Stomper claims drinks arrived shattered with bugs inside, one bottle 'exploded' and cut his thumb
A Shopee customer alleged that a carton of carbonated drinks he received was contaminated with bugs and ants and had broken bottles.
Stomper Caden shared with Stomp that he had ordered three cartons of drinks from Shopee seller Absolute Vending by AGPG Asia (drinksrus) last month and discovered that one of the cartons had been 'impacted' during shipping.
He claimed the liquid had spilt and the contents were 'contaminated' with dead insects.
According to him, the seller initially refused to offer a refund or exchange, even though the listing on the Shopee platform stated '15-day free return'.
"I should already qualify for free return with one of these two clauses (partly shattered and spilt) and the damaged item fulfilled both," he said.
"But instead, Shopee and the seller wanted me to go through broken glass to inspect every bottle and send pictures when they already have pictures of broken bottles and bugs and the spilt drink.
"The seller still insisted it was safe to consume and only offered vouchers for the broken bottles.
"I refused as I insisted it's not safe for consumption."
Caden said the seller later agreed to a return and refund when he raised a dispute on Nov 20 with Shopee, but the process became difficult.
"I had to arrange my own courier to send back a 14–15kg carton," he said.
"Shopee kept using delay tactics and asked me to inspect every bottle even though it was contaminated and had broken glass. They kept rejecting a free pickup, which I'm entitled to."
He said both the seller and the platform had already received photos showing the broken bottles, spills and dead insects.
On Nov 24, Caden said he attempted to take additional photos for Shopee but one of the damaged carbonated bottles "exploded" in front of him.
"It cut my thumb and I bled a lot," he said.
"Those bottles were already damaged even if not very visible. I'm sure the seller, who has sold this product for years, would know there's a chance it could explode."
Following the incident, he said the seller immediately refunded him for the carton and told him he could dispose of the items on his own.
In a message seen by Stomp, the seller said: "Your safety is our priority and we sincerely apologise for the distress caused.
"To make this right, we will proceed with a full refund for the entire carton."
The Stomper said that the seller later called him.
"She even said her drivers were busy and asked whether she could arrange for the town council to clear the carton," he said.
"They never changed or took responsibility for their mistakes."
Caden shared that he felt his money was 'held hostage' and that he should have been entitled to a refund immediately.
He hopes to highlight his experience so other buyers are aware.
In response to a Stomp query, Shopee said: "We are in touch with the buyer and have assisted with a full refund for the affected items.
"Consumer safety is of utmost priority to us.
"We have reviewed the handling of the case and are committed to ensuring a better user experience through improved training and processes."
