Consumer columnist and West Hartford resident Harlan Levy has more than 20 years of experience writing stories about everyday experiences that anyone could encounter.
Harlan Levy. Courtesy photo
By Harlan Levy
You have to read online offers carefully, and especially research companies making offers, a lesson I thought I learned a long time ago. But sometimes you get caught in a seemingly straightforward transaction, when a mere scanning of reviews would have avoided what happened:
In March I had finally had it. I was sick of my bulky padded winter coat, so I decided to check out the ubiquitous Facebook ads from Kyayu proclaiming a 50 percent sale on solid, hooded, fall and winter hooded fleeces. The “Norway” fleece looked lighter-weight and less bulky, so I decided to order one.
But which size should I order? I’m normally a “large,” but, I thought, why not order a “large” and a “medium” and return the one that didn’t fit? That worked with shoes and suits, and that’s what I did.
Finally, after weeks, the package from Kyayu arrived. The medium fit fine, but there was no hood on either coat. So I emailed Kyayu Customer Service Centre – which posted its company address as 20303 Page Rock Drive, Cypress, Texas, and its corporate office as Mintiml Technology Inc., 90 State St., Suite 700, Albany NY 12207 – saying I wanted to return the coats, stressing that there was no attachable hood, as promised.
Kyayu responded: “Thanks for your reply. If you want to return it, you should afford the shipping fee, our factory is located abroad, the shipping fee will be expensive. We don’t recommend you do that. How about we refund you USD35 of the money? What do you think? Waiting for your reply. Best regards”
I wrote back: “I spent $67 x 2 ($134), and you want to refund me only $35, and I keep the 2 coats??? Can I return the 2 unused new Norway coats I purchased to 20303 Page Rock Drive, Cypress, Texas or Mintiml Technology Inc., 90 State St., Suite 700, Albany NY 12207?”
Kyayu: “Thanks for your mail. We are also sorry that you did not receive the order as expected. We also spent a lot of effort and cost. In this case, how about we refund you $70 of the money? What do you think? Waiting for your reply. Best regards”
I thought about it: Kyayu did not respond to my request to return the coats in the U.S., and Kyayu had upped the refund to cover the cost of one of the coats, which I have already worn when it was cold and will continue to do so. But I waited.
Kyayu got impatient, writing, “Do you agree with the plan in our previous email? Please feel free to contact us if you have any question. Best regards.”
I gave up. It was taking too much of my time. So I decided to keep the second coat for a Christmas gift.
But the whole transaction was irritating and avoidable – if I had researched the company and the reviews. I was sloppy, and it was all my fault.
Reviews
Here’s a few of the 11 negative reviews out of 11 published in consumer product review compiler trustpilot.com that I would have read:
- Feb. 16, 2024: “Rip-off no service, will not respond to exchange or refund wants $30 to ship their crap back to China for an exchange.”
- Oct. 14, 2023: “This is a WARNING. Beware doing business with KAYAYU.COM. I’m not saying their business is a SCAM but their customer service sure makes you feel like you’ve been taken. I ordered two size large summer-weight jackets through KYAKU. When the jackets came and although labeled (L) Large, the jackets are more like Extra Small. I contacted them, explained the problem. and asked for a shipping label to send the jackets back. All I’ve gotten is a run around and an offer to return $50 to me.”
- Aug. 20, 2023: “DO NOT BUY From this store. A total scam – bait and switch – received the wrong size, no way to return, and requested refund email. They total ignored email. The quality of jackets are not as advertised – DO NOT BUY!!!!”
With reviews like these, I should have known better.
Now I have a nice winter fleece to give to our neighbor for a Christmas present.
NOTE: If you have a consumer problem, contact me at [email protected] (“Consumer” in subject line), and, with the power of the press, maybe I can help.
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One thing that you need to understand with these FB and online ad companies — is that they are basically drop ship outfits — that bulk order the merchandise from Alibaba. I know a few people making a “killing” doing this but some of these “stores” usually have better customer service than others. Often times the store is just a person who imports the goods — that might be your texas contact or the NY one. Who knows? You do not have the same rights as ordering from Amazon, Walmart, or Target. My mom has bought pants from FB ads like this and at least one company was like — if it doesn’t fit — keep it or donate it. These companies NEVER pay for return shipping. A lot of the better brands on Amazon are also just Chinese drop shipping outfits — but with better customer service and if the item says “Prime” you know you are protected by Amazon’s guarantee. Thank you for sharing your experience Harlan. We all need to know — buyer Beware!