Alaul Alam :
For a couple of days, media sources have exposed the fraud of Evaly, an e-commerce platform in the country. It is one of the e-commerce sites which has been abundantly criticized for its abusive business policy with the consumers. Their policy includes luring the consumers with fake promises of cash back offers. This company makes unbelievable deals offering the consumers up to 100 to 150 percent cash back.
Things are like that if you buy a product from them, they will offer you the same worth that you have paid for the product or in many cases it would be more than you deposited. Obviously, to run their ill-intended business and attract more consumers only a few consumers are provided the incentives what they have promised but they keep most of the consumers in the uncertain waiting.
However, recently the RAB has raided the house of Evaly chief Mohammad Rassel and arrested him and his wife after a case of money embezzlement was filed against them by one of the victims paid advance money for a product but was not provided , rather was threatened with death. This is not a single-most fraud. The scenario corresponds that thousands of people have already been into the trap of Evaly.
Almost a decade ago people experienced the trap of MLM business in the country in which many lost their hard-earned savings being lured by the so called suited booted fraudsters who would take people in the envisioned world of richness and luxury.
In the era of digitization e-commerce would be a boon that is very natural. In Bangladesh context e-business has added new possibilities accelerating life and livelihoods with online services which lead to ultimate economic growth of the country. According to the E-Commerce Association of Bangladesh (E-CAB), there are more than 1,000 registered e-commerce platforms across the country. But the figure may be more than what is estimated if some unapproved sites are counted. Different sources estimate that more than 50,000 products are delivered everyday through these virtual sites.
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic e-business has got momentum in the country. The concept of e-business has been so obvious in the time of coronavirus amid the people of all walks. E-business sites have opened a hassle-free platform for the consumers. The consumers can choose their necessary products and buy them online. Again, it is good to see that many unemployed youths have started e-business and made themselves self-dependent. Specially, girls and women have found more scopes to be self-reliant through online business.
On the other side, allegations against the dishonest business people have been an everyday phenomenon. The fact comes to the light that the consumers have the higher possibility to be deceived in the deals of buying products online. It is very unfortunate that the irregularities pervade in this emerging sector alarmingly. Though a few of the irregularities have been exposed, many more deceptions in the name of e-business are still unearthed.
We sometimes notice the bad experiences of the consumers which are shared on social media in buying products online. In most cases despite the customers paying advances do not get the delivery of the products by the mentioned time. Again it is evident that the fraudulent e-business sites deliver the low quality and sub-standard products against the ones ordered by the consumers.
Besides, the customers are frequently met with some challenges such as difficulty in returning products and risk of not getting refunds. The most frequent complaint against the fraudsters that they do not provide the quality service to the consumers.
It is true that e-business sector has not been yet developed to the fullest brim. When the government along with its separate annexes including the planners and experts is thinking how the e-commerce sector can be expanded to serve more customers, irregularities are pushing all the possibilities behind. Meanwhile, many consumers have lost their trust in e-commerce sites. Many e-business sites once lost their reputation have failed to establish trustworthiness among the consumers.
However, recently, the Ministry of Commerce has launched Digital Commerce Operations Guidelines- 2021. It is undoubtedly a noteworthy initiative to ensure sound deals for the consumers. The guidelines include a number of instructions for the e-business platforms.
Apart from the accountabilities of the virtual companies that must be performed for the consumers, the instructions provide the consumers rights to lodge complaints against the fraud e- commerce business sites. Above all, all the operational processes have been addressed in the Operations Guidelines -2021. But these hardly work to ensure sound deals for the consumers in many cases.
Experts opine that it is very urgent to introduce a specific statutory legislation for the e-commerce sector to combat the fraudulent e-business. Until the regulatory framework for the e-commerce is introduced, it would be fertile ground for the dishonest people to take the opportunity and commit fraud. More importantly, the exemplary punishment must be given to the fraudsters who are destroying the possibilities of the emerging e- commerce sector.
(Alaul Alam teaches at Prime University. He is also a research scholar at the IBS. Email: [email protected])
