I’m Abdulbasit, a student and freelance writer.
In the first half of 2023, I was very much in need of a laptop. I was planning hard on writing more blog posts and personal articles. But the year was passing away. I had to do something quick. later, I saw that it was not feasible to get a new one from Jumia or Konga.
That was where Shop Inverse came in. I’ve been following them on Instagram for about one and a half years. On Insta, they share stunning pictures of laptops and laptop accessories — whether high-end, lightweight, or detachable. You just name it, they have it!
Before ordering the laptop from Shop Inverse, I was very sure I could trust them. I’ve listed them here:
1. They’ve shared testimonies of customers over the years. They’ve got good reviews too.
2. They have a physical presence. From a passing bus, I’ve once seen their shop building in Maryland Mall, Maryland, Lagos.
3. Their website was functional and often updated with new stocks at least weekly. Trust me, this matters a lot.
Despite this, I was Nigerian, and have heard of several scam cases. I still had a bit of doubt in my mind. Should I just visit their physical address to get the laptop? Should I order it online via their website?
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The dealmaker came when I saw a laptop that they said was soon going out of stock. Again, I had to do something quick. I stayed in Ogun state which was a border state to Lagos (where Shop Inverse is based). Without further ado, I proceeded to order the laptop from their website.
It was a Chromebook—HP Chromebook 14 G5. The laptop was a perfect fit for me since I would only be doing light stuff on the laptop. Chromebooks are built on the ChromeOS. Unlike traditional laptops, Chromebooks rely heavily on an internet connection and cloud-based apps for functionality. Hence, they are fast, simple and secure.
Okay, let me tell you what I mostly do on it (after 4 months):
- Browsing more than 20 websites at once
- Write on Google Docs and Google Keep
- Use other Google Workspace apps — Slide
- Make designs on Canva
- Read Slides and PDFs of lectures
- Watch Youtube
- I also get to download some apps on Playstore
I ordered an HP Chromebook on the ***** for 39,500 Naira only plus 5,000 Naira for delivery. It was time to wait for my package. Since I was outside Lagos, delivery will anywhere from 3-7 business days. However, orders within Lagos state take 24hrs-48hrs.
I had to be patient.
The order arrived on the ***. It was 2 days late. I contacted their customer care and they assured me that my order had been processed. “The delay is due to the large volume of orders we received from promo we’re currently running,” they further said.
On receiving the laptop, I couldn’t have been more eager to remove its packaging. The delivery man throughout our meeting was warm enough. Returning home, I unpackaged it. It looked as though it was never used (and that’s one thing about most UK-used laptops).
I came a with a fast USB-C charger. I thought I’d get a laptop bag too, but later found out the laptop bags are for when you place an order over NGN 100,000. You also get free delivery to anywhere in Nigeria.
Getting that laptop from Shop Inverse is definitely one of the best decisions I made this year. I totally recommend them!
Abdulbasit Toriola is an undergrad at the University of Lagos. He’s big on modern laptops but likes to get them cheap. In his free time, he surfs the web for valuable information, verifies and shares them on his blogs. You can connect with him via the links below.
