BY OGORAMAKA AMOS/ PERCY IDUBOR/RITA OYIBOKA
In recent years, online shopping has revolutionised the way people buy and sell products. With just a few clicks, consumers can order clothing, gadgets, and groceries from the comfort of their homes. But alongside this convenience has come a wave of disappointment, often humorously summed up in the now-popular phrase: “What I Ordered Versus What I Got.”
This phrase, which has become a viral meme on social media, captures a deeper concern about the reliability of e-commerce platforms and sellers. Beneath the laughter lies a growing sense of distrust among consumers who have fallen victim to misleading advertisements, poor-quality products, or outright scams.
While some online shoppers have shared amusing experiences—like receiving a doll-sized shoe instead of adult footwear—others have had more painful losses. Cases abound of customers ordering phones only to receive empty boxes, or expecting high-end fashion items and receiving poorly stitched imitations.
“I once ordered a luxury office chair,” says a disappointed shopper, who spoke to The Pointer in Benin, Edo State capital. “What arrived was a plastic stool with no resemblance to what I saw online. It felt like a joke.”
Despite the negative stories, there are still many positive experiences. Trusted platforms with verified sellers often deliver as promised, with quality goods and prompt customer service.
On the flipside, online marketplaces have made it easier for small businesses to reach customers, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the explosion of sellers—some unverified—has also made it harder for buyers to know who to trust.
According to a respondent, Oladele Ogundele, ‘’Lack of regulation, poor product descriptions, and fake reviews are just a few of the challenges shoppers face today. For many, the fear of “getting something else” is enough to reconsider online purchases altogether.
The “What I Ordered Vs What I Got” trend may seem humorous, but it shines a light on the urgent need for better accountability in online trading. As technology continues to shape how we shop, building consumer trust must become a top priority for platforms, regulators, and sellers alike. Until then, shoppers are advised to tread with caution—and maybe double-check that product twice before clicking “Buy Now.”
Another respondent, Chinyere Okereke, said there is usually a large difference between the images shown to the customers online and the actual product that gets to them.
“My friend saw a wig seller on WhatsApp and pointed to the one she saw. When the hair was delivered, it was a sponge wig when compared to the picture. To make matters worse, the seller wouldn’t refund or change the hair, with her claims that the initial picture that the client wanted was already exhausted. The Simple question that came to my mind was “why did she not inform the buyer that that particular hair was exhausted? Why give her what she never requested?
“One of the major reasons this happens is advertising wrongly or false advertising, which mostly misguides buyers. In the cases of wearable products like clothes and shoes, some sizes may not be the exact fit for the customer, which results in ‘what I ordered versus what I got.’
“To make online commerce safer and more effective, efforts should be made to verify the authenticity of the seller from previous customers. More like checking the reviews of past clients or customers. Also, it is important to understand the problem and cons of the seller so that cases of disagreement will not come up at the end of the business transaction’’ she said.
A makeup artist based in Port Harcourt, Chika Walu, recalled her first online order. “I saw this gorgeous pink dress on Instagram. The way the model slayed it, I said, ‘This is what I’m wearing to my friend’s wedding.’ I paid ₦18,000 and waited a week. What arrived looked like someone stitched it during NEPA failure,” she said.
“The dress I received had a lot of errors. First, it was not the design I had ordered; it sounds funny now when I remember the whole drama that day. It wasn’t funny, honestly, when it happened. To make matters worse, I received the dress a few days before my friend’s wedding, so there wasn’t any room for change, and when I contacted the seller, she told me that she couldn’t refund me the money. I was so pissed, the seller now gave me an option of getting another dress to replace what she had sent, which I knew would be delivered late. I ended up wearing something else for the wedding, but I told myself not to be fooled again,” she added.
A mother of two, Pearl Anya, narrated her experience thus, ‘’I ordered a shoe for my four-year-old son’s birthday from a popular online vendor. I waited nine days and received a six-month-old baby’s shoe. When I complained, the seller blocked me’’
“It was the delay of the delivery that got me angry. If I had received the shoe earlier, I would have been able to get a better shoe elsewhere, but the shoe came a day before the birthday party. I had to rush in the morning of the birthday to get another pair of shoes. I was so disappointed and worked up because I had hoped that what I had paid for was what I would get, only to get another thing entirely. The annoying part was that I picked my son’s shoe size, which was available, so I wondered why they would deliver a baby’s shoe to me. Since then, I stopped buying anything from online vendors.”
Mrs Abigail Justice, a fashion designer in Port Harcourt, recalled her experience with a popular online vendor. “I ordered a hand sewing machine, and the picture of the item I saw on the online page wasn’t what I got. I had cleared a space in my shop, waiting for the hand sewing machine. I waited for three days, which was the stipulated time for the delivery.”
“When the dispatch rider came with a small box, I felt maybe it was the parts of the machine, only for me to open the box and see something that looked like a stapler”, she said, laughing. “I was shocked, disappointed and speechless because I had cleared a space in my shop waiting for a big machine. I cried because I was supposed to use the machine for a job urgently”
‘’I advise online vendors to give their customers exactly what they ordered because it’s stealing when a customer pays for something and they receive something else entirely. We don’t know the genuine vendors online. Well! I have learnt my lesson the hard way”
But while buyers often take centre stage in these stories, vendors have their challenges too. Ifeanyi Ugo, who runs an online boutique from Woji, shares his frustrations.
“Some customers don’t read descriptions. They see a model wearing a dress and expect to look the same, even if their body type is different,” he said. He added that some vendors also fall victim to unreliable suppliers.
“There are times we get supplies from Lagos or China, and what they send is not what we paid for. But because customers don’t know this, they blame us,” he explained. Ifeanyi believes transparency is the key. “We now post real pictures of the clothes we have in stock, not just internet models,” he said.
Amidst the tales of disappointment, some buyers swear by online shopping. “For me, it’s been great,” said Grace Emenike, a businesswoman in GRA. “I buy all my skincare online from a verified vendor, and it’s been smooth. I even get discounts as a loyal customer.”
Vendors say consistency and trust are the foundation of good online business. “We give our customers exactly what they see. If there’s a difference, we let them know beforehand,” she said, adding that she has been running her business since 2020.
Also, Gilbert Nwankwo, an e-commerce and business analyst based in Port Harcourt, said the issue starts with the absence of proper regulation in the online space.
“There’s a growing number of unregistered vendors operating unchecked, especially on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and even WhatsApp,” he explained. “These vendors don’t need a physical store or any kind of certification. All they need is a smartphone, a nice-looking product photo, and they’re in business. If anything goes wrong, they just vanish—and the buyer is left stranded.”
According to Gilbert, the lack of a nationwide digital commerce regulatory framework makes it easy for such fraud to thrive. “In developed countries, platforms like Amazon and eBay have strict seller verification processes. They also offer buyer protection policies, refunds, and dispute resolution systems. In Nigeria, we don’t have that consistency across platforms. That needs to change.”
He also noted that while the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) does offer some protection under the Consumer Protection Act, enforcement remains weak in the digital space. “Many victims don’t even know where or how to report cases. Awareness is too low,” he said.
From the legal viewpoint, Emeka Okoro, a Port Harcourt-based lawyer, said, “When a vendor collects your money and fails to deliver the exact product or anything at all, that amounts to fraud under Nigerian law,” he explains. “It’s not just bad business—it’s criminal.”
According to him, victims of fake online vendors are not helpless. Section 1 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, clearly criminalises obtaining property or money under false pretence. “If someone advertises a product, takes your money, and sends something different—or nothing at all—they can be charged under this Act,” Barr. Okoro states.
He also points to Sections 419 and 323 of the Nigerian Criminal Code, which deal with cheating and fraudulent misrepresentation. “A vendor who deceives you online is just as guilty as a street con artist. The law doesn’t exempt digital platforms,” he asserts.
However, he admits that enforcement remains a challenge. “The Nigerian Police Force is doing its best, but many victims don’t report these crimes. Some feel it’s too small to bother, others think nothing will come out of it. That’s where the real problem lies,” he laments.
Ignorance of rights, according to Barr. Okoro has left many Nigerians vulnerable to repeated scams. “A lot of people don’t even know they have the right to demand a refund or report to regulatory bodies like the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC),” he adds.
The FCCPC Act 2018, for instance, empowers consumers to seek redress for defective goods or deceptive marketing. The law makes it clear that consumers have the right to accurate information, fair treatment, and refunds when dissatisfied. “There are channels to report unethical online vendors,” Barr. Okoro explains. “Aside from the police, victims can petition the FCCPC.”
But it’s not all on the authorities, he insists. Vendors also have a legal duty to uphold transparency and ethical standards. “Under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, any use of computer systems or networks to defraud people—whether through impersonation, phishing, or false advertising—is punishable.”
He called for collaboration between law enforcement agencies, digital platforms, and civil society to build public trust. “Online platforms—especially social media marketplaces—must do more to verify vendors and remove fraudulent pages quickly,” he said.
Barr. Okoro also recommended more public awareness campaigns. “We need to teach people that they’re not powerless. Take screenshots, keep receipts, and report. The more people speak up, the harder it becomes for fraudsters to thrive.”
In an interview with The Pointer in Asaba, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Praise Decor Hub, Praise Oyibo, shared her personal and business experiences with online shopping.
“I’ve ordered clothes, hair online before, and even confectionery, that was before I started baking. Let me say, about three years ago, it was my birthday, and I ordered a gown online. What I saw on the site was a long red gown, but when it arrived, it turned out to be short and the colour was more orange than red.
“I told the seller the gown wasn’t long, but she didn’t respond. She just told me to ‘drag the gown’, saying it could stretch and become longer. But, if you walk while wearing a short gown, even if you stretch it, it will still ride up. The gown itself was smelling bad too, like perhaps she had worn it already to make advert videos,” she said.
Speaking about her approach as a vendor, Praise explained, “For my business, I deliver online. To build trust, mostly I try to show that I’m real. I make videos of myself with the cakes I bake, so people can see it’s me who did the work. My friends, neighbours, and cousins know me personally, so they also help spread the word. Some people just decide to ‘try their luck’ after seeing my posts, especially when they hear my voice on the phone and realise I’m a girl, which makes them feel reassured.”
On the challenges that come with running an online business, she was equally frank. “Sometimes it’s not my fault, but there can be delivery problems. For instance, there was a time on Valentine’s Day when I sent a delivery with a driver. The customer didn’t get it until the next day because the driver took far longer than usual for what should have been a two-to-three-hour journey. It can be frustrating, but once it’s out for delivery, it’s partly out of my hands,” she said.
Also speaking, hairstylist Jessica Emegha noted her frustrations with online shopping. “I have had bad experiences ordering online, especially when it comes to wigs. Recently, I contacted a vendor for a human hair wig I saw on her page. But when it arrived, it looked nothing like real human hair. The hair felt cheap, thin, and the texture was completely wrong, nothing like the picture she advertised. While stretching it, it started melting in the straighteners, even though she claimed it was heat-friendly.”
She continued: “When I contacted her, she tried to gaslight me, saying the straighteners must have been too hot, this and that. But I’m a hairdresser, I know the difference and what’s what. I later sent the hair back, asking her to give me what I originally ordered.
“That was when she started telling me the hair I ordered was no longer available, and that everything else in my price range was just hair blends, something she had never mentioned before. Now I’m just stranded because I still don’t have what I wanted.”
She also shared another recent disappointment. “I did a pre-order for a bag from China. The vendor promised it would arrive in two weeks, but it’s been nearly four weeks now. And even now, I’m still not sure if it will come by next month as she’s promised. And if it does come, the quality might not even be good.
“But that’s the risk of ordering online. Yet that’s where we usually find cheaper products and more variety. You take the risk and just hope you’re lucky each time.”
Meanwhile, an avid patron of one of the popular e-commerce platforms, Daisi Akirinbola, shared his experience. “I order electronics online, phones, televisions, sound systems, and even a laptop mouse. But when it comes to clothes, I won’t bother. Sometimes what you see isn’t what you get: the fabric quality can be disappointing, and the clothes often look far nicer in the photos than they do when they arrive.
“Even the sizes can be a gamble. If you order a large size and they mistakenly send a medium, you can usually return it, but only if the item is marked as returnable. However, if the correct size arrives, yet the quality is poor, they won’t take it back. It’s impossible to judge quality properly from a photo alone.”
He added, “I’ve never had a bad experience ordering electronics online. Most of the electronics I’ve bought have worked perfectly. My phone, sound system, and even my old television were all ordered online. I mainly use a particular platform because, in my experience, it’s reliable. Once, I ordered a laptop mouse that turned out to be faulty, but they refunded me without fuss, so it wasn’t a big issue. If the item is coming from Lagos, it usually arrives within 24 hours; from other states, it might take up to a week at most.”
According to him, “The key thing is to read the product description carefully. Many people skip that bit and focus only on the photo, which is risky. For instance, someone once ordered a phone online thinking it was brand new, but if they’d checked properly, the description clearly stated ‘UK used.’ The product description tells you whether it’s new, refurbished, or second-hand. Ignoring that detail can lead to disappointment.
“Another tip is to check who the seller is. On my preferred online e-commerce platform, you’ll find multiple sellers offering the same product. Sometimes, you’ll notice big price differences for what seems to be the same item. Don’t just go for the cheapest option. Read reviews from other buyers, check the seller’s rating, and compare carefully before deciding,” he added.
