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I was scammed!


I am not really an avid fan of online shopping but there were times I bought stuff online just because they were so cheap as compared to ones that were sold in the malls. I am also very meticulous in buying things online. I would compare prices, read comments and reviews, and even check the background or reliability of the sellers and the products. So, I never really thought I’d be a victim of my own doing. Just recently, I came across a Facebook ad that was so deceiving that I ended up buying the item only to regret it later on.

Instaclean Facebook ad

So, there was this Facebook ad from Instaclean that just popped out in my newsfeed out of nowhere. It was an ad for a cleaning product, a foam cleaner that would supposedly instantly remove dirt and make things new simply by spraying and a little scrubbing. I was actually looking for a product like that for my car chairs and living room sofas, so the product really enticed me. Just like many people, I viewed the video and I felt so amazed by the product with just what I saw. So, I clicked the link going to the website and I was happy to know that the product was on sale. Accordingly, the product’s original price was 2500 pesos and they marked it down to 999 pesos (with no hidden charges so to speak). I said to myself, go buy it while it’s still on sale. I don’t know what really went wrong with me because I did not even bother checking the website. Later on, I realized the website lacks some information such as who the owners are, where the company is located, etc. That was a very big mistake on my part.
Screenshot from the Instaclean website


Moving forward, I purchased the item. In fairness to the company or owner (whoever that is), they offer Cash-on-Delivery so at least, I knew I wouldn’t be scammed. The delivery took a very long time that I almost forgot about it. Finally, it arrived in the last week of December and I was really excited to try it.
The actual foam cleaner I received

When I opened the package, I felt that there was something wrong so I checked the website again. Lo and behold! The item was different from the product shown on the website. Then, I began to search the product on Shopee (both the product I received and the product in the website) and to my dismay, the foam cleaner is actually just sold at 200 – 300 pesos by other sellers. The first thing that came into my mind was that “I was scammed!”
Similar product being sold in Shopee with a cheaper price

But after reflecting about it, I can only blame myself for what happened because I could have double-checked and thought twice before making that purchase.
I also realize that e-commerce should also now be regulated by the government, especially in terms of pricing.

There's a discrepancy between the photo posted on their website
and the actual product I received.

Well, for now, I’ve learned my lesson and it’s a lesson that made me lose some hard-earned cash.

I hope you will not get to have the same experience.

P.S. The product did not work... to my dismay.


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