Online shopping in Africa doesn’t work because of shipping and billing forms
1–10 of 152 posts
Re: Online shopping in Africa doesn’t work because of shipping and billing forms
#2On pick-up point: "I think this is an innovative approach to this problem."
Well, a pick-up point is not something that's really innovative and is not something that's only useful in Africa.
Re: Online shopping in Africa doesn’t work because of shipping and billing forms
#3Kind of had the same issue with post/zip codes for Ireland as up until very recently we didn't have them. I remember it was annoying when companies with their European head quarters in Ireland and they had mandatory post code fields in their forms. I even knew some people that had some issues opening bank accounts in the UK because it was mandatory in the computer system that the teller was using and they had to get a manager to work around it for them.
Re: Online shopping in Africa doesn’t work because of shipping and billing forms
#4I checked out the linked https://plus.codes/individuals
Steps for creating a Plus Code are: 1. Open the Google Maps app. 2. Touch and hold a place to drop a pin on Google Maps. 3. At the bottom, you’ll see an address or a plus code. Tap this section to find all details of the location and copy the plus code.
If the primary use case is creating an address for my current location - e.g. Home. Then, the instructions are too many.
A "click this button" to create a Plus Code for your current location would work wonder.
Or if they had an app, the single instruction above would equally apply.
* I think Plus Codes would fail most Zip Code validation tests.
Re: Online shopping in Africa doesn’t work because of shipping and billing forms
#5Kind of had the same issue with post/zip codes for Ireland as up until very recently we didn't have them. I remember it was annoying when companies with their European head quarters in Ireland and they had mandatory post code fields in their forms. I even knew some people that had some issues opening bank accounts in the UK because it was mandatory in the computer system that the teller was using and they had to get…
Yes I vaguely recall having to enter a bunch of 0's in fields (when they were permissive enough to accept that).
Re: Online shopping in Africa doesn’t work because of shipping and billing forms
#6How does mail carriers deliver packages? what do they use?
Re: Online shopping in Africa doesn’t work because of shipping and billing forms
#7It's funny, even in the Netherlands we feel a (tiny, tiny) bit of this: all foreign websites have address entry systems that always ask for a state/province (and even faithfully produce a list of all our provinces). We indeed have them but locals ignore them entirely, city, street, number and postal code are all we, and domestic companies, use.
Re: Online shopping in Africa doesn’t work because of shipping and billing forms
#8On pick-up point: "I think this is an innovative approach to this problem." Well, a pick-up point is not something that's really innovative and is not something that's only useful in Africa.
"no-brainer... innovative"
These are opposites. Which is it? Pick one.
Re: Online shopping in Africa doesn’t work because of shipping and billing forms
#9Kind of had the same issue with post/zip codes for Ireland as up until very recently we didn't have them. I remember it was annoying when companies with their European head quarters in Ireland and they had mandatory post code fields in their forms. I even knew some people that had some issues opening bank accounts in the UK because it was mandatory in the computer system that the teller was using and they had to get…
Yes I vaguely recall having to enter a bunch of 0's in fields (when they were permissive enough to accept that).
I still write 'none' in any postcode fields, and am refusing to learn my eircode. I've never had a problem getting things delivered
Re: Online shopping in Africa doesn’t work because of shipping and billing forms
#10In France (don’t know how it works elsewhere) shops can be a shipping point. It creates a network for transporters and it’s a must have for any online shop.
If the transporter ships directly to your home, you have to be here when he comes (and in France you never really know...).
If you haven’t bought large furniture or fridge or whatever, it’s simpler to go to a shop, it’s open on a wide range of hours.
For the shop owner, it can be a good deal as, well, you are in his/her shop.