Myntra: Babe in the Woods. Review on Myntra

There was a time one rediscovered the joy of shopping, this time from the cool comfort of one’s home, at a time of one’s choosing, at leisure; with plenty of information, feedback and advice from the community; without the buggery of driving through traffic and finding parking spaces, and finally without getting jostled and shoved by crowds. One could linger at the lingerie, clot at the clothing, compare the cost of the costumes, war with the old wardrobe, out with the timeworn outfits, rob cheap robes, and bag the baggage or lug the luggage. One could zoom or pan, scroll or still, and buy or cart the item and make a decision at leisure.

You could pay then or pay on delivery. You could try stuff out and return if it made a bad fit, or had something wrong with it. You worked on trust, and the company cared about your goodwill and your word of mouth endorsement.

Alas, no more.

The desktop application is gone, the faith is no more, nobody cares what you think, and no one even bothers about the business any more.

Flush with venture capitalist funds, bloated with six-figure salary IIM MBAs, and heady with conceit, Myntra worries as much about sense, or economic business models, or feedback, or customer opinion as a hyena about the stock markets.

Who buys stuff on a mobile phone? Yeah, I would, but for a very small amount on a known brand, a size that I am confident about; but something new, expensive, something I would like to see and understand better – no way! Would you spend a cool 10k on a running shoe you can barely make out in a mobile?

Now they’ve taken to selling fake stuff too – and no returns please. I bought a 13k Tommy Hilfiger jacket in December 2015 as a present for my brother – but it didn’t feel right. The jacket was already pilling, the threads were coming off, and the logo seemed to be all wrong. Out of suspicion I visited the local store, and found the same jacket at a 30% discount, and with the logo at a different place, along with the brand name.

I immediately demanded a return. What followed was ludicrous. Each day Myntra would send me a mail in the evening saying they attempted a pickup of my return, but nobody was available at the address – whereas someone or the other was always at home. If they have something to deliver, they will bring the house down by calls and mails if you open the door 1 minute late. But when they realized their cheating has been caught, they used all kinds of low tricks to wriggle out of a return. When I sent them a nasty mail, they told me my return had been cancelled on a technical ground, and now it was being reinstated. After that, each day it’s the same – ‘sorry no pickup because nobody available at the address’. And even as I type this at 6 PM, I am getting a mail that no one is at home! There are no calls, no doorbells, no knocks, and the delivery is unsuccessful – all due to my fault.

I strongly recommend that buyers beware of Myntra on the following issues:

There are far cheaper discounts available in the festive season in brick stores.

It’s best to feel fabric, shoes etc. and try on before buying.

The product is not clearly visible on mobile app.

Cannot be trusted for expensive buys at all.

They have started selling fakes. Quality is suspect.

Warranties are dubious and not accepted by service centers.

There have been occasions when products have arrived with price tags far less than what Myntra sold me for.

They are no longer interested in bottom lines and don’t care for the customer. Myntra has lost way - it's a babe in the woods.

Absolutely Avoid!

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