Kogan Shipped My Item without Any Packaging, with The Label Stuck on The Actual Product Box - Denies The Product Is Damaged

Hi everyone, I bought an item from Kogan which I believed they shipped in an appropriate way. I have contacted them and we have been in back-and-forth discussion (they take on average 1 whole week to reply, so it's been a drawn out process). I'm not sure what to do so thought I'd turn to the OzBargain community for advice.

Basically they:

  • Shipped the item without adequate protection
  • Printed the label and stuck it on
  • The corners were banged, the lid was torn
  • When I peeled the label off, it started taking off the actual product image/layer
  • I needed to gift this for a Christmas present - and it pretty much looked like damaged/seconds goods
  • After numerous replies to-and-from with Kogan, they have pretty much told me it's not damaged and is not warrantable

https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/191961/66365/mvimg_201…
https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/191961/66364/mvimg_201…
https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/191961/66363/img_20181…
https://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/191961/66362/img_20181…

Here's a little summary of the replies, I'll just include snippets to make this easier to read….

13th Dec

Thanks for your email.
I've raised this with our Support Team, who will be getting in touch with you shortly.

20th Dec (and they also asked for some photos for proof)

I am sorry to hear that you are not satisfied with the packaging of your product. Allow me to assist.
We endeavour to package all items in a safe and appropriate manner, based on what is best suited for the item.

15th Jan

I'm sorry to hear the product has arrived in unsatisfactory condition.
The purpose of the packaging is primarily to ensure the product reaches you safely, and this does appear to be the case here.
I will certainly pass on your feedback regarding this and I'm sorry for any disappointment regarding the way the product has arrived.

After which…I pretty much said that it was damaged and it wasn't good enough to say 'sorry and we'll pass on the feedback'. I also mentioned that I was a loyal customer (and have bought many items from Kogan in the past).

23rd Jan

As it's the packaging that has been damaged, this can be considered a cosmetic damage which is non-warrantable.
In this instance, I would suggest inspecting the product to check for any damage on itself.

After which I replied the actual item's box should be considered as the actual item itself. e.g. If I buy phone that is scratched (cosmetic damage) but it is still 100% working fine, I would still consider this damaged. Or if I go into a store, and there is a 'clearance' section, it's usually for goods that were damaged in transit, missing the box, slightly ripped packaging, etc.


Anyway - should I keep pursuing this matter with Kogan, and what is the best way to go about this?

Or is this something I should accept, that as long as the inner actual item is fine, then it doesn't matter if the packaging is damaged?

I should also mention that I'm following this up more on principle, than just to get money back. As a long time customer, I'm probably never going to buy from Kogan again anymore…but that's another story.

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Comments

  • +43

    It's a box, get over it. The box for your foot spa is not the actual product as you so claim.
    Is the foot spa actually damaged?

    This has got to be the most petty thing I've ever read. I'll even raise the bar further here and call this pathetic.

    • +67

      Yes it is just a box, it's also a present to someone else - which I think it's important for it to be presentable.

        • +12

          Maybe in your circle of friends it's acceptable to put gifts into brown paper bags or wrap them in newspaper and the like.

          • +16

            @smartazz104: Maybe in your circle
            Of friends it’s acceptable to Get them a foot massager 😂

              • +1

                @smartazz104: Foot spa is generally rated highly as a bad gift idea

                • -1

                  @berger: I don't think many on OzB know what constitutes a good gift.

              • +5

                @smartazz104: I didn't laugh. It was a big smile mate :D

                But generally speaking, I do laugh at my own jokes majority of the time :D ;)

      • +14

        While I understand that the box is important to you, it isn't for purposes of the law, the ACL, or any rights or obligations between you and Kogan. I assume the product itself is working properly and not defective, and that's all you're really entitled to - a working product.

      • +1

        Then buy it in a shop. That's the risk of postage. Lucky you got it.

      • +3

        I worked in warehousing and i can tell you, nothing is treated with respect, that phone that you're using right now has been dropped kick more than an average footy match so to expect your foot spa with a box that has an open hanging side to survive the trip would be a miracle to happen.

      • +1

        I can see your frustration given it's a present for someone else. It does look pretty banged up and something you'd get from a seconds retailer.

        Just to confirm, you bought new right? not, factory seconds or carton damaged?

        • Yeah it was purchased as a 'new' product (well there was no mentions of damaged/factory seconds goods)

      • +1

        You could take it out of the retail box and package it up in a decorative box from the $2 shop ?
        I'm sure the recipient will understand if you say "hey sorry the outer packaging got damaged".

    • +2

      Maybe the cat is upset. Its not just a box. Cat wants to play lol

  • Was it Allan Border or Dawn Fraser on the box?

  • +23

    It looks like the foot spa is a large item. In my entire life I have never had a large item not be shipped the way the foot spa was ship.

    Go to any good guys store and look at the boxes for larger items, I will guarantee you that they all have shipping labels on them.

    • Fair point on the label. I don't think I would have minded as much if the rest wasn't damaged. The item wasn't that big though, maybe like 40 x 30 x 20cm. All my other items from Kogan that I ordered came in a separate box and were fine though, was just a but surprised to see this one come as it was.

    • +2

      I'm with this. The problem is that the box is "nice" with coloured printing and glossy.

      If it was the exact same box but Brown and black printing, op would not care if it was damaged because brown = shipping box.

      • +6

        Yeah - the primary purpose of the box is to protect the product, which it seemed to have done.

    • +1

      I recently ordered two DC fans from Kogan.

      They came inside large boxes (larger than OPs) but were both shipped in their own separate plain cardboard boxes.

    • +1

      I recently ordered a vacuum cleaner from Miele, which was quite a large box. They had it placed inside an even larger carton, and stuck the label, etc. on the outer carton. The inner box arrived in good nick.

  • +6

    Obviously a troll

    • +10

      I think it might be real, which is scary.

      • It's real. Item was delivered to Box Hill in Victoria Wed 12th Dec @ 2.29pm

        • +2

          'Box Hill'. Appropriate.

  • +8

    I'd just leave it and explain to the recipient that the box was damaged in transit.

  • +6

    You should have bigger things to occupy your time - the product is fine - move on.

    • +12

      I wouldn't want to receive a banged up product as a gift. Makes it look cheap.

      • +24

        Makes it look cheap.

        It's a homedics from Kogan. It's supposed to be cheap.

      • +1

        Second whooah below: It's homedics from Kogan. It being "not cheap" has already sailed.

  • +12

    If you have them a foot spa for a present, I highly doubt they're in a romantic relationship with you.

    I'm sure they'll accept the box damage

  • Ask if they can ship a free empty box they might have a spare lying around or maybe try buy one from gumtree.. sometimes people sell boxes of the product separately without the product itself if asked nicely.

    • +3

      Yeah, but they sell empty boxes for iPhones or designer items like Dior, not Homedics :/

    • (Maybe Kogan DC for AC? Maybe use in addition to other fan if have place for both - should be able to freeze up/down oscillation at desired angle)

  • +3

    Get a change of mind refund.
    (info)

  • +2

    Get them to send you an empty box.

  • +9

    A recipient of a gift that cares more about the cardboard than the item or the thoughtful gesture could be a new level of shallow.

  • -1

    Reasonable guess is many-of-a-foot-spa unused and ultimately regifted or sold secondhand. Crappy condition box reduces chance of either of those things happening..
    Beyond reducing packaging cost, possible fiendish plan by Kogan?

    Fight until your last breath if happy to, OP.

    • Hahaha.. foot spas would have to easily be in the top 5 regiftable gifts. I know people that have owned them, but I don’t know anyone that uses one.

      My mum once gave me one for Christmas and it promptly got regifted to a friend, who I found out after asking her if she was enjoying it, that about a year later, she regifted it to her friend… who is still yet to open the box :D

      • +2

        And then ends up in Grays Online, which Kogan buys, then OP buys, gifts, re-gifts, re-gifts. Explains the condition of the box!

        OP check to see if the delivery note is stuck over another delivery note.

      • Interesting read, what is so bad about a foot-spa??

        • I dont know. I just never had a use for it, and it seems not many people do. Its like the gift that keeps on being given… :D

  • Did you pay for Kogan Freight Protection?

    Kogan website says:
    The Freight Guarantee/Freight Protection option at checkout offers extra protection for your order for a few extra dollars.

    This guarantees the safety of your products in the unlikely event of loss or damage during transit.

    If this were to occur, we would organise for a replacement to be sent to you at no additional cost.

    • Product is fine, safe, not lost and not damaged.

  • +1

    Call consumer affairs / accc or homedics direct https://www.homedics.com.au/contacts/

    if its that big of a deal to you

  • +3

    Were you expecting a foot spa to be bubble wrapped? Dude…

    • +13

      I received a desk fan from an eBay seller last week. The original box was wrapped in a layer of protective cardboard and then black plastic wrapped around the whole thing. The shipping label was stuck onto this outer plastic.
      There was zero damage.

      It's not hard to do it properly. Unless we're talking Kogan during Xmas.

      • +2

        There's a reason why Kogan is cheaper. You get what you pay for.

      • +5

        Yeah, get your plastic goods encased with Styrofoam, chuck it in a colour box, protect it with layers of bubble wrap, stick it in another box, wrap it up with some more plastics, put the shipping label in some plastic pocket and stick it on top. The planet is loving all this.

      • that's why you paid $20 more than others.

        • It was the cheapest of its type actually, but only because of eBay 20% off and only by a few bucks.

  • +15

    I bought a $2,500 drone from Kogan some years ago and was shocked that it was shipped in its box with just the shipping label slapped on. I’m astounded it even arrived.

    Recently I bought a $600 received which was shipped in the same way. This is the only company I have bought from that doesn’t have shipping boxes for their items. I find it pretty lazy on their behalf to be honest.

    I feel your pain OP, but they’re not going to change their practices.

    • Agree. $2500 should have been put in a shipping box!

    • +1

      I see what you're saying but at the end of the day why do we feel the need to put boxes into other boxes to ship them? If the item arrives damaged then the original packaging wasn't sufficient - it is just more unnecessary waste.

    • +1

      Wow - very glad you got the drone safely! Yeah appreciate it mate. I think similar to you, I was more so surprised to not have a box around more than anything (I buy a lot of things online) - but anyways it's all good!

    • I bought a mechanical keyboard and it was shipped the same, packaging was ripped and damaged but keyboard was ok.

  • +1

    Don't gift foot spas!

  • +7

    I see no reason why this package shouldn’t have been shipped with protection. As an e-commerce seller sometime the only advantage we have is our attention to quality product packaging during the shipping process. Yes some customers won’t care but the majority would prefer the product that they purchased arrived in perfect condition.

    I had the same issue with a product from kogan. Item was poorly packaged and box received damaged. I pushed for a return and refund which I got. They are just being cheap on saving money on packaging.

    • -1

      I see no reason why this package shouldn’t have been shipped with protection

      And I see no reason why it should have been shipped with protection. The box itself is protection for the product, and it worked because the product inside seems to have been completely fine.

      • +6

        Say you purchase a video game. How about I just put a shipping label straight on the sealed case. No packaging. Would you be OK with that? It rocks up delivered and the case is broken but I simply tell you that’s ok because the game still works. The factory packaging is part of the product and its purpose isn’t to just protect the goods inside. In an ideal scenario we would as a society do away with flashy packing and just brown box cardboard all products with simple labels. Ah well… each to their own. :)

        • How about I just put a shipping label straight on the sealed case. No packaging.

          I feel like you've never been to an EB. All their discount stickers and price stickers etc are on the bloody cases.

          Plus, for a vidya game the case is also for storage. This is literally only just packaging. It's not an issue, much less any kind of big issue.

    • +1

      Do you think companies like Kogan package their items blindly so to increase their risk of losing money via damage liabilities? They would definitely have policies in place for how they package their goods in order to maximise their profits. I don't think it's cheap/lazy, I think it's economical and environmentally friendly.

  • +6

    You're gonna have a bad time if you ever become a LEGO collector.

  • I bought something from Kogan and auspost tracking says package is damaged and wouldn't deliver it lol. Must be really bad for them to say that. It's been stuck in limbo for almost a month now with them saying they will follow/are following it up (email from them every week).

    They might be cheap but never again.

  • +13

    youse don't understand the significance of what has occurred.

    the box was going to be passed down from generation to generation as a hallowed item.

    along side the woolworths march 23 1987 catalogue, the rib bones from the 2002 pre-easter BBQ with the work mates, and an empty plastic cup from a Pseudo Echo gig in 1994

  • +1

    I want a box for my box. There might have been a box for screws/attachments in the box, Boxception.

    A foot spa is likened to be a foot massage. Who gives someone a foot massage for Christmas? It reminds me of Jules and Vincent's conversation in Pulp Fiction :D

  • +1

    This is why we will always have physical shops where you can visit and choose which item best fits your needs.

    My mother is especially selective about fruit and vegetables and will never ever accept a random piece of fruit that someone has chosen for her. She'll touch several pieces of fruit choosing by colour, appearance and squeezing each of them until she finds the exact right one. Me…that one will do can we move on now.

    I love having my items delivered but some people detest it.

    My advice…visit a physical shop buy the item again…then…return the item you already have back to the store for a full refund or at the very least store credit. Use a steam iron (one without direct heat) to remove the delivery label.

    • +4

      She'll touch several pieces of fruit choosing by colour, appearance and squeezing each of them

      Okay, seriously? Can she not do that?

      • +1

        Yeah I hate old ladies that do that. Stop damaging my food!

        • +1

          My 2-year-old licks the nectarines then puts them back.

          • +1

            @tranter: I understand why they did it the first time, but once they realised nectarines aren't worth eating, why go back for more? At least try a different fruit! Your two year old should be licking every fruit in the store and putting back all of the ones they don't like.

            • +3

              @Miss B: Surely that should be

              but once they realised nectarines aren't worth eating were smacked by their parents for doing it

              right? What decent parent lets their kid lick random pieces of fruit in the shop?

              • @HighAndDry: I just think there's something a little off about a kid who keeps going back for the same fruit expecting a different result. I think tranter is just trolling people, but you never know I guess.

                It's a 2 year old, I think they're both young enough to still be learning, but old enough to understand no, so smacking is probably not necessary. If the parents genuinely allow their child to do it on an ongoing basis, it's not the child that needs to be smacked though.

                • @Miss B: I mean, it's tranter's kid so, you know…

                  (just messin' tranter, all love!)

            • @Miss B: Good idea! Today is fruit education day down at the supermarket!

  • +2

    I dont see a poblem. Minor knocks to be expected from transit.
    The product inside is obviously perfectly fine so NO you dont have a claim.
    And YES the product was packed and shipped correctly.
    You get such packaging in retail stores as well
    Stop complaining and move on.

  • +2

    Unless it's one of those rare, collectible foot-spas, I doubt the condition of the box will have any impact on the value of the item. I'd just get on with it.

  • +4

    and denies the product is damaged

    Product isn't damaged.

  • +12

    Gosh, If i ever ordered something and was sent to me like that it would be the last time I used that website to order something Although I agree its just a box, its the point of the matter though.

  • +12

    Of course it matters. If the item was being sold in-store it would be marked as 'damaged box' stock and discounted accordingly. That's not how it was sold and advertised at Kogan.

    • +1

      Not really - I've seen far worse boxes in physical stores. You'd just have the option of not buying it.

      • +1

        Exactly the point. OP didn't have that choice and in this case wouldn't have purchased if it was damaged-box stock.

        • -6

          No body forced the OP to buy it.

          So many entitled people here bleeding their hearts out about a piece of cardboard, it is amazing.

          First World problems right here.

    • Most stored won't discount damaged boxes anymore, unless they're really bad. And if they do, might be lucky to save $1-$2

      This item most likely would've been like this already before it was shipped.

      • I don't agree. Most likely scenario in this case it was damaged in transit.

        • It’s a foot spa. Most likely been purchased and returned multiple times (including where Kogan originally bought it from lol )

  • -3

    Try credit card chargeback? If it's a gift and the box looks like that I understand where you're coming from. The product box is part of the presentation. If I gave my friend an item with a box like it would definitely affect her perception of it. As superficial as it is, it happens. People who say it doesn't matter even if it's a gift are likely to not be gift givers themselves, or very bad ones.

  • +1

    Same thing happened to me, I argued successfully for a refund ONLY because they sent the wrong colour item (inside the box of the colour that I actually ordered), which looked like it had been repackaged too. To add to this, they wanted me to 'dispose' of the item before issuing a refund. Disgusting, filthy a**holes.

  • Shouldn't have signed for it when it was delivered if you are not happy. Send it back then on the spot.

  • +3

    Easy solution would be to order from Kogan and send it direct to the recipient. That way even if box is damaged, recipient knows it's not second hand stock but newly ordered. Then you can just follow up with a card and let recipient know it's from you. Don't even need to gift wrap! :)

  • +2

    ", I bought an item from Kogan which I believed they shipped in an appropriate way."

    so whats the problem?

    • +2

      I think OP me at inappropriate way

  • +2
    1. It's just a box.
    2. Get over it.

    But really could they have packaged it better, sure. Is it really worth your time pursuing this issue probably not. What exactly do you expect them to do about this?

  • +3

    Hope kogan dont sell stuff that are collectable..

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