In Cuba, direct purchases from platforms such as Shein, Temu, or Amazon are not possible due to a combination of national economic constraints, currency and banking limitations, and the longstanding economic, commercial, and financial embargo imposed by the United States government, which in recent years has only intensified.

In response, national economic actors — including state enterprises, small and medium-sized private businesses, and self-employed entrepreneurs — have embraced the profitable initiative of online sales. They operate through .cu platforms, various .com websites, and even digital marketplace-style pages where multiple businesses can showcase and sell their products.

Online shopping options have diversified, and the modality can often be convenient for both buyer and seller. Yet convenience is not guaranteed. At times, the distance and virtual nature of these transactions leave customers feeling disregarded and undervalued.

Recently, a neighbor shared with me an unpleasant experience she has yet to put behind her. Living in an area plagued by frequent power outages and raising two children, she has struggled in recent months to cook meals. To cope, she decided to purchase a pressure cooker so she could at least prepare rice and beans or stews, even during blackouts.

“I ended up buying a so-called pressure cooker that wouldn’t soften even the faintest piece of bread. The pressure was rising in me every time I put it on the stove, while water poured out of every seam in the lid. But my frustration keeps rising because I’ve been dealing with this since November 2025, and to this day no one has taken responsibility for replacing it.”

She purchased the appliance through a Facebook page called Caiman53 Haitech, which appeared reputable due to the quality of its promotions. “Just imagine — even actor Alejandro Cuervo appears in their advertisements promoting their offers,” she said.

Convinced by the marketing and driven by necessity amid the blackouts, she persuaded her husband to make the purchase. They traveled to a warehouse in Marianao, located at the far end of the municipality, in facilities belonging to Copextel, navigating poorly maintained roads to get there.

They were treated courteously and received the cooker in a neatly packaged box adorned with Chinese characters in bold red and yellow, giving the impression that it had just arrived from Asia.

Everything seemed fine — until they tested it at home.

The cooker malfunctioned. Initially, they suspected the rubber gasket might be stiff from storage and would improve with use. It did not. After several failed attempts, they contacted the company’s online customer service. They were instructed to return to the pickup center to request an exchange.

They complied. However, upon arrival, they were informed that before any replacement could be processed, they needed to obtain official certification from the Copextel repair shop in Playa, at 41st and 34th Streets. The defective condition had to be documented with a stamp and signature verifying that the appliance indeed required replacement.

The bureaucratic runaround did not inspire confidence, yet they followed every instruction. On their third trip to Marianao, only the lid was replaced. For a brief moment, they believed the issue had been resolved. It had not. The cooker still failed to build pressure.

Strangely, the appliance appeared to function during the brief in-warehouse tests but failed again once back at home.

A fourth visit followed in January. Since then, they have been waiting for the department manager to receive a second email. The first was rejected because the technical report had been improperly completed and therefore not accepted for processing. They now await further instructions on how to proceed with what remains a pressure cooker without pressure — and a customer who feels indignant, disappointed, and disregarded by the ineffective management of multiple entities.

Translated by Sergio A. Paneque Díaz / CubaSí Translation Staff