Rules in buying

Have you ever tried buying the wrong thing because you were so excited with the item and forgot to think what you are actually buying?

 

Today was a very frustrating day for me. On a Friday evening, it should have been a nice time to unwind after a long week of work, however it turned out to be a very sad way of ending the week.

 

I and my friend went to an electronic shop after work this afternoon to have our cell phones unlocked as it doesn’t work in Thailand. After quite a lot of tries, we concluded they don’t really work here. Aside from this purpose, I also intend to buy a camera as it is really so “smart” of me not to buy a camera in Japan, (sigh). But anyway, I really need one so I thought I should better get myself one.

 

As I was browsing over these cameras in one of the stalls, a lady showed my friend a gadget which really interests her a lot. This lady kept telling her and convincing her of how amazing the product is. I later found out it was a Sony MP4 with video, camera and voice recorder. Perhaps one attractive feature is that it is touch screen and has a port for TV connection etc. I heard my friend saying it’s 8 mega pixels as she reads the print around the lens of the camera and the seller was confirming it.

 

After getting a grasp of their conversation, I suddenly focused my attention on what they were talking about and got so much taken by the many features of this technology. Thinking I needed a camera and this thing comes with more than what I need, like video, MP4 and all those stuff tickled my interest and started bargaining for the price. In all fairness, they gave me a good deal at 4300 baht, originally at 5500 baht since my friend agreed to buy one also. I was happy to get the deal and immediately bought it.

 

As we were eating dinner, my friend tried this thing we just bought. She tried a few times but the picture was not what she expected. She thought she was not just doing the right thing and so she got the manual and started to read. After a few more tries, she then realized the pixels were not really MEGA pixels. It was just 8 M (whatever that M means, but not mega) pixels. I was shattered in frustration upon realizing it too. Why haven’t I thought of trying the camera first? WHY????? I was really upset about myself. I started to ask where did I put my brain at that time? But it’s all over. Now it gave me quite a few lessons and it’s not bad after all as I get to learn all these, and it would, I believe make me wiser. So now, I have these few rules before buying something. 

 

  

Rules before shopping:

 

1.              Think first if it’s a need or want.

2.              If you buy anywhere but a credible department store, recognize if the seller is reliable, if the product is worth its price. Cheap products are sometimes if not most of the time of poor quality, imitations or smuggled

3.              TEST. DON’T FORGET TO ALWAYS TRY THE PRODUCT IF IT WOKRS OR IF GIVES YOU THE SATISFACTION IN YOUR USE.

4.              Haggle a lot as much as you can, sometimes they’ll be the one to give up and give you your deal. My friend said if they don’t agree with your deal, don’t go higher, better leave the stall, you’ll find other better offers.

So, today is quite a bad day. I’m sleeping with lessons off and I hope they get stuck in my mind.