PETALING JAYA: It may sound like a trendy job but personal shoppers often have to deal with the headache of getting fake receipts, last-minute cancellations and customers vanishing after placing orders.
“I’ve experienced cases where fake payment receipts were sent to me. Sometimes, during busy sale periods when orders are coming in quickly, it can be easy to overlook this if you’re not careful,” said Amal Hayati, who shops mostly for children’s clothing for her clients.
She has been a personal shopper for about six years, helping Malaysian customers purchase items from the United Kingdom and arrange for the shipping to Malaysia.
Her previous loss set her back by about RM400 and it was quite a heartache for her.
“It happened during one of my trips to the UK when orders were coming in very quickly,” she said.
“I found out about it when the customer wanted to make another purchase when I was already back in Malaysia. She said she had transferred (the money) but when I checked my bank account, there was no payment.”
“Then I checked the previous ‘payments’ she sent me and realised none of them actually went into my account.”
Amal, 32, said the customer subsequently sent her a receipt.
“Later, I realised it was a fake receipt. I kept following up with her. I told her that I might make a police report if the payment was not settled. Eventually, she paid up.”
Amal said she was well aware of the business risks faced by personal shoppers especially during big sales where items sell out quickly.
“I have faced cases where customers booked for items but later cancelled them or they disappeared after I had already made the purchase.”
She called for guidelines and protection, saying that better awareness and understanding of how personal shopping works would help the public.
Another personal shopper, who wants to be known only as Danish, spoke of losing almost RM7,000 for the purchase of fabrics from Indonesia.
“That loss came about when eight people turned me down after ordering them, saying they didn’t want it anymore.”
It devastated him as he had already cut the cloth for them, he said, and reselling the fabric would fetch a much lower price.
Danish, 31, said the cloth was of high quality, used mostly for wedding attire and formal events.
“If there is an association to protect personal shoppers when disputes arise, I will fully support it. With proper protection in place for us, it makes all the difference,” he said.
Personal shopper Nik Wan Nur Adlina Mahamahpoyi, 32, has had her share of problems.
“Some customers would cancel at the last minute. Some go silent after ordering, or request for urgent refunds. There are also the occasional scams,” she said.
Nik, who travels to countries such as Thailand, Japan and South Korea to fulfil customer orders, said there should be better support such as an association or government’s guidance.
The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry said there is legal protection against customers who failed to pay up after services have been provided, citing the Contracts Act.
“Any clear agreement between two parties, whether written, spoken, or even through messages, is legally binding as long as it meets the basic elements of a contract,” it said.
“For now, personal shoppers who face disputes such as harassment, fraud, or exploitation are advised to pursue their cases through the courts, as these matters fall outside consumer protection mechanisms.”
The ministry said there are currently no specific guidelines for personal shoppers, so issues such as the establishment of an association or code of ethics have not been formally addressed.
