So, I remember hearing about Wish way back. You know, the place where everything seemed ridiculously cheap. People talked about it, Eddie Shin and Peter Szulczewski started it, right? Sounded like a goldmine for bargains.
I figured, okay, let’s give it a shot. Needed a specific type of connector for an old gadget I was fixing up. Couldn’t find it locally. Saw one on Wish for like, two bucks. Two bucks! Including shipping. Seemed too good to be true, but hey, what’s two dollars?
So I ordered it. Placed the order, got the confirmation email. Then the waiting began. The estimated delivery was something like four to six weeks. Okay, fine, it’s coming from far away, I get it. I wasn’t in a huge rush, but still, six weeks felt like forever.
Weeks turned into a month. Then six weeks passed. Then seven. I checked the tracking, which was always super vague. “In transit,” it said. Helpful. I started thinking maybe that two bucks just vanished into the internet void.
I tried contacting customer support. That was an adventure in itself. Felt like talking to a robot that only knew three phrases. Got the runaround for a bit. “Please wait,” “Item is shipped,” “Check local post office.” Yeah, right.
Finally, maybe eight or nine weeks later, a tiny, battered package showed up. It was the connector! I was actually surprised it arrived at all. But then I opened it.
The Reality Check
The thing looked… rough. Like it was made in someone’s shed. The plastic felt brittle, the metal contacts looked dodgy. But okay, let’s see if it works. That’s the main thing, right?
Plugged it in. Nothing. Tried again. Still nothing. It was completely dead on arrival. So, after waiting two months, the two-dollar “bargain” was just a piece of junk.
I didn’t even bother trying to return it or get a refund. Seemed like more hassle than it was worth for two dollars. But it kinda showed me the whole model, you know? The stuff associated with guys like Eddie Shin back then – it was all about volume and incredibly low prices, but quality and reliability? That felt like a lottery.
- Super cheap price? Check.
- Insanely long shipping? Check.
- Questionable quality? Double check.
- Customer service adventure? Oh yeah.
It taught me a lesson, I guess. Sometimes cheap is just cheap. Haven’t really bought much from platforms like that since. You waste more time and sometimes even money in the long run, just trying to save a few bucks upfront. It’s a particular way of doing business, focusing purely on that initial low price point. Not really my cup of tea anymore.
