My Zalora Experience

Express delivery but horrible, horrible system...

I first attempted to purchase via Zalora sometime last year when I received their RM25 coupon but somehow, it never worked. No matter how I tried, it wouldn’t allow me the discount.  I dropped their Customer Service an e-mail stating my predicament but I never got a response. So, to me if I am not worthy of a reply then you are not worthy of my business.

Then I moved to Dungun... and if you know Dungun, you will know that there isn’t much choice as far as fashion is concerned. I bought two pairs of shoes last November and one pair just busted. My experiment worked. So I decided to continue with my successful experiment and buy myself more shoes at the same price range.

That’s how Zalora came back into the picture. They have some pretty good stuff and they range from very affordable to expensive. Their sorting options made it very easy for me to find what I wanted. After narrowing down my options and placing them in Favorites which is then stored as a ‘Wishlist’, I made my initial purchase to test the system. My first few attempts failed at the ‘iPay88’ module. I gave up and went to bed. The next day I tried again and with success. However, as soon as the purchase went through I realised that I chose the wrong shoe size, 43.

I immediately started a chat session with the Customer Service. This is something I really liked. I managed to get my order cancelled and was advised that I would get my refund via store credit within 24 hours. What I was not told was that 24 hours meant ‘business day’. Since my transaction was on a Friday afternoon, I only got my store credit on the 7th.

Anyway, I didn’t wait for my store credit and made a purchase the following day which was on the 4th for a size 44 shoe instead. Everything went well and you get your confirmations via e-mail. In your account at their website there will be a record of your order but it does not tell you when you will get your item despite having an ‘Estimated Delivery’. The next thing I knew, I received my order on the 5th. Efficient... too efficient. They don’t even send you a tracking number.

Along with the order was a 10% discount voucher with its code to be used online and also a return slip. Alas, the shoe didn’t fit... it was still one size too small. So, I quickly filled up the form with the correct size, 45 and had the shoe sent back the following day via PosLaju as required. Zalora will refund the postage to you and resend the correct size.

On the 7th I made another purchase with size 45 as I had intentions to buy more than one pair. This was before I received my store credit. It was seamless. I received the shoes the following day. This time, the shoe was too big... I realised that this was due to the cutting of the shoe. I kept the shoe as it felt ok after I wore some thick socks and inserted insoles.

On the 8th, still no sign of my other shoe despite Poslaju having delivered the shoes back to Zalora on the morning of the 7th. I then received my store credit of RM79 via a coupon code.

The following day, still no sign of the other pair of shoes. So I made another purchase using my store credit. Here is where it gets confusing, which I only figured out later. The shoe I wanted costs RM7 less than my credit... but after I key in the code, it does not show that I have RM7 credit left. I assumed that it was a one-time use. And get this... you can only use the store credit OR the discount code, NOT BOTH. WTF? One is a discount... the other is a credit!! I don’t like Zalora already... sigh! Anyway, I just proceeded as I wanted to close this chapter and be done with Zalora.

Purchase done. Then I received an e-mail stating that I had another store credit from my returned shoe. Huh? I am supposed to get the postage in store credit not for the whole amount plus postage. No explanation... just the notice of store credit. I let it be and continue to wait for my shoes.

The following day, the shoe that I had just purchased with store credit arrives. No sign of the earlier shoe. By now I figured out that they refunded the whole amount as the size that I wanted was no longer available by then.

I thought I was done with Zalora but now I still had credit to use. It so happened that yesterday marked their 1 millionth sale and they had an automatic 10% discount storewide. So I used this opportunity to close my chapter. The 10% would be in addition to whatever discounts that you had. I had 3 discount codes by now. They send you one with every delivery. However, at checkout, you can only use ONE discount code OR your store credit. When I checked my available coupons, the old store credit that I had used was still there so I tried to use... it worked... it deducted the balance of RM7 that I thought was gone. So, I have two store credits now but I can only use one for checkout... again. WTF! WTF!

Damn frustrating... it’s ok if I don’t get discounts... I would like it but it is not a deal breaker but when I can’t use money that is rightfully mine the way I want, I get pissed off. Anyway, I really want to close this chapter and proceed with using the store credit of the larger amount despite only getting 10% off when I should be getting 20%.

At checkout, the browser hangs at the iPay88 module and finally times out. Tiunasing! Checked my order in my accounts section. The transaction is there but as unsuccessful. Check to see if my store credit is there... NOPE... checked the shoes... sizes no longer available. The system has blocked both my shoe sizes and my credit.

I start a chat with Harry the Customer Service and asks him how to proceed. He’s very polite and apologetic. He says I will get my store credit back in 24 hours. So I asked him what about my discount? Will I get it tomorrow when I use my store credit. No... today is last day. I tell him that this sucks... he apologises. He recommends that I make a new order today to enjoy the discount and he will make arrangements to refund my store credit. How nice of him. But... the shoes are no longer available as the system has blocked them... I asked him if he could release it... no, system auto releases after 24 hours.

This really, really sucks I tell him. Again he apologises.

I have since made my purchase again without the discount... and I still have my RM7 in store credit.

Will I use Zalora again? Maybe... but it won’t be at the top of my list. I feel very cheated with their ‘one discount code’ policy. Yes, it is only fair to apply one discount but store credit is store credit... why treat it as a discount and deprive me of discounts?

You’re potentially losing customers but since you have one million sales I guess it is not important to you...

Updated here...

Shoes...

My friends, colleagues and subordinates have always admired my shoes... no, not for my sense in style but because my shoes always lasts me for years. My first pair of Timberland boat shoes that I bought with my first management bonus back in 1995, is still sitting at the back of my car as my spare driving shoes. I had its sole changed once. My second pair of of the same shoe which I bought in 2003, I still wear occasionally... pictured below.

I also bought a pair of Florsheim dress shoes together with the Timberlands back in 2003. Both shoes cost me approximately RM700 each then. I alternated the Florsheims with another pair of dress shoes I had then as my daily footwear at work until 2005. Mind you, back then I worked at least 12 hours a day and walked a lot. I still wear the Florsheims every now and then now, as pictured below.

Then sometime in July 2005, I finally succumbed to peer pressure and also my back aches and bought a pair of MBTs. The MBTs were the most expensive pair of shoes I ever bought at RM888 and were the most comfortable too. I wore the MBTs for work EVERYDAY then right through till April 2010. That's a LONG time. I then stored them away for awhile as I was moving to Langkawi and did not need to wear them yet. When I finally wanted to wear them again in October 2010, the soles had deteriorated.

When I got here in February, I wore my Timberland boat shoes for work but they were killing my feet with all the walking that I was doing so I bought another pair of MBTs online. They arrived in March and was I glad, as it really made a BIG difference. No more back aches and aching feet. However, in end September, one side of the soles gave way. It must be due to the weather... rain, sea sand, sea air, occasional sea water and what not. So that pair had the shortest life span of all my shoes. See the damaged sole below...

So, I needed a new pair of shoes. I still want a pair of MBTs but at USD249 excluding shipping, I am hesitant as I am worried it will only last 6 months again with the outdoor conditions that I am subjected to now. I'm very likely to get another pair but not for everyday wear here... and not yet.

I wore the busted MBTs till last week when I finally got REPLACEMENTS while I was in Ipoh.  Note that it is plural and not singular. These are the replacements that I got pictured below.

I was at Jusco in Ipoh with my wife and they happened to have this crazy SALE. These were going at 50% off and they were at RM199 a pair... now let's see how far this RM199 investment will take me... they're pretty comfortable and light but they have plastic soles so that's not too good for me.

How many of you have and still wear shoes that are more than 5 years old? My record is 17 years (Timberland boat shoes) and still counting...