Man Pays S$600 for Delivery of 1,300kg in Clothes, Items Left at Void Deck Instead

A 34-year-old man, Zhang (transliteration), recently ordered over 1,300kg of clothing from the Chinese online shopping platform Taobao for his online clothing business. Paying an additional S$600 for doorstep delivery, he was dismayed to find the 14 large sacks of clothing left at the void deck of his HDB block instead.

Zhang, who works independently, explained to Shin Min Daily News that the logistics company, Ocean Pearl, had contacted him on the scheduled delivery day, September 29, 2023, asking to reschedule. Having taken leave to receive the delivery, Zhang requested they adhere to the original timing. However, shortly after, he received messages from Ocean Pearl stating that the goods were “too heavy” to bring up to his unit. “All the goods are too heavy or unable to enter the lift. We will leave it downstairs,” the company stated in a message.

Upon arriving at the void deck, Zhang found the bags, some reportedly weighing up to 180kg, scattered across the area. With no assistance from the delivery team, he and his wife spent three hours carrying the bags up to their unit. Zhang expressed frustration, saying he had previously received similarly large shipments directly to his doorstep from other companies.

Ocean Pearl, in response to media inquiries, claimed that they had warned Zhang about potential delivery issues due to the weight of the items. The company cited safety concerns for their staff, noting that heavy lifting could lead to injuries. They added that Zhang’s insistence on doorstep delivery despite the weight led them to leave the items at the void deck.

Unhappy with the handling of the delivery, Zhang is considering filing a complaint with the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE).