Bula Vinaka everyone, Last Friday, I decided to treat myself at work to a serve of seafood advertised online and sent to me by a colleague.
The flyer was in aid of a rugby team and had katavatu, kuita and kokoda on the menu.
The food looked so tempting, beautifully presented and enough to make your mouth water. At $20, I thought it was a reasonable deal. So, I placed my order and waited eagerly for the food to arrive.
It was a busy Friday and when the order arrived, it looked nothing like the picture in the advertisement online.
The serving was smaller, the presentation was simple, and it certainly did not have the same appeal as the image that convinced me to order had.
Thankfully, the food still tasted good even though it arrived very late. I shared it with friends at the office who also loved it.
But it got me thinking: are we buying food these days, or are we ordering because of the appealing AI presentation?
I shared my experience with my colleagues, and it turned out I was not alone.
Sophie was quick to say how much she disliked AI-generated pictures of food advertised online. She said the images often looked too good to be true, while the actual deliveries never matched expectations.
Viliame said he, too, had ordered food online and the pictures used to attract customers were often different from what arrived.
He felt sellers should be careful about using AI generated images because, while they were appealing, they fell in the category of false advertising.
Sailosi said he could identify advertisements designed using AI and never bought it. Litia could always tell that some people used the technology to advertise their products just to make money.
Now, there is nothing wrong advertising food to look good. After all, we eat with our eyes first. But there is a difference between making a meal look appetising and advertising something that does not reflect what customers have ordered.
If a picture shows a generous seafood platter, surely customers have every right to expect something reasonably similar when their order arrives.
AI may be clever, but it should not be an excuse for misleading consumers. And it is not just food that we need to worry about online.
The Consumer Council of Fiji recently raised concerns about a growing number of consumers allegedly being duped by online sellers operating through social media.
The Council has received 35 complaints in recent months relating to trading platforms believed to be operated by the same individual.
According to the Council, the complaints involved different traders but followed a similar pattern. Consumers responded to advertisements, made payments, and then found that their goods allegedly failed to arrive.
Attempts to obtain updates or refunds were ignored or met with promises that were never fulfilled.
Council chief executive officer Seema Shandil said the growing number of complaints was concerning and reminded consumers to exercise caution when buying online.
She warned that an active social media presence did not automatically mean a business was legitimate. Consumers should verify sellers, look for genuine customer feedback, and check delivery arrangements as well as refund policies before payments.
The Council also urged caution when sellers demanded full payment before dispatching goods, particularly when little information about the business was available.
This is sound advice for all of us shoppers.
Online shopping is convenient, when busy schedules make it difficult to visit shops. It also gives small businesses an opportunity to reach more customers. But convenience should never come at the expense of honesty. Before paying, take time to check the seller’s details, read reviews carefully and ask questions about delivery. Remember not every glowing review is genuine.
Keep screenshots of advertisements, payment receipts, invoices and conversations with sellers. These records will be useful if something goes wrong.
When ordering food, ask about portion sizes, ingredients and what is included as well as delivery times.
If a photograph looks perfect, ask whether it is an actual picture of the food being sold.
Consumers experiencing non-delivery, unreasonable delays or difficulties obtaining refunds can contact the Consumer Council of Fiji through its National Consumer Helpline on 155 or email complaints@consumersfiji.org.
At the end of the day, nobody wants to pay for one thing and receive something different.
As for me, the next time I see a beautiful seafood platter online, I might ask a few more questions before placing my order.
While the food was yummy, what matters is the timing of the delivery!
Stay alert shoppers and watch what you order online.
