues from the Evaly management.
Khondakar Abdullah Mahmud, a grocery customer of Evaly, complained on a Facebook community group related to the e-commerce site that not only he got a delayed delivery, but some of his products were also damaged and missing.
Another SME trader Yafez Rifat said his shipment from Evaly missed the promised delivery date weeks ago.
“ Still, I don’t get any sign of getting my products,” Rifat told The Business Post.
“This is hurting my business. I called their helpline several times, and every time they came up with an unsatisfactory scripted reply,” Yafez said.
Even after the apparent violation of its own terms and conditions and neglecting customer services, the e-commerce platform keeps providing more and more alluring offers to rope in more customers.
On April 17, Evaly on a campaign named ‘Cyclone’ offered to sell Samsung Galaxy S21 smartphone with a free Tk 10 thousand Bata gift card at only Tk 70 thousand altogether; whereas the mobile phone alone costs Tk 122,999 at retail stores.
They offered Bajaj Pulsar 150CC Double Disc bike at Tk 108,540 only, which costs Tk 180,900 at retail outlets.
Similarly, a Samsung 32” LED TV that is retailed for Tk 30,900 can be purchased for Tk 11,750 from Evaly.
The e-commerce site’s CEO Mohammad Rassel previously told media regarding the company’s business model that Evaly first collects orders, then buys in bulk at discounted rates before delivering the products.
After placing the order and paying in advance, a customer has to wait for 45 days as Evaly takes enough orders in the meantime for the in-bulk purchase.
Terming Evaly’s misconduct as “embarrassment”, the president of the e-Commerce Association of Bangladesh Shomi Kaiser said the association has already formed a team to look into the complaints. The team will be working with both DNCRP and Evaly for the investigation.
“Soon we will hold a meeting with the commerce ministry to discuss and take necessary steps against Evaly if evidence of any financial malpractice is found,” she added.
DNCRP Director General (Additional Secretary) Bablu Kumar Saha declined to comment in this regard. Other officers at the DNCRP also refused to share any information without the DG’s approval.
In an earlier report, the home ministry said it had found evidence that Evaly violated the Consumers' Rights Protection Act and several sections of the Bangladesh Penal Code.
Later, the commerce ministry ordered Evaly to run its business on a cash-on-delivery basis to prevent buyers from being subjected to harassment.
Evaly CEO Mohammad Rassel could not be reached for comments despite repeated attempts.
Solaiman Hossain Shawon, a public relation of Evaly, said they were not willing to make any comment on the allegations.
“You can write whatever you want. We will not make any comment,” Shaown said, without revealing his designation.
