3 Things To Consider When Ordering Durian Delivery
Years ago before food delivery became main stream, having durians was very much about going down to the stall to have the fruits on location.
Or that we would travel down to the stall and buy them to bring home. Where no one will be able to witness how we gorge on it like cookie monster on Oreos.
While there are many pros and cons of ordering durian delivery, it must be said that this has vastly expanded the consumer market for durians.
Because going to a durian stall can be a challenging undertaking for many. No matter how much one loves durians, the fear of walking into a durian stall can instill the type of fear into someone that you’d associate with taking a drink at the river bank… infested with lurking crocodiles.
Actually durian sellers are mostly friendly with the best intentions. They mostly just want to gift consumers the pleasure of eating durians.
But when questionable practices come up, they can often make it into social media. And these incidents often go viral. Presenting the retail industry of durians in a bad light.
So durian delivery gives durian lovers who just don’t want to deal with physical stores a way to have their durians.
But this also comes with a lot of risks as all these durians will have been dehusked and put into a box. And this just puts too much power into the hands of the sellers.
Here are some tips to minimize the risks of disappointments when ordering durian delivery.
1) Seller reputation
This might seem like a natural diligence check when buying anything online. But with how the digital economy has become mainstream these days, consumers are no longer as wary about online purchases as it was a decade ago.
Now most people make online orders with a lot of confidence. It’s a credit to the agencies that made this possible.
But make no mistake about it. There are still widespread scammers and shaddy sellers all over the place. And a highly priced fruit like durians makes a good anchor.
After all, when customers receive bad durians and want to make a complaint, by the time any real action can done, some time might have passed. And it can be very hard to prove that the durians were already bad in the first place since by now even a good durian would have disintegrated by some degree.
This is the grey area that is in play for highly perishable products like durian.
The least that you should do is check the reviews of the seller online. In addition, make a judgment call of whether their reviews are real.
For a famous brand, you can expect a lot of reviews. But for an unknown seller or newly established store, having hundreds of 5-star reviews will be questionable. And look for reviews where customers try to warn others of a seller.
Having said this, do note that there will always be bad reviews for any store. Fruit quality can be subjective and inconsistent. In this case, do look for sellers who make an effort to do service recovery. This is a sign that a seller really values their customers. And their reputation means to them than short term profits.
2) How are you buying?
This concerns what platform you are using to place your order.
Some of the common platforms that are being used today include:
- Live sales on FB
- Online shopping apps like Shopee, Lazada, Qoo10, etc
- Seller websites
- etc
Where or how you buy your durians will matter a lot when you run into dispute with the seller. It’s about protecting yourself and preventing bad actors from walking away scot-free with your money.
Selling platforms and financial services will usually do their fair bit to protect consumers.
For example, if you make a complaint with Shopee and provide evidence of bad durians, you’d have a chance of them refunding your money partly or fully.
Even if they refuse when you have genuinely been scammed, you can still file for a chargeback with the credit card company or bank that issued the card. This is provided you have made the payment with your credit card.
All these implies that the order method that leaves you most vulnerable to no recourse is when payment is made via bank transfer or direct payment apps like PayNow. When you have made payment via these methods, your money will be at the mercy of the sellers and there will be no third party to protect you.
A lot of sellers who collect payment via paynow will not entertain refunding. And will most likely offer a new delivery at another time, or a discount on your next purchase.
Which begs the question. Why make another purchase from a seller who sent you bad durians in the first place?
3) Delivery time
If you are ordering the durians for an event, gathering or party of sorts, this is a factor that you have absolutely keep in mind.
Even the most reputable durian store cannot guarantee a delivery time.
There are just too many elements in play. Some of which that cannot be predicted are:
- How jammed is JB and Singapore customs
- What time they receive their durians
- How much orders a seller has to prepare and deliver
- Road traffic conditions during delivery
- etc
If the delivery time is of utmost importance, then it’s safer to get your durians at the store.
Also expect to be charged a delivery fee of about $10 for the delivery. But this can often be offered as complimentary by a seller if the total order sums up to about $100.
And if you want to have more control over the logistics of thing, most sellers will be open to setting your durians aside during their operating hours while you arrange a delivery service like lalamove to collect them.
Ordering durian delivery brings convenience to a whole new level. No more trekking to the market or waiting in line to choose your pungent prize. With just a few clicks, you can have the king of fruits delivered right to your doorstep, ready to be devoured.
It’s like having a thorny treasure chest arrive at your house!
Despite the risks, ordering durian delivery can be a game-changer for durian enthusiasts. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or a curious first-timer, the convenience and excitement of having this spiky delicacy brought right to you can’t be denied.
Just keep these 3 considerations in mind and remember to air out your house and maybe invest in some strong air fresheners!