ShoppingSquare Sold Me Fake Xiaomi Pistons and Refused Full Refund

Hi Folks,

I feel in some ways like I am beating a dead horse at this stage, but I want to warn users about the woeful practices conducted by ShoppingSquare.
Many Ozbargainers have witnessed a similar experience and this is yet another to add to that list. 😔

Background:

I love the Xiaomi Piston Earphones, I have been buying every model I could and enjoying the experience each time. I had recently purchased the latest model (Hybrid Pros) from a Mi Store on a trip in Beijing while studying. Unfortunately they broke once I returned home after extensive usage. Listening to hours of Podcasts daily along with prolonged use while working, I was desperate to get a new pair. I looked at the usual sources Aliexpress, Geatbest, etc. but I wasn't willing to wait out the delivery time.

I instead referred to eBay and checked out ShoppingSquare's listing. It was comparably more expensive but I was willing to pay more to avoid waiting months for Chinese Shipping. (It would turn out to take 11 days anyway).

Days later they finally arrived, ecstatic I opened the box ready to listening to decent sounding music once more. Unfortunately this was not the case, it was immediately obvious they were fakes. The box was poor quality, the rubber holder was poorly engraved with a misplaced 'MI' logo, the earphones lacked the authentication QR code and the writing was poorly defined. I was livid to open the box and find out they were fake. They sounded woeful too. Even my broken earphones (balance out) sounded better.

I immediately opened a case with eBay and posted pictures outlining the differences between my real pair and the fake pair.

The next few weeks were painful. Shopping Square insisted their product was genuine and ignored any information I provided. I understand it can be a challenge to obtain reliable supply sources, and good fakes can be hard to distinguish from real products. But they simply refused to listen. Finally after long conversations with representatives they accepted the refund and I printed out the RA number and sent the product back.

' omitted, we could confirm all units are 100% brand new genuine obtained from authorised distributors. there is absolutely no doubt regarding the item authenticity. in the case if you have any doubt regarding the authenticity of the item, please feel free to contact the manufacturer XiaoMi for more details and verification. any eBay return case or negative feedback is totally unnecessary! regarding the item, based on your problem descriptions, the unit could be faulty. we would now issue a RA number for you to return the item to us and we would arrange a new replacement or, if you would not like to receive a new replacement, a refund for you. Your return authorization (RA) number is: omitted Please quote this number when you send the item(s) to: Attn: ShoppingSquare (Technical Support: omitted) PO BOX 342 Smithfield West NSW 2164 Please send the item in full using the original packaging. (unless arrangement has been made with our technical support officer). Please keep all information regarding the posting of item(s). Please be reminded that we will NOT be responsible for any lost of item returned to us. Please also label the RA number given and description as "faulty item" along with the return address. Do NOT return the item to the dispatch address as they won't accept any deliveries." '

After waiting another 2 weeks, the item had arrived and I finally received a message from Shopping Square.

'Dear omitted,
again we can 100% confirm all units are genuine from authorised distributors. we have also further followed up with our supplier to check the authenticity verification. there is absolutely no doubt regarding the item authenticity. your claim that the item being not genuine is inaccurate.
we would now consider your item return as change of mind return and would arrange a refund for you under the 30days money back return policy. '

Even after all the evidence I had provided they continued to state my claim was inaccurate. At this stage I gave up, I was unhappy the way I had been treated, but at least I had got some of my money back, (minus shipping costs). That night I bought a set on Aliexpress they arrived within the week. As expected they worked perfectly, sounding exactly as expected.

The unprofessionalism of Shopping Square is really appalling. I highly recommend users avoid their products and look elsewhere when buying goods, in some cases the cheaper alternatives may warrant a better experience.

Ebay has since deleted the refund comparison photos but several were provided like such https://photos.app.goo.gl/Wxl0VGRMqkqXCRHt2