Colombia Forum

Felipe58
Joined 2011
Posts: 442

9 years ago

Buying Online

9 years ago

Colombia is still a country where many items are just not available, or extremely hard to find, so I have regularly used Companies from the US, who will purchase the item for you mainly from Amazon or eBay, and send it to your doorstep, duty paid, it can be costly, you just have to pick and choose.

However there is a new kid on the block 'Banggood' based in Hongkong, it was recommended to me by a Colombian family member, who I now think doesn't like me much!!

I looked at the site, they have some great items and some typical rubbish from that area of the world. The delivery times are quoted, and typically are between four to five weeks, but I wasn't in a rush.

I placed one order, and received confirmation, but it had been split into three, one would be tracked and two wouldn't, at the time I didn't know why, but they now tell me it is any order under $25 is sent untracked, which doesn't help the buyer.

Once I received the tracking number which took them 10 days, I realised it was being sent registered by 4/72 the Colombian Postal Service.

The untracked item was sent out first, we had an arguement as to why the order had been split and I couldn't track other items, as a result I cancelled the second untracked order for which I recdeived my refund.

After a month I saw that the 'tracked' item had arrived in Medellin, then the following day the tracking was marked 'erroneous address to be returned to sender', we immediately contacted 4/72 who said that they only deliver to addresses with a Street and Building number, not Veredas, but there had been nothing to indicate this when making the purchase. Fortunately as we contacted them the same day, they held the parcel until I collected it, but said I wouldn't receive the untracked one as there was no record.

I have been in daily contact with Banggood, they are trying to wear me down, rather than give a refund, it is only $9, but out of principle I wont let it drop.

The moral of this story is that a combination of Banggood with little or no Customer Service, and 4/72 who are a really unreliable postal service at the best of times, don't use this method of purchase, good as it might seem. You only have to look at their FB page to see that I am not the only one having this problem.

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Help others in Colombia by answering questions about the challenges and adventures of living in Colombia.