Flipkart pulls the plug on Ping, working on user-seller interaction feature

Remember, Flipkart’s social feature Ping that let you discuss shopping within the app. The company has now decided to pull the plug on the feature, owing to lack of customer interest, according to a report by Business Standard. Ping was introduced as an invite-only feature, and on installing, one would find a bubble-like chat icon on every page one navigates. Once you start chatting with a friend, it would throw options such as sharing your wishlist, cart, screen share, photos and videos from the gallery, and simply click a photo and share it. While Ping is gone, Flipkart is believed to be piloting a new feature that will allow users to chat with sellers and customer care executives. The company now has a pilot for ‘user to seller’ chat and is expected to start ‘user to customer care’ chat too, adds the report. It is not just Ping, but has pulled the shutter on the ‘image search’ feature too. These features were aimed at the e-commerce site’s ambitious mobile-only app initiative, that crashed. The new pilot feature isn’t surprising as, at the Surge 2016, Flipkart booth did put up a screen showing Ping that seemed like demonstrating something similar. It should be noted that Snapdeal already has Shopo , which allows buyers to chat with small scale retailers.  And, finally Flipkart has also realised that social experience in e-commerce isn’t something users prefer, as users have ample of options to discuss shopping (read: WhatsApp). Meanwhile, some other reports floating online claim that a small group of sellers is threatening to cut ties with Flipkart over the new changes in policy implemented by Flipkart.