"A cultural shock that I got after moving to Canada"
An Indian influencer divided opinion when she detailed her ordeal while returning an Amazon parcel in Canada.
Dr Selene Khosla, who has 120,000 Instagram followers, shared a video that was captioned:
“Amazon India vs Canada.
“Huge respect for each and every delivery associate in India who makes this possible, even in extreme temperatures.”
Selene compared the differences between returning Amazon parcels in India and Canada.
In India, a delivery person picks up the return, whereas in Canada, customers must handle returns themselves, something Selene did not like.
She said: “A cultural shock that I got after moving to Canada was that, unlike in India when you order from Amazon and you get 30 days return.
“I mean of course you get 30 days’ return here as well, but the Amazon delivery boy will not come to your house to take the package back.
“You have to pack the product, print the label so that they just assume that if you are rich enough to shop from Amazon you should have a printer at home or find a printer nearby because unlike Swiggy no one here delivers printouts at home.
“And after doing all that hassle you go to the post office to drop it.”
In Canada, one has to go to the post office to return a parcel.
Selene continued: “You have to go to Canada Post.
“I mean, people who are even working in the Indian post office don’t go to the post office… but in here, everybody goes to the post office because of Amazon returns.
“So I have a huge appreciation, huge appreciation, for the systems that are set in India, and for my Amazon delivery boy who comes and take that package.”
Discussing Google Maps, the influencer said:
“Google Maps is pretty much the same here because the first Canada Post location I went to was not even Canada Post. It had shut down. It’s a crazy hot day.”
She eventually found another post office.
Selene said: “I went to drop the package and I told the girl who was collecting the package that, hey, you know what, in India, we have people who will come and take it for us.
“And she said, what? And I was like, yeah, I mean, even if you order a bottle of shampoo, they come and take it because we’re developed.
“We’re privileged. We’re privileged. I love my country.”
View this post on Instagram
Praising the value of India, one netizen said:
“NRIs and foreign students truly know the real value of India.”
However, many were critical of Selene and accused her of being insensitive.
One said:
“She is like, Why can’t we exploit workers here in the West like we do in India?”
Another wrote: “My cousin is a delivery worker in Bihar and gets 16 rupees for a delivery, in this scorching heat of 45°C.
“The same companies don’t have the guts to exploit the working class in Canada. Watch this and read comments to see how the rich of this country are insensitive monsters.”
A third added: “A developed country will simply not have cheap labour as most people have access to good education, enough jobs to go around.
“Free e-commerce/food delivery/returns, household help are viable in India simply because there are many poor people who’ll work at that price point.”
Selene later responded to the criticism, stating that she was “highlighting the pros” of India.
Loading ...