How Shopee Operates: Buyer and Seller Perspectives

Shopee operates as an online marketplace platform that connects buyers and sellers directly, facilitating the sale of goods without being a party to the actual sales contract. The platform provides the infrastructure and services for listing, purchasing, payment, logistics, and customer service, but the contractual obligations such as product warranty and purchase terms lie between the buyer and seller themselves.

From the buyer’s perspective, Shopee offers a user-friendly platform where they can browse a wide range of products, place orders, and confirm receipt of goods. Buyers send confirmation to Shopee upon receiving their items, which triggers the release of payment to the seller. Shopee also provides customer service support and dispute resolution mechanisms, but it does not guarantee transaction completion or product quality since it is not directly involved in the sales contract.

From the seller’s perspective, Shopee enables sellers to create and manage their online shops, list products, and handle orders through the platform. Sellers benefit from integrated services such as payment processing, warehouse and logistics support, and fraud prevention, which are part of Shopee’s operations team. Sellers are responsible for managing their inventory, fulfilling orders, and ensuring compliance with Shopee’s terms of service. Programs like the Malaysia-to-Singapore Direct Programme allow sellers from other regions to operate on the platform as if they were local sellers, expanding their market reach.

Shopee’s operations team plays a crucial role in maintaining the platform’s usability and reliability by managing customer service, payment systems, listings, warehouse logistics, seller operations, and fraud detection. They continuously work on innovative solutions to improve the user experience for both buyers and sellers.

In summary, Shopee functions as a marketplace facilitator providing the technological and operational infrastructure for buyers and sellers to transact, while the actual sales agreements and responsibilities rest with the users themselves.