A shopping nightmare on bol.com

9 min readAug 16, 2020

As a Sunday blog, I write about life experiences. This will be about shopping. I want to share my experience with a slow juicer that I purchased from bol.com.

I am a frequent online shopper (my partner calls me a shopaholic, I check almost everyday discounts and buy stuff even when I don’t need them, just because of the discount). I do use mostly amazon.de for years but I was trying to get used to bol.com. I’m afraid I have to give up and stick to amazon after my shopping experience on bol.com.

Let me briefly explain in steps;

I was planning to buy a slow juicer for our wheatgrass juice project. Surprisingly this was a planned shopping :-)
I was checking several models and reading reviews for some time.
One day I saw a discount for one of the shortlisted slow juicers on bol.com I immediately ordered
I didn’t pay attention if the seller is really bol.com or a 3rd party
The product arrived in a few days. I was happy with the on-time delivery. Cause I tracked it and purchased some veggies/fruits to try our new gadget with several different options
When gadget arrived we were ready to enjoy it. We disinfected the package (COVID-19 rules at home) and then opened the package. Washed the item, we were excited and ready to have our first juice. But unfortunately, it didn’t work. We were quite upset.
I immediately got in touch with bol.com using their mobile app on my phone. Had a chat with an agent, I asked the gadget I received is not working can you please send a new one meanwhile, I will send this one back to you. I know that this is not normal but I didn’t want all the veggies and fruits, which can be used only for juicing, go bad. I asked for a favor.
I learned from agent gadget was sold by a 3rd party, not by bol.com
The agent told me that they will get in touch with the seller then update me. I didn’t want to lose a discount that’s why I didn’t think to ask for a refund at first.
I received immediately a response from the agent that the seller doesn’t accept this option and advising me to take gadget to service.
I became upset cause everything will go bad. I had to find another solution. I decided to send the gadget back and ask for a refund and buy a new one as soon as possible.
I properly packed the gadget and I sent it back bought a new one the next day and enjoyed our new juicer.
I was waiting for a refund from bol.com
No response from bol.com. After several days, I didn’t get a refund and one day I received an email from the seller with a few photos indicating that gadget is working and there are marks of usage and that’s why they can’t accept the item. I was in shock. I wasn’t expecting anything like this.
I immediately had a chat with the bol.com agent. I told I don’t accept this I highlighted one more time that I sent the gadget back because it was not working and I only washed it to prepare for first-time use. They got in touch again with seller
No response from bol.com. I received for sometime later another email from the seller offering me a 50% refund or sending the item back to me
I was in shock one more time. I wrote again to the agent immediately, I said this is ridiculous, I want my money back. The agent told me there is nothing else for them to do for that moment. The case will be escalated to head office.
I started waiting for a response from escalation but rather then a response I received another mail from the seller indicating that the item will be sent back to me.
I don’t have words to express my feelings but if you followed each step till now I believe it’s not difficult for you to guess.
In the meantime, no response from the bol.com. One more time I wrote to the agent and heard the same thing — the case will be escalated to head office
No response from the bol.com. After a few days, I received my package. One more shock. I again wrote to the agent and got a response that the case will be escalated to the head office.
No response from bol.com. After waiting another week or maybe 10 days I couldn’t hear any result from escalation. This time I wrote to the agent that I want to talk with someone. Each time writing the whole story from scratch was so annoying. The agent told me that they can’t call but gave me a number so that I can call them.
I called customer service, told the story. I was in shock one more time. I learned that even though I couldn’t hear anything from the head office, they analyzed the case and told seller to send the gadget back to me. The agent told me that there will not be a refund. And asked me if I had tried the gadget again. I told that I didn’t touch the package I even try yo keep away from my sight so that it doesn’t make me upset. The agent recommended me to have a video while opening and trying one more time. If it doesn’t work then they can reconsider the case.
I was so angry to fall into this desperate status. I did the unboxing video and what a surprise juicer didn’t work again. As we agreed with the agent I responded to email and send him the video. I couldn’t send the video as attached so that I uploaded the video to my gdrive and shared the link through email. Btw, there are scratches on the item really, which I didn’t pay attention last time. I don’t believe that I may cause those, cause I just washed and after can’t have it running, repacked and sent back.
No response from bol.com. I couldn’t hear anything about if they received my email and I decided to ask if they managed to watch the video. I sent another email to customer service. And guess what there is no response.
No response from bol.com. I’m planning to call them tomorrow, but my patience is over.

Whatever happens next, if I don’t have to, I will never use bol.com again. Amazon has really good customer service. I had several problems in years with them. Also, I spend hours on phone with Amazon customer service but they always helped me I didn’t get upset about anything. Bol.com put me a position as if I’m liar which is unacceptable.

18.08.2020 update

I spoke with another agent. I learned that last time they couldn’t open the video. Today agent apologized and told I couldn’t understand why my colleague didn’t respond to you. Finally someone got the point. This is insane, no response since 2 months.

18.08.2020 2. update

I received an email from agent this time, unbelievable but first response from bol.com, indicating that they saw video and shared with seller. I need to get a response within 2 days. Let’s see what comes after that.

18.08.2020 3. update

I received a phone call from bol.com. They asked if the seller got in touch with me. For me this is wierd btw. I don’t want to go into details about it but it can be another blog story topic. I purchased the item from bol.com. Why do they share my contact details with seller? I don’t think that this is the right approach. My contact point should be only bol.com. Anyways its not the topic of this story, right?

When I told that no one has contacted with me I learned that seller closed the case without any response to my video. I was recommended to have some more patience. ok, waiting…

18.08.2020 4. update

Finally I have a customer service, just received another mail with apology and learned that seller doesn't response to them. My case will be escalated to head office one more time. Mail promises that I will have an update till Friday this week.

20.08.2020 5. update

I received another call from bol.com, Same person who is looking after my case. I learned that my case got a response from head office but it is not something helpful. I learned my case will be reescalated to head office but this time to a more powerful department. It’s becoming more funny right?

I thanked the agent personally and I emphasized that its just a personal thank for your support and time. But I’m still so disappointed with bol.com.

I did shopping from bol.com. No matter what I shouldn't be facing with the problems caused by actual seller. That’s the reason we are doing shopping from a well known sellers. If I had purchased the item directly from sellers website then facing with them would be obvious.

I learned that I may hear another update from them tomorrow of on Sunday. I will add updates for you.

22.08.2020 6. update

I received an email from 3rd party seller to me and bol.com

It was in Dutch that’s why I translated with google translate.

In short, it says there is a security pin and if I have spend enough time reading the manual rather then else I would have found it. I checked and it really works. It was my stupidity for sure to miss that pin.

I will not share the mail cause it may be illegal but I responded as follows;

Dear Bol,

First of all I had checked the security switch and machine is working.

Here are instructions and photos from manual as attached. How could I have understood from this about that security switch? It’s not mentioned in the manual.

And if we leave aside the device, my problems still stand I will declare individually as follows;

1. I purchased the gadget from bol.com. I believe that I should be communicating all the time with bol.com rather then the 3rd party seller.

2. Attitude of all the emails I received from 3rd party seller were all with negative approach since the beginning which should have been constructive professional customer service so that we wouldn’t come up with this state.

3. Every time I tried to reach out bol.com I couldn’t get a response from customer service which ended up with me writing a blog about it. If you read the story it is based on the experience about being left alone with my problem rather then device and money refund.

4. Moreover I should be capable of returning anything that I purchased within the 2 weeks period without being blamed and meant as liar that I used the device.

5. It is obvious from photos since the beginning, device had water stains from washing before first time use but not dirt which was declared as if it was used.

6. 3rd party seller didn’t pack the appliance properly before sending back for the second time. Box was damaged and backup filter is missing.

All the best,

Burak

24.08.2020

I couldn’t hear anything from bol.com thats why I sent an email and asked if they have seen email from 3rd party seller and my response

26.08.2020

No response from bol.com. I sent another email.

27.08.2020

No response from bol.com.

I received an email from 3rd party seller towards bol.com (I don’t know why I receive also emails between them)

It was in Dutch, I translated again using google translate. It seems they are quite angry and it was written in a demagogic manner declaring that I am not telling the truth and bol.com believes in me but not them.

This turned out to be fun! It has been almost 3 months since I purchased the item. I lost my money and they do not hesitate openly declaring me as not declaring truth.

Btw, there is nothing about the missing filter that I mentioned in my last email.

You can read this post dude to see the truth!!!

Here is my response to bol.com;

Dear Bol,

Why do I receive emails from 3rd party towards Bol?

I shared everything openly from my standing point.

I was expecting to hear a response to my last email rather then another email from 3rd part seller which is still so surprisingly insisting that I’m not telling the truth. I’m sorry but can you I ask them please which part of conversation makes them believe that I do not declare truth?

I’m the one who got damage in this case, am I missing something?

They continue with the same attitude that they had since the beginning, nothing constructive.

They should have apologized rather than insisting on blaming me.

ps: at least in addition to insisting on blaming me I should have heard an explanation about damaged box and missing filter.

Best,