Flipkart replacement- refund experience

This is not a complaint on flipkart, just narrating my experience.

I’ve had a largely great experience with flipkart so far. Recently we bought a Micromax A58 budget smart phone and a flip cover for it, both from flipkart. The phone was priced about 20% cheaper compared to a physical store near us (Sangeetha guys quoted Rs 4500 for Micromax A58, while flipkart price was Rs 3600) Along with the phone also placed order for a flip cover for Rs 299. (AGS Flipcover for Micromax A58, white, sold by Unbeatenrates.

When I received the cover, I tried to mate the cover and the phone. Surprisingly it won't fit. Cover is apparently of the same size or smaller by few mm, so it couldn't accommodate the phone.  For a cover to fit on a phone, it should be few mm bigger or should have a flexible body to expand-fit the phone-then grip it. The flip cover I got had none. It was brittle and if I try to force fit, I ran a risk of breaking it apart. If there're some unconventional ways of fitting the cover on to the phone, there should have been a piece of paper explaining it. There was none.

Flip cover that doesn't fit- notice the extra dimension of the phone

Either the manufacturer made the phone bigger without telling the accessory maker OR accessory maker got the dimensions wrong and built a shorter case. Or do you think I am missing something?

[Update: One possibility could be that one needs to remove the original back cover on the phone and then use the flipcover's back as the only cover. None of my other phone covers were like this, so it didn't strike me to try this possibility. Neither there was any leaflet to explain this, nor did flipkart support team ask me to try this out]

I raised a request for replacement online. Gave description that the model doesn’t really fit. Without any question, replacement request was accepted. Within few days, I got my replacement. But to my horror, replaced unit was of exactly same size as the exiting unit. Understandably no one read the reason for me asking replacement. They just picked up another piece and sent across. May be the entire batch of mobile covers were of faulty dimension- any number of replacements won’t get me right unit, unless someone intervenes, understands and acts.

I told this to the delivery guy and asked him to take it back- he refused. His job was to delivery and that’s what he did. He said I should accept the piece and then deal with it separately- either file a replacement request or a refund request. He actually appeared little scared that I might file a complaint without collecting the consignment.

Replacement is exactly same dimension as earlier unit, which won't fit again

I called Flipkart support, they said they can’t do anything as the piece is not being shown as ‘Delivered’. I told I am right in front of the delivery guy and just got the piece, but  call centre was helpless. They said collect the replacement, wait till you get a confirmation SMS, then raise a request for refund of the money. I said fine and disconnected.

Eventually got the delivery confirmation msg, raised a request for refund, which was promptly accepted. No questions asked. However, money will be transferred to my account many days later, not instant. Same day flipkart guy came and collected it back. I am now awaiting for refund.

I suggest 3 process improvements here:

1. When someone raises a replacement request, do read the description. Blindly sending replacement for a faulty product with another equally faulty unit is waste of everyone’s time.

2. Give an override option for the process- if the delivery guy is right in front of me and I realize that product is faulty, I should be able to return the product then and there, without having to wait. It helps everyone involved.

3. While giving out combo offers or shipping/listing accessories, some basic checks to ensure compatibility can save lots of efforts later.

This post is not really to blame flipkart-they’re now just a marketplace where different vendors sell their stuff.  The accessory maker who put up his covers for sale claiming compatibility with a phone should have been more careful. As Sheshadri commented below, I should thank Flipkart for their no-questions-asked replacement and refund policy. There're lots of websites out there who won't even bother replying- let alone refund or replace. 

The product is just worth 300 Rs, but the time and effort spent on it- to order, to walk from desk all the way to office entrance to meet delivery guy 3 times, then the disappointment that it is not fitting, effort in logging a refund request, follow up etc is not worth it. These are some limitations of online shopping- you can’t feel the product and check its quality. Of course the reliability of online shopping is increasing day by day and incidents like above are very minimal. But this has made me think one more time before ordering everything online.

I've given a negative review for this product on flipkart- let me see if that gets published

I will continue to buy from flipkart, but will be little more careful.

Update: I've received the full refund on time.

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