What I Ordered vs What I Got: 4 Times Nigerians Got Played Online

Ponzi schemes are not the only online scam gutting the funds of Nigerians, there’s also the very popular but painful scam called “what I ordered vs what I got.” 

It’s a fast growing menace in our society where vendors (online/real-time) intentionally deceive people to make a purchase by presenting a false representation of goods/services to them, without delivering as agreed. 

A few Nigerians tell stories of their encounters in this article.

Shalewa

I admire beautiful apparels and when I can afford one, it’s my go to expenditure. In fact, I have so many screenshots of dress styles I might never get to sew but the fact that I can scroll on my phone and see them gives me some sort of joy. 

I should have stuck with just looking at the screen shots but I wanted more. I saw this smashing blazer dress on my favorite fashionista celebrity which I admired so much and I took a screenshot. I thought to myself the design can’t be that hard so I sent the screenshot to the best tailor in our area, Iya Chinedu. 

Iya Chinedu is the happening tailor everyone talks about in my area, in fact, even people abroad send her clothes to sew for them. Iya Chinedu didn’t charge much and she was always busy but I didn’t mind waiting for the clothes, if they came out as beautiful as I saw on social media. 

I couldn’t go for a fitting because Iya Chinedu was unavailable and she had assured me that she’s got it all covered. I got there hoping to get a perfect fit and slay all the way to my friend’s wedding party as per friend of the bride. 

To say my heart was shattered in pieces is an understatement because Iya Chinedu had used someone else’s fabric for me and sewn my fabric for someone else that was several sizes smaller so there was no hope of adjustment. What I ordered vs what I got! She was begging me and explaining how she’s had several challenges in the last 6 months. 

After crying and ranting, I eventually left everything and went back home to sulk. She promised to remake the clothes at no cost, well let’s just say I have been waiting for Iya Chinedu to remake the clothes since 2022. 

Bimbo

I will never forget what happened to me in 2014 when I went to Computer village to get a phone. I had saved all through the year and wanted to get a nice phone. I was sure that as a sharp guy I was going to get the best deal at the cheapest price. 

I got into the phone stall and I was comfortable with the first guy who approached me to sell. They brought the phone I wanted to buy, showed it to me and tested it, everything was good. Immediately we haggled over the price and I settled on a price that made me feel like a successful businessman who had just made a 100% ROI. 

The guys asked for a minute to put the phone back in the pack and write me a receipt, and he handed me my phone. I was overwhelmed with joy and I was quite anxious to see the phone but I remembered the guy’s advice on how there are a lot of thieves around and that I could lose my phone if I am not careful so I waited till I got home. 

When I got home and unpacked the phone I got the shock of my life. It was a phone case filled  with fufu- a local food made of cassava. I was pained!

I cried premium tears, I swore, I even went back to the market the next day and everyone there denied me and threatened to call me a thief. My friends kept taunting me for days on end saying, what I ordered vs what I got. 

Essien

They call me foodie but I don’t pride myself  as one, although I love good food. I saw a popular food vendor on social media and wanted some waffles. After a while on the phone explaining what waffle is, I was asked to credit an account. 

It didn’t ring a bell that their lack of knowledge in that area may just mean that I shouldn’t make my request at that shop. By the time my brain considered that possibility, my hands had processed the transfer, I had gotten the debit alert and I just knew I was going to pay dearly for it. 

I continued to wait until the package arrived. The waffles arrived looking and tasting like pancakes. Was there a mistake here or was this my own version of what I ordered vs what I got  drama.

I took to social media to lodge my complaint only to discover that the vendor blocked me everywhere and I had to make do with pancakes.

Adewunmi

Mine isn’t even what I ordered versus what I got, it’s a case of what I ordered and didn’t get. I saw this vendor online that was selling shoes. The shoes were so beautiful and affordable, plus she had big sizes. 

If you’re a bigfoot like me, you’ll know it’s hard to have those 3 words in one sentence when talking about shoes. So, I was quite excited and didn’t even hesitate to make full payment including the dispatch fee. 

The vendor claimed she was outside Lagos and delivery would take two weeks. To be honest, I didn’t mind knowing what I had bargained for. 

Two weeks later, the shoes didn’t arrive and I didn’t hear from the vendor. I reached out to her and she promised I’ll get them next week. That was how the drama started and she kept promising week after week until she stopped picking my calls and replying to my messages.

Eventually, she blocked me everywhere. I tried reaching out through other accounts and discovered she’s changed her business name. Since then, I never buy things online. I’ll just go to their store and pick them up. 

These stories and a lot more are some of the reasons why I’m not comfortable buying things online as well. 

Have you experienced the “what I ordered vs what I got” scam? Share with us on the “Instagram Scam Alert” community so others can learn from your experiences.