PETALING JAYA: Malaysians are increasingly going for a plethora of products, from minor items to branded goods, with shopping at their fingertips.
Many have grown to rely on official online stores and established e-commerce platforms for their purchases, including for expensive gadgets or designer handbags.
They like the convenience and ease of online shopping with benefits that they may not enjoy at physical outlets.
Project engineer Kolin Lye, 49, from Ipoh, said that in the last decade, he has developed more confidence in shopping online, including for high-priced items.
“I started buying things online about 10 years ago, beginning with work-related tools and manuals that are difficult to find.
“I once bought a full set of quality precision tools for only RM50.
“Most of the things I bought then did not cost much, mostly below RM300,” he said, adding that some purchases went south with bogus or inferior products.
Having learnt his lesson, Lye said he now only buys from official stores or trusted sellers with a good track record.
With Covid-19 having fast-tracked online sales, he said major e-commerce websites are now properly developed with a secure payment gateway, enabling buyers to shop with confidence.
“I just bought a RM3,000 laptop for myself last month and a RM1,000 mobile phone for my daughter. I communicated with the seller the specifications that I required before the gadgets were delivered. It’s so convenient now,” he said.
Marketing manager Joe Chung said he often shops for branded goods at an established e-commerce site.
The 35-year-old said these products typically have their own official online stores on the e-commerce platforms, providing a safe and secure shopping experience.
During festive seasons, he may spend up to RM10,000 buying gifts for his close relatives, he added.
“I bought a phone for my niece at the Apple store on this e-commerce platform for the recent Christmas.
“It was on sale, but it did not come in the colour that my niece wanted, so I asked for a refund and got her another phone of her colour choice.
“I received the refund in under 24 hours. That is something you can’t have at a physical store.”
Chung said he is also pleased with the services offered by e-commerce sites.
“I feel that online sellers nowadays do make sure that they provide good customer service.
“For example, I bought a RM3,000 handbag for my mum, but it arrived in another colour. Thankfully, my mum liked it too, so I did not seek a refund. I did inform the seller about the colour mix-up, and they instead sent me a discount code, which was a nice surprise for me,” he added.
Chung said he also appreciates the points system or loyalty programmes that most of these sites have for their customers.
An executive, who wanted to be known only as Kristal, however, had a different encounter when purchasing a luxury bag from an online personal shopper.
“I usually buy my bags this way because of the attractive deals on offer. Most of the time, I would receive genuine products.
“However, there was once when I was delivered a fake product despite the hefty price tag.
“It was a lesson for me to only purchase from established personal shoppers,” said the 33-year-old.
Jennie Ng, 32, also an executive, gets her branded items online, but not before doing comprehensive research on the products.
“I am careful not to be scammed, so I will do thorough research and background checks before buying anything.”
As a security measure, Ng said she would visit sites recommended by friends and use e-wallets that can be topped up when needed.
“I rarely use my credit card for online purchases,” she added.
