Online shopping site Grabz fails to deliver purchases

Thursday, 18 July 2019

The Grabz website is still operating in New Zealand but customers are complaining that they are not receiving the items they have paid for.

The Commerce Commission is assessing six complaints against online discount retailer Grabz.

Customers have accused the company of taking payment for orders but their goods have not been delivered.

Grabz described itself as offering products across a range of categories in New Zealand and Australia.

The company's Australian website has been taken down and its New Zealand office number has been disconnected. However, its New Zealand website remains open for business.

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The last post on its social media was in April.

In the comments on that post New Zealand customers pleaded for Grabz to reply to questions about undelivered purchases.

One commenter said an item she had bought six weeks earlier had still not arrived.

'Tried to email many times no response and the contact number is disconnected,' she said.

Reviewers on website Trust Pilot have warned shoppers that purchases from Grabz were not being honoured.

TradeMe head of marketplace Stuart McLean said it banned Grabz after receiving a number of complaints from members.

'Some of our members were paying for items from this seller but they weren't being shipped,' he said.

Grabz claims it offerst the best deals across a range of product categories.

Any members who bought products on TradeMe and did not get what they had bought were protected by the company's buyer protection policy, McLean said.

A Commerce Commission spokesman said the six claims were received this month.

'Consumers should take steps to protect themselves, especially when dealing with an online retailer they haven't used before,' the spokesman said.

'Your consumer rights are the same whether you buy online or in a store.'

'Look at online reviews and feedback, search for information about the trader or site such as their location or parent company.

A .co.nz website did not necessarily mean the company was based in New Zealand.

Deliver costs and times and exchange rates could also provide clues about where the company was operating from.

If a purchase was paid for by credit card and was not delivered, ask your bank for a chargeback, he said.

Attempts to contact the Grabz were unsuccessful.