10 Things to Avoid in Festival Rush
A major part of the shopping is done during the festival season in Indian households. People generally defer their grand shopping schedules to the festive season. The basic reason is that buying new items for the household is considered auspicious in Indian families. Another reason in part is that consumers expect hefty discounts during the festival season and so wait eagerly for the festive shopping season to begin. This is particularly true of expensive gadgets like automobiles, television sets, laptops, etc. However, in the mad rush of the festive spirit, sometimes people are duped by the crafty salesman and some crooks and are robbed of their hard earned money as they are handed inferior quality goods. Here are some pointers which might go a long way in ensuring that you get what you expect: 1. Wherever possible, try to buy items from established dealers. They sell original company products because reputation is all they have. Nobody likes to stain his/her reputation (or goodwill, in terms of finance) for a few thousand bucks. 2. Try to schedule your shopping. Plan beforehand and stick to the plan. This way you won’t get tempted to buy extra items. 3. Browse on the internet a bit about the specifications and price of the gadget(s) which you plan to purchase. A little knowledge can be extremely useful. 4. Try to get the opinion of someone who has already used the gadget beforehand. 5. Markets predict that about half of their annual sales would be done during the festive season. So, they are all ready. However, due to great demand they almost always fail to keep up with the supply. The result is inferior quality of goods, faking logos of companies and various kinds of fraudulent methods to get your hard earned money. Crooks too eagerly wait for the festive season to make money. This is particularly true in the loose market where unpackaged goods are sold. When you shop in the loose market make sure to cross check the quantity and quality of product given. Due to rush the shopkeeper may make a mistake and leave out accidently a few items from your list. The result, you have to run to market once again. You should also check the quality because some shopkeepers deliberately or accidently pack inferior quality items during festival rush. 6. While buying a product enquire about the possible alternatives, free gifts, discounts (cash or abstract). A cash discount is directly given on the quoted price and an abstract discount may mean something like one year extended warranty. 7. Another interesting way to dodge the huge crowd during the festive season is online shopping. 8. Select your product model online. Read reviews, compare prices and if possible place an online order. 9. Further, you may get some really useful discounts online which the companies give to promote online shopping. The overheads spent by a company in making a product available to you through a retailer and also the profit margin of the retailer is zero in online shopping which might benefit you. Also, the risk of buying a fake product is eliminated because fraudulent methods are usually used by petty retailers and not big players. 10. Last, but not the least, do not overspend. It is easy to get carried away and spend more. But, you generally regret it afterwards. So, be particular about your budget. A little flexibility is acceptable, but do not spend so much that it pinches you later.
Author: Jatin Agrawal More on Shopping Tips
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