Snapdeal resumes pan-India deliveries: Key things to know

Snapdeal says it has completed delivery of nearly 50% of the pre-lockdown orders placed by buyers in March.

Snapdeal is also accepting cash on delivery (pixabay)

Snapdeal on Tuesday said it has resumed pan-India deliveries. The resumption of services includes Cash on Delivery (CoD) in green, orange, and red zones. The company will not deliver in the areas marked as the containment zones.

The move follows the Indian government's new guidelines for the fourth phase of lockdown that allowed deliveries of non-essential items in the red, green, and orange zones.

To help in logistics planning, Snapdeal has teamed up with Legistify, a law tech platform, that provides live trackers of the latest regulations in red, orange, green and containment zones, including the trends and micro details from such areas, the company said in its release.

As far as the CoD goes, Snapdeal says the option is available for 26000 pin codes - in green, orange and red zones.

“Snapdeal has completed delivery of nearly 50% of the pre-lockdown orders placed by buyers in March, but which could not be delivered due to the sudden imposition of lockdown restrictions. All deliverable orders from this backlog are expected to be cleared by the end of this month,” the company said in the release.

A quick look at Flipkart's home shows the listing for non-essential products including phones and other consumer gadgets. Some of the products are available to order while some aren't.

“We are complying with Govt's regulations on Containment Zones. Owing to this, orders in these zones may be cancelled, as per local guidelines. We are committed to serving you and thank you for your support,” reads a message on the e-commerce website.

Amazon also appears to have begun taking orders and deliveries in all areas. The e-commerce platform, however, asks you to sign in to check the availability of the service in your area. The company also said on its website that it has begun accepting Pay on Delivery in “most locations” where it is delivering all products.

“Amazon welcomes the latest notification from Government of India as it enables ecommerce to deliver a wider selection of products while upholding the tenets of safety and social distancing. This will give a fillip to the 6 lakh retailers and MSMEs on our marketplace and help revive economic activity more broadly. We are humbled by the opportunity to be an extended partner to the Government as it balances saving lives alongside creating livelihood. We remain committed as always to ensuring the safety of our customers and our employees while creating business and employment opportunity,” an Amazon India spokesperson said in a statement.

“With the government allowing ecommerce companies to deliver a wider selection of products, we are humbled by the customer response and geared up to meet the pent up demand for priority products that customers need over a prolonged period of lockdown. The sellers on Amazon.in have seen orders for consumer electronics, kitchen & home appliances, smart devices, laptops, phone accessories, apparel and more. Customers are also looking for large appliances, especially summer essentials like coolers & ACs, clothing, grocery, health & personal care products, beauty and sports. Work from home and online schooling enablers such as laptops, books, headphones and computer accessories continue to interest customers,” the spokesperson added.