I purchased a car dashboard camera from Groupon earlier this year. However, the cable which provided power to the camera was faulty.

I called Groupon to report the fault and was told to contact the merchant directly. Groupon gave me an address but could not provide a telephone number, so I had no choice but to visit the merchant at the given address. However, the office was closed.

I called Groupon and, after numerous frustrating exchanges, I was given a mobile phone number to call. I called the number several times, but nobody picked up my calls. I also left messages for the merchant to call me back, but never received any calls.

Groupon should check on the reliability of the merchants before putting their products on its website for sale.

With the growing popularity of online shopping, consumers need better protection.

Richard Phua Soo Siah