India is rapidly going online. Even though less than 10% of all Indian online users (which number in itself is quite low) have actually shopped online, a lot of new entrants are making a foray into online market, banking on the growth of internet penetration in India.
Recently, an India based online shopping site was launched – Autsun. They have a unique selling proposition called U-Make-the-Store.
They are going to ask every customer what they want to buy, and at what price? The company will then try and obtain your desired product, close to your desired price from the manufacturer, get it nicely gift-wrapped and shipped free to you anywhere in India. What’s more, the consumer who recommends the product will be credited for the same on the product’s page on the Website.
Is it really feasible to do that?
I do not know of a online retailer (ping me if you know) who is offering this kind of service as yet, but it is an interesting model.
What I am worried about is the logistics and delivery part. This sounds too good to be true – Is it really possible or is it just a stunt to create buzz and attract new customers?
To give it a spin, I went through the process of registration. The registration however, did not complete as I did not recieve the confirmation email to finish the registration . Normally, once you register, confirmation email should reach your mailbox almost instantly, but I waited for 15 minutes for the mail to arrive and then gave up.
I tried to find more details and how it works. Did not find much information either, but here is an interesting condition they have listed for this service.
U-Make-The-Store
AUTSUN.COM is providing the conceptual service U-Make-The-Store on an as-is basis without any warranties. The service is not legally binding on AUTSUN.COM. AUTSUN.COM will try to procure the product and at a price close to the customer indicated price provided it is feasible for AUTSUN.COM to do so. The decision to add or reject a customer’s recommendation solely rests with AUTSUN.COM and cannot be challenged in any forum or court of law. AUTSUN.COM can chose to not disclose the reason for not adding a customer’s recommendations. Under no circumstances can any party challenge AUTSUN.COM on any aspect of the functioning of this service.
After reading this, I am convinced that Autsun is equally skeptical about this model as I am. If you think differently, please comment.