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Shopee, the online shopping brand, has taken steps to improve customer satisfaction.

On Apr. 27, the e-commerce giant signed a memorandum of understanding with the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE).

Both agreed to protect consumer rights by adopting CASE's new dispute resolution.

2.5 working days is quite fast

In line with a new "Shop Safe with Shopee" initiative, the brand committed to "an average resolution time of two and a half working days" for returns and refunds requests.

As listed on Shopee Singapore's help center, the current refund timeline for credit and debit card payments is seven to 14 working days.

People using ShopeePay, PayNow and DBS Paylah can expect a refund within 24 hours.

Shopee's refined timeline ought to give it an edge over its competitors.

Amazon, for instance, requires up to 30 days to receive and process refunds, while Lazada assigns five to 15 working days for credit and debit card charges.

More promises to improve customer satisfaction

Buyer complaints about online purchases have been on the rise.

Complaints regarding issues like missing items, failed deliveries and defective or non-conforming goods have increased from 2,206 in 2021 to 2,530 in 2022, CASE reported.

This accounted for roughly 14 per cent and 17 per cent of total complaints received by CASE in 2021 and 2022 respectively.

Quicker returns and refunds aside, Shopee also said it wishes to improve seller and product quality verification, as well as clamp down on prohibited listings.

Shopee's vice president Ian Ho emphasised the company's commitment to improving consumer experience.

“With e-commerce becoming an intrinsic part of our everyday lives, we know that safety has become the benchmark for Singaporean shoppers. This partnership with CASE, and the launch of 'Shop Safe with Shopee', builds on our commitment to cultivate a safe and reliable e-marketplace environment where shoppers and sellers alike can transact with peace of mind.”

Top image via Shopee