Miniinthebox: A warning

I was bitten by the online shopping bug after I was given a HD plasma TV and needed two HDMI cables so that I would be able to enjoy its full benefits.

 I thought of going to Sim Lim Towers to get them but decided against it as it was too much of a hassle at this time of the year.

 

Then, while surfing the Net, I saw an unsolicited online shopping email from an outfit called Qoo10. My search for HDMI cables at the website threw up a whole range. 

 

As I wasn't sure about the reliability of the products, I went for a brand name (Sony, but made in China) as I wanted to be careful.

The cables, which cost me less than $20, arrived three days later, all carefully packed. I was so pleased with  the purchase as everything worked out well.

The following days saw me scouring various online sites randomly looking for things that interest me.

One caught my eye -- a car camera that had good reviews and cost less than $50. With my confidence boosted by my TV cable experience, I decided that I would make another purchase, this time from another website, Miniinthebox.

 

The car camera was delivered promptly.  Setting it up the camera (see picture below) itself was not difficult although the instructions left a lot to be desired.

The nightmare only started when I tried to get the camera to work. Nothing I did was successful. After countless attempts, the screen finally went blank. Nothing I did could revive it!!!

 

I decided that I should write a review to warn people who were contemplating on making the same purchase. After sending it in, I did not see it in the Reviews section. So I guessed it had to be moderated.

 

A day or two later, when I logged on to check on the status of my review, this was what I saw...

 

 

 A creative way indeed to keep out the unhappy customers. But why was I kept out of the website when all I wanted to do was to check whether my review had been published??  One can only speculate on the reason for the lockout.

Did I try to contact the website to inform them about my complaint? You bet, but it would take the patience of a saint to learn how to do it.  I failed.

One thing's for sure. I will never purchase anything from this Miniinthebox website.  By the way, it is also known as Lightinthebox.

Happy Christmas shopping but please keep away from this product, if not the website.