The biggest obstacle to online shopping in Pakistan is people’s lack of trust in e-commerce, so people prefer to spend more money and buy things from the market.
Our neighbor China has been the world’s largest online retail market for the past eight years. Buying and selling online in China is extremely easy. There people buy and sell online from needle to home.
I also used to order everything I needed online while living there.
It is expensive to go to the market to buy things in China. What is five hundred yuan in the market, can be found online for one and a half hundred yuan.
At first I was afraid of cheating. Gradually that fear disappeared. Money never moved around. Nothing ever went wrong. The shopkeeper never cheated. Then I started shopping online.
Even after coming to Pakistan, the same habit is still there, but the e-commerce situation here is bad. Until a few years ago, I had to call my bank and set up a session to pay money online. There was a separate fee for this.
My bank used to ask me when and how much money I want to spend. They used to turn on a session for the same amount of money for the same amount of time. I couldn’t spend more money than that, and I couldn’t spend money before or after that time.
Now this series has ended. Now I have to enter the code I received on my phone or email while paying. Then the payment is made.
Sometimes there is a problem with that too. In this case I have to click on cash on delivery option which is the most used option for online shopping in Pakistan.
Even after paying the money, the tension is still on the mind. The order should not be canceled or the ordered item should not be damaged.
A few weeks ago after much research bought their most expensive blender from an online store of a reputed brand. Hope it will be good. Two days later the blender arrived. Removed from the box. When I tried to run it the next day, it didn’t run.
Called the customer service center of the company and told the matter. He said you should take it to our nearest service center.
I said, ‘I’ll take it, but what’s the point of shopping online from your own store?’
Compared to online stores in Pakistan, the products are better and cheaper from the bazaar. Although the e-commerce industry in Pakistan is growing rapidly, there are still many issues to be resolved.
Especially problems that a common man faces while buying and selling online.
Among them, the biggest problem is people’s lack of trust in e-commerce platforms. Many people prefer to buy things from the market by spending a little more money. They believe that the product bought online will turn out to be bad. In case of buying from the market, the shopkeeper will take responsibility for it. In the case of online shopping, the item will be borne by the customer.
Such a thought does not cross consumers’ minds when shopping online in China. I also bought gold jewelry online during my stay in China. I can’t even think of doing that here.
Once I ordered a suitcase from a store. He was bitten on one side during delivery. I was shown its condition by the delivery man and advised not to accept it.
I asked, ‘Will the shopkeeper take responsibility for this?’
He said, ‘Absolutely will. He must deliver this suitcase here in perfect condition.’
You refuse to accept it. It will go back. Then, if you wish, get a refund or order a new suitcase.
I ordered a new suitcase. It was delivered safely within a few days.
Here, if the item bought from the shop gets damaged as soon as it leaves the shop, the shopkeepers do not guarantee it either.
Paying money in China is also very easy. In China, people pay money with mobile phones.
People link their bank account with WeChat Pay or Alipay. After that, the payment is just a tap on the mobile phone screen.
Pakistan has to take steps like China to move further in e-commerce. People will have to provide the easiest payment option. They will have to establish trust in e-commerce platforms. At the same time, they will have to give discounts on online purchases and sales.
Apart from this, provision of high-speed internet has to be ensured in every part of the country so that people can easily buy and sell online.
Why is it Difficult to Buy and Sell Online in Pakistan? It’s a long journey. If it starts, it will be fixed.