July 17, 2007
Ordering a cell phone from French mobile vendors
Two weeks later, two vendors and one missed delivery, I finally received my Nokia N76 in red ordered online (because Geneva cell phone stores only ordered this model in black). My last phone before the iPhone.
Other than ordering a book on Amazon.fr (which is just like ordering from Amazon.com) I've never bought anything online from a French vendor and I was stunned at the lengthy measures they go through to ensure you have not submitted a stolen credit card.
After completing a purchase on ebay, and paying via paypal, from both vendors I received an e-mail notice asking to call the company to confirm the purchase and in order for them to actually mail the phone, I was asked to send the following documents:
-- a copy of my passport or identification card
-- a document certifiying my home address or a copy of an invoice with my name on it, proving my home address
I canceled my order with the first vendor because I thought this totally defeated the purpose of buying something online - which is supposed to be from the comfort your armchair - and had no intention of making photocopies and going to the post office. But to my surprise, the second vendor made the same requests. Except they accepted an e-mail invoice forwarded from textually's hosting company and a link to my blogs.
France has a long way to go to be successful with e-commerce if this is standard procedure...
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