LAZADA Review - Ordering and Request for Refund Process

I have been ordering from Lazada since last year --- from diapers, scents, hand mixer, then recently phones. Those orders were qualms-free. Until...

Last March 3, 2017, I ordered a Lenovo Vibe Shot at 7,795Php with free powerbank. It comes with 32GB memory and it has 16mp for its camera. I was quite excited because it was very sleek and the specs are all that I have been hoping for. It even came to my mind to also write a review.  However, just few weeks after, I noticed that the network signals (dual-sim as it is) are sometimes gone and back again. I tried to Until the signals were totally gone! Zilch! Nada! I was forced to buy a very basic phone at 499Php just for me to receive texts and calls. So here is my Lazada convenient inconvenience experience with them.

April 26. I returned the item through their LBC return facility. I was glad it was just a few meters away from our house. It was fuss-free and was given a return form with its corresponding return reference number. That evening, I immediately sent through email the return item reference number to Lazada.

May 3. I received an email from Lazada that they have received my returned item and that my refunds is forwarded to the 'Refunds Team'.

May 6. I received another email response after my follow-up that my refund is on queue.  Contrary to their FAQ on refunds, processing refunds when a customer paid cash on delivery only takes 1-2 days.

May 8. I received a call telling me they sent me the LBC details to my email and that I should check my inbox or spam folders for the refund and even sent me a google verification yet no confirmation still of my refund!

May 9. No word from Lazada considering I sent them 3-4 emails to follow up my refund.

May 10. No word from Lazada still...Haist.

May 11. I called Lazada asking on the status of my refund and once again was told that they have already forwarded my concern to their Payments Team. The same yiddi yaddah. I told them that I need my refund today. After 2 hours I received an email informing me that they will be sending my LBC remittance details within the day, fingers-crossed.

Their customer service is very poor in relation to providing exact resolution to your problem yet in all fairness, I can say how calmly they handled my rant.

So what now?  After 15 grueling days, I finally got my Lazada refund thru LBC remittance.

This experience really traumatized me big time and tested my patience.  I guess I will no longer buy gadgets online (save from the Gigaset Me Pro) that I have already ordered and now on the process.

At the end of the day, shopping online is a big risk although very convenient. Just hoping it won't be a ticket for inconvenience and stressful life.

Finding and Overcoming Failed Job Applications

I used to work with the government project called Listahanan.  It is a database management system where it identifies who and where the poor are.  My job involved conducting data-sharing lobby among LGUs of Caraga region, providing technical assistance so those that already have the database of poor will be able to maximize the information, serve as resource person during seminars or training, and monitoring field staff during field operations.  These varied activities were not office-based thus I was out doing field work and I could not be happier than to go and to just enjoy the many trips that I made for almost 3 years.

Then I got married last December and my life completely turned 360 degrees.

I moved here in Baguio where my husband left me as he needed to go back to North America.  When I found out that I was pregnant, I was very ecstatic and I couldn't wait to be a mother breast-feeding my child.  

To keep myself from being bored to death, I tried to look for online work-at-home jobs. First try was Bizmates, an online part-time English tutorial for Japanese market.  I found their ad while scrolling my facebook timeline.  They were very professional and nice.  However, I did not pass their demo-interview. That happened a week after I had my initial interview. The Bizmates hiring process is as follows: Online application, Email confirmation and booking of initial interview, Interview Demo, Training, and Final Interview.  You will also need to have 1mbps upload and 0.5mbps download speeds, good lighting condition, quiet working station, and plain background (you will be having skype interviews and eventually lessons with the students should you pass).  What I like about Bizmates is the fact that they are very professional in their hiring process and I had fun nonetheless.

Second online application that was also an epic fail was my attempt to work with MOD or My OutDesk.  They have part-time and full time jobs as virtual appointment setter and general admin virtual assistant.  After the online application sent to them, I got an email informing me of my interview schedule at the given time-slot.  However, when I was already logged in to skype and letting them know I was already online, I got a very informal message of "hi" and told me that since skype was responding poorly interview will proceed through mobile phone call.  I waited until 5pm (interview schedule was supposed to be within 12noontime to 4pm).  Around 9past in the evening, when I was already lying on my bed, the phone rang and Private Number displayed on screen.  I thought it was my husband calling overseas instead it was a guy from MOD.  Interview only lasted for less than 5 minutes and he informed me that although I was applying for a part-time stint, I would still be working graveyard shift.  This said, I informed him that I was going 6 months in my pregnancy, yet I told him that I will still give it a shot.  Before we hang up, he informed me that an email will be sent to me within the week. Lo and behold, after an hour, I received an email informing me that I did not meet their 'criteria'.  They did not even elaborate what part of their 'criteria' I failed considering that I was an agent and team lead for more than 3 years in one of the biggest contact centers in the country and I believed I have what it takes to do the job. Then again, with much courage I humbly accepted my defeat.

Third, my online application to Rev.  It's a company dealing with transcription, caption, and translation.  I applied as a transcriptionist.  Their online application process consists six steps. They have grammar, writing, and practice transcription tests.  The last part was critical because it took me about an hour to transcribe a quite nonsensical conversation that lasted for 2 minutes and 37 seconds. After clicking on submit, I was able to finally go to bed.  Morning came, I checked my email and found out 2 emails from Rev with different time stamps and checked the one that arrived first. The email informed me of the turn-around time of applications that would last even up to 3 weeks.  The second email informed me that I did not make it and I should not contact them to ask for reason of their decision. They also said that I can still re-apply after 6 months.

Lastly, I have posted my online profiles in two freelances sites - Elance and Upwork (oDesk before).  Apparently, been sending applications to no avail spare for 3 scam and bogus job posts.  I almost worked for free if I had not checked and verified the sites provided to me. These are the sites www.1url.com/sample,  www.1url.com/servers, http://koloteam.com/bablo.php, and http://wordtexttypingjob.blogspot.com/.  Anything related to these sites are unreliable and should not be working for them as your accounts may be compromised or you would end up conspiring with hackers.

After all these failed applications, how shall one overcome? For me, I take them as humbling experiences and try to learn and to improve. I also learned how to be prudent and wary and not get too excited.  I know that job for me is just around the corner, I just have to keep going and moving on. Who  knows, I might get my dream job after I give birth to our son. I am just positive.

How about you, have you got similar experiences?