Happy Shopee-ing. Is It Really?

Having worked for major e-commerce companies in the past taught me a lot about how these companies run things from the back end. So, when I established my online business years ago, I already have a clear notion in terms of dealing with e-commerce companies from an insider's perspective. My knowledge became an edge for me because I am aware of my rights, limitations, the DOs and DON'Ts and all the BS.

When I started selling my handmade crafts on Shopee, a third party, e-commerce platform, they do not charge for anything back then. All you have to do is take photos of the item/s you're looking to sell, come up with descriptions and voila, you're good to go. I also created an account with Shopee for the sole purpose of shopping online (because eBay costs more now due to the fees the local post office charges) and not sell through their platform to begin with until I quit from my regular job and thought of venturing into business instead because I wanted flexible working hours and God knows how stressful working in the confides of an office at times.   

Anyways, going back, I have been an online shopper as well since way back 2009 (when Multiply was a haven for online shoppers and sellers) and, never was I  got scammed nor come across a bogus seller because I was careful in transacting online. When I started marketing my products online myself,  I made it a point to sell only through stable and secured e-commerce sites and that's when Shopee came into play not to mention it was easy peasy to set up an account through them. Remember, before you become an expert in selling stuff online, it'll be a great advantage if you're an expert online shopper first because you will have a mindset coming from both worlds, the Buyer and the Seller. 

So, how does online-selling via Shopee really works?

Shopee serves as a mediator between the seller and the buyer. The buyer pays directly through Shopee (yes, the buyer will make a payment directly to Shopee's bank, money remittance accounts etc.) and they will be the one to handle everything from shipping your product down to buyer payments etcetera and your job as a seller is just to pack your goods and prepare it for courier pick up at no cost because the buyer will be the one to shoulder it. Shopee will hold the buyer's payment until the item gets delivered that's the only time the seller gets paid which is not as easy as you think due to their 'guarantee program' which I will expound further as we go along.

What is  this  thing called Shopee Guarantee Program then? 

Well, let me explain from a seller's perspective then. Once the item is delivered to the buyer, the seller will not receive payment for the goods until the buyer taps the 'order received' button and sadly, roughly 85% of Shopee buyers aren't aware of this (benefit of the doubt) or some buyers purposely elude the 'order received' button as if it doesn't exist thinking their money will be reimbursed back to them and that they can get away not paying for the item which is not the case with Shopee as it's their anti-bogus buyer/anti-scammer measure wherein even if the buyer still extends the 'guarantee program' further, the seller will definitely get paid for as long as the courier confirmed the item was indeed delivered. Now, if the buyer denies having received the item, then that's another story as that'll be a long and tedious investigation /process.

Shopee, not dependable source of income?

Now, let me talk about how Shopee isn't really a reliable source of income (in my opinion) for small business owners. First of, getting paid on Shopee as a seller takes a long while especially when you come across inconsiderate and 'barely online' buyers because, even if the buyer has received the item yet failed to tap 'order received,' the seller will have to wait 6 days before they actually get paid for the goods they packed with TLC. So, just imagine the plight of online sellers, some of them are single parents who rely on their online shops' income to fend for their nursing babies or kids, people who got laid off from their jobs because of the pandemic who opted to sell online to make a living, students who wanted to earn extra income to sustain their online learning/classes etc. Therefore, if you shop online via Shopee, be a responsible buyer and make it a habit to tap 'order received' and make the world a better place for sellers provided you have received your goods in excellent condition and you have no remorse.

Fees, fees and more charges!

However, as time went on, Shopee started imposing fees towards sellers as their e-commerce site got bigger and bigger, a hefty 2% Transaction fee + VAT which eventually left some of the small business sellers no choice but increase their product cost and as a form of damage control, to prevent insolvency. It's sad, but, what can I say despite this pandemic but, business as usual. Seriously, why not Shopee just cut the chase and reduce the 6 day guarantee to 3 days instead and make the delivery date the sole basis as to when the buyer's payment is released to the seller and just override the whole extended guarantee program then especially if the item is been confirmed/tagged as 'delivered'? Buyer protection or prolonging the agony? I guess it's the later.

From a buyer's perspective...

As a Shopee buyer (Platinum status, and no I'm not boasting about it it's just that I want to stress out that I don't just shop, I shop more than the usual for pretty much everything because it's convenient since the advent of online shopping), I make it a point to always release the payment to sellers not because I sell online myself but, even before the advent of third party e-commerce sites, I always make prompt payments for every online purchases I make. Remember the old school bank to bank transfers with matching payment slips and Gcash screencaps? Going back, as soon as I receive my Shopee purchases, found no flaws nor drama involved with the item I ordered, I release the payment to sellers because it's the modest thing to do not to mention I totally understand the seller's plight, they sell to also make both ends meet as it is with people who holds a full time office job. 

Let me also just say that selling online is a noble way to earn a living these days and don't treat online sellers as people with no degree because trust me even Doctors these days sell online and so as other professionals who chose a convenient route to manage their household and family efficiently/conveniently so don't talk to them as if they're dumb because you might be talking to someone with a double major or even a master's degree etcetera. 

And oh, let me also use this opportunity to raise the flag of logistics company workers which includes courier company riders, food hailing app riders and those guys who risk their own safety to deliver your goods to their intended recipients and or deliver food right at your doorsteps. When I started my online business I realized their vital role in helping even small businesses grow. Again, do not undermine workers who belong to this sector because they are predominantly educated individuals so treat them with utmost respect that they deserve, their job isn't easy. As a small business owner there are times I complain how physically taxing managing a business is but when I think about those men (and women as well, yes I have already come across women working for this sector) who manages to deliver heaps of parcels or food deliveries on a daily basis, I then realize my exhaustion nor stress isn't even a quarter compared to them.

Product listing issues after issues and so on and so forth...

One time whilst scouring Shopee, I decided to type in a keyword to see if my products are still searchable but lo and behold, I found multiple listings from suspicious sellers using my business' watermarked product photos and publishing materials. I decided to raise the issue with Shopee to have it investigated and compel the 'concerned parties' to take down their listings because they looked really 'fishy.' Most listings I found do not have a legitimate shop name nor ratings which screams fraud. And again, my damage control measure was to tediously check each and every suspicious account that I found which uses my publishing material unauthorizedly just to found my own listings placed 'under review' as well by Shopee which caused me loss of revenue for a few days since they are my best seller handmade products thus made me scratch my head in disbelief. I mean seriously? It's like this, the person who reported a crime is now also considered as part of the ploy as it is with crime stuff series I often watch on Netflix LOL. Things went back to normal after 3days, Shopee explained it's an anti-fraud measure yadda yadda. Again, such a total inconvenience. 

As an end note, I hope Shopee will also listen to the sentiments of small business owners/sellers (myself included) because what's the whole point of participating in surveys they send from time to time if the same issues such as payments/escrow won't be addressed in the first place? My point is I hope e-commerce sites get out of the stigma being overly pro-buyers setting aside the plight of business owners/online sellers who chose to use their platforms and felt be taken advantaged upon. When I was still working for this international e-commerce companies, they always let the buyers win in most post sales dispute even if the evidence screams otherwise setting aside that a portion of the seller's income also goes to them. Still 'All is fair in love and war'? Nah, I don't think so.