Redditor Urges Malaysians to Avoid Spraygadget on Shopee After Getting a Telco Phone
If you are a frequent online shopper, particularly for tech devices, you might want to pay attention to Spraygadget on Shopee.
A user on Reddit recently shared his experience with the seller on the r/Malaysia subreddit, claiming that the Galaxy A36 5G he purchased at a significantly reduced price turned out to be a CelcomDigi telco unit.
In the post, the user explained that he had initially chosen the Awesome Lime color. However, after the purchase, the seller informed him that the shop only had the phone in black. Since he was desperate for a phone, he agreed to the change, and the phone arrived five days later.
However, when the user turned on the phone, a pop-up notification from CelcomDigi Berhad appeared, stating that “This mobile device has a lock protection feature against accidental loss or theft,” indicating that this supposedly new phone was tied to a telco—which explains the unusually low price. For the record, Spraygadget did not disclose that the phone was a telco set.
The user did not mention the price at which he purchased the Galaxy A36 5G from Spraygadget. However, a quick look at the official Shopee page shows that the seller is offering it at RM1,197 for the 12GB/256GB model. The Galaxy A36 5G, which launched in March this year, officially retails at RM1,699 for the same configuration. That’s a suspiciously low price that would raise some eyebrows if you asked me.
Upset with the telco unit he received, the user reached out to the seller, but his queries were apparently brushed aside with autoreplies. In one screenshot posted, the seller even told him to “just skip” the CelcomDigi notification.
It also doesn’t reflect well that, because the phone is tied to the telco, the promised one-year manufacturer warranty and additional one-year extended warranty have been reduced to just a single year. The extended warranty is subject to the telco’s contract terms.
At this point in the saga, the Reddit user is in contact with Shopee and Samsung in an attempt to resolve the matter and is considering legal action against Spraygadget.
Reading through the comments, it appears that the user isn’t the only one with negative experiences involving Spraygadget. Several others have accused the seller of using irresponsible tactics to drive sales. One user claimed to have encountered the same issue—but with the Redmi 13C.
Other reported instances include:
- Falsely advertising Samsung Care+ for the Galaxy Fold6. When the user reached out, their complaints were ignored.
- Pre-order arrivals delayed by more than a month, with refunds only issued after intervention from KPDN.
That being said, there were also a fair number of users who reported purchasing gadgets from Spraygadget without any issues.
In fact, Spraygadget has a 4.9 out of 5-star rating on Shopee, with 287.1K followers at the time of writing.
Skimming through the listings, most items appear to have good, seemingly genuine reviews, with many listings receiving 5-star ratings. However, applying a filter for 1- and 2-star ratings reveals complaints about warranty issues and phones arriving in different colours than ordered.
Even in a post on the r/Honor subreddit from two years ago, there were already questions raised about Spraygadget’s credibility.
Based on what we’ve seen, there don’t appear to be any other users accusing the seller of shipping telco units.
Nevertheless, it’s always wise to stay vigilant against shady business practices. More often than not, a device priced suspiciously lower than the official retail price will come with major drawbacks—such as the one faced by the Reddit user.
The best way to avoid such issues is to shop on Shopee Mall or LazMall, where official retailers typically list their products. While the prices may not be as low, you’ll have the peace of mind that your purchase is legitimate.
Read more of our articles below!
