Arming yourself with a vest of will power is a good way to ensure that you survive this shopping season unscathed, says Pallavi Arun, a dentist.
It is that time of the year when we loosen the purse strings and go on a splurging spree. As e-commerce players battle it out during the festive season, the customer is treated to a plethora of discounts and offers on a variety of products to entice them to the already irresistible world of online shopping.
But there is always a flip side to even the brightest of things and youngsters are getting increasingly wary of the shopping frenzy that e-tailers seek to bring about during festivals.
“These sale days are a good way to grab some good deals on a wide variety of items - from electronics to home decor items but one needs to mix caution with indulgence,” says Damodar Varma, an MNC professional. “It is hard to resist the urge to go on buying, especially when you see words like ‘last day’ or ‘limited stock’ flashing across your screen. But one shouldn’t fall for these marketing tricks. Sales will keep happening on different occasions and there is no need to buy something in a hurry,” he says.
Apart from the usual discounts offered by the major players like Flipkart and Amazon, there is also the alluring option of cashbacks which many are opting for this time. But the sheen seems to be wearing off slowly as these sales are no more a talking point on social media, unlike previous years. Also, quite a number of people are publicly airing their grievances at having succumbed to this carefully-planned blitz of marketing and advertising.
“I have seen a few people complaining about how the products were not really discounted during these days, contrary to the ‘big discount’ promise that e-commerce players are offering,” says Keerthana, Damodar’s wife. “Also, some friends have rued the lack of satisfactory after-sales service or a decent returns policy. There are many pitfalls which we should watch out for during sale season. One shouldn’t simple buy things out of peer pressure or for the fear of losing out on offers.”
Arming yourself with a vest of will power is a good way to ensure that you survive this shopping season unscathed, says Pallavi Arun, a dentist. “Keep a list of the items that you really have to buy and also plan a rough budget for these things and ensure that you stick to it. If you wish to buy something expensive, postpone the purchase by a month. During this period, think about whether you really need that product and then make a decision. Don’t shop to de-stress, not only is the happiness temporary, it may diminish when you find out how much you overshot your budget by during a momentary lapse.”
So when they say ‘when in doubt, just buy it’, change it a bit and say ‘when you don’t know what to do, just think it through’.