The surge of scammers infiltrating Nigeria’s declutter industry has prompted concerns regarding the trust consumers place in legitimate companies.
Vivian Ekwegh, CEO of Declutterdotcom, a thriving enterprise specializing in reselling household items, not only acknowledges the gravity of the situation but is actively educating Nigerians on identifying and combatting these scammers.
Addressing the escalating challenge, Ekwegh emphasizes the importance of building trust through dedication and transparency. She states, “At Declutterdotcom, we have a refund policy in place to protect buyers from scammers and ensure that they receive items that are as described.”
Ekwegh continues, “Our refund policy is designed to provide a fair and transparent process for resolving any issues that may arise with a purchase. If a buyer receives an item that is significantly different from the description or is not as described, they can request a refund. We take these requests seriously and work closely with both the buyer and the seller to reach a resolution. Our goal is to ensure that buyers have a positive experience and can shop with confidence on Declutterdotcom.”
Having successfully guided Declutterdotcom through four years of dynamic growth, establishing it as the foremost resale platform, Ekwegh sheds light on the company’s proactive measures to protect clients from falling victim to scams. “We have two corporate accounts with two of Nigeria’s notable financial institutions and are poised to create more to avert our clients falling prey to these individuals,” she explains.
She also details the stringent procedures involved in the account creation process, saying, “These banks take them through a lot of scrutiny and request relevant documents like CAC registration, proof of address, board resolution, valid means of identification, valid tax identification number, and reference letters before they open a corporate account for the individual.”
The visionary business leader also emphasizes Declutterdotcom’s commitment to client education in identifying potential scammer accounts. “At Declutterdotcom, we place a strong emphasis on raising awareness about identifying potential scammer accounts. We educate our clients on the red flags to watch out for, such as frequent changes in usernames, unusually low prices for items, the absence of any marked sold items, and most importantly, payment accounts that are consistently associated with OPAY, Palmpay, and Monie Point.”
As the declutter industry evolves in response to the changing economic landscape in Nigeria, Ekwegh asserts that addressing the issue of scammers is crucial for sustained growth and success. She concludes, “By implementing stricter verification processes and fostering a culture of trust and transparency, the industry can regain the confidence of both vendors and buyers alike.”
