The growth of the e-Commerce sector in the country cannot be denied or under estimated, and neither can good courier solutions to go with it. When one is doing any business transactions, the two things they want to be sure about is that the deal takes place in the first place, and that the goods and the money involved are safe.
It is towards this assurance that OLX has partnered with the courier heavyweight G4S to facilitate safe delivery of goods between sellers and buyers. With OLX having over 5 Million users per month transacting on their platform and with G4S having the security and logistical capacity to handle transfers of goods across the country, this partnership is a clear winner. Deals will take place and delivery will be done safely.
As much as e-Commerce giant OLX does not interfere or take part in buyer/seller transactions, it has still had some bad rap about people getting conned on their platform and this is not good for business. Users can now opt to make use of G4S, a courier company with a proven track record, capacity to handle upto 120 tonnes of luggage every day, and the ability to penetrate far flung areas of the country. The delivery service will however only be available in Nairobi for the first three months starting now before rolling out to other part of the country.
How will this delivery work?
- Sellers can drop goods at the designated G4S drop off points close to them and buyers can pick at pickup points close to them. Alternatively, G4S can pick the goods from sellers’ homes and drop at buyers’ homes.
- The seller will be asked to come up with a security question which the buyer will have to answer on the other end before being handed the goods. This is of course in addition to the recipient producing sufficient identification. These security measures are all backed by existing G4S measures for safe delivery – eg issuing official receipts to the seller and availing documents to be signed by both parties.
- G4S will have a flat rate charge for delivery of parcels below 5Kgs, and a graduated charge per kilo for bulk deliveries. The inner details of this can be gotten from the G4S customer care operators via phone.
- Settling of delivery costs will be negotiated between the buyer and the seller. Sellers can incorporate cost of delivery into the total cost of the item.
- It is not compulsory for all OLX users to use G4S as their courier of choice. The usual methods are still open for use and customers are the ones to decide whether G4S is the most convenient for them. There will however be special discounted rates for those who choose to use the courier service within Nairobi.
This partnership brings with it further convenience and enhances the user experience on the OLX e-Commerce platform.
