Sampati's Observations

The brouhaha surrounding the progress of technology and AI—and their potential to shape human civilization—has always intrigued me.

My Father-in-law is an exceptionally progressive and tech savvy person even in his early seventies.

Whenever we meet, his eagerness to learn about workings of modern-day payment mechanisms, AI-ML, and advancements in digital technology always blow my mind away.

But as I started using these technologies myself more and more, I started to see through the facade.

Take, for instance, one of the world’s largest marketplaces, named after the famous river flowing through Latin America.

Upon our return to India, I was excited—finally, we wouldn’t have to rely on overpriced stores with limited choices to set up our new home.

With full enthusiasm, my wife and I placed orders for everything we needed.

And that’s when the fun began.

Sometimes, the local delivery agents deployed by this so-called marketplace would give a five-second missed call and promptly update the status as “Consignee not reachable.”

Other times, the item wouldn’t be delivered at all—just a quiet status update on the app.

When one tries to ask for help…

A standard, dismissive response: “We have raised a complaint.” No complaint number, no follow-up—just an echo into the void.

Now, the more interesting part is actually getting to that so-called “answer.”

First, one must battle the AI.

The AI, in its infinite wisdom, simply redirects you to the very app page you’ve already checked—the one that prompted your question in the first place. A brilliant loop of frustration.

Only after relentless insistence does it finally give in, offering the holy grail: a human chat or a phone call.

And so, the real ordeal begins.

One spends a considerable amount of time listening to a carefully scripted apology, followed by an equally scripted assurance that the problem will be solved.

After a long, patience-testing conversation—explaining everything from scratch—the call is transferred to the ‘Relevant Department.’

And then? Déjà vu.

One explains the issue again, hears the same scripted apology, and receives yet another hollow assurance.

For a fleeting moment, it seems like a resolution is within reach. But soon, reality sets in—it was all an illusion.

There’s a “dependency on the local team.” And who exactly is this local team? The same people who created the mess in the first place! Yet, somehow, they are the only ones who can fix it.

Still, one clings to hope.

But no—nothing happens.

The delivery timeline displayed at the time of placing the order meant nothing.

If one persists, pushing through the endless loop of apologies and scripted responses, the final resolution is simple- a refund.

But what about the false promises? The wasted time? The sheer frustration of it all?

No one is there to answer. There is no accountability, no compensation—just silence.

My wife kept telling me that we may want to just live with it — after all, they do offer discounts.

At first, I thought that this is fine. I resigned myself to accept that maybe that’s just how things work.” And I made my peace with it.

But then, a wise man came along and ruined that fragile peace of mind.

Here’s what I learned:

If a product is listed for ₹100 on this marketplace, the manufacturer might get ₹20, the intermediary seller might get ₹20, and a staggering ₹60 goes to the marketplace itself.

And in return?

No accountability for quality or delivery timelines. No real support for sellers or manufacturers—unless they pay extra for it. And this so-called brilliant technology that, when it truly matters, is about as useful as a null and void set

So, I can’t help but wonder… Who is really benefiting here?

What do you think about this? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below—I’d love to hear from you!

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