Omi Gurung tells us how his day-long shopping spree turned out to be a nightmare of sorts
Omi Gurung tells us how his day-long shopping spree turned out to be a nightmare of sorts
Look around you, it's raining sale in the city. It's time for festive sales and shopping is at its peak. Recession too doesn't hamper the buying spirit of shoppers. When words like FREE, SALE, DISCOUNT are displayed everywhere, it drives people to the point where they have to step in and simply splurge.
Like everybody else I too was tempted and went on a shopping spree with a friend, only to be left feeling dismayed by the end of it.
Here I go...
That morning I grabbed the newspaper and discovered a pamphlet inside with bold letters that read BUY 2 GET 4 and on the flip side was "70% off." I was like wow! I quickly called my pal and we decided to meet up at a mall. In the afternoon, we entered the outlet and browsed through the collections.
After almost 20 minutes of search we selected the best six. We went to the billing counter to make our payments and I was speechless. The gentleman explained "Sir ji, you got it wrong, it is buy 2 get 4 in total (2+2 free) not 4 free and you have forgotten to read the terms and conditions we've mentioned." Oops! He was right it was mentioned at the bottom of the ad in tiny letters "*only on selected items."u00a0 It was a ridiculous gimmick.
u00a0
Try your luck
We visited the next store which had a jumbo sized poster SALE up to 70% hanging outside. This time I noticed the word UP TO. After five to six sessions in the trial room, I finally got a perfect pair of jeans and the price too was worth the money.
But I see my friend nowhere around, suddenly he appeared with a sad face. I asked him what happened and he answered "Two days back I got a t-shirt from here with 30% off and today the same t-shirt is sold for 50% off". I'm sure this has happened many times with most of us, and I've come to realize it's sheer luck when it comes to shopping.
Not again
After drinking coffee and laughing over the ordeal, we planned to go and buy coffee mugs for each other. We dropped into a well known home store in town. Their latest collection of home products was amazing but even the old ones were good, they had a flat 50% off sale.
A few days ago, we had seen a set (3 pair) of coffee mugs and now were on a mission to hunt for it. Luckily we could spot it and requested the sales boy to pack it up. Suddenly my eyes went on the price tag. It was Rs 800; I asked the sales boy "This is for 50% right". He said "Yes, it's Rs 800 after the discount".
I remembered its original price since I wanted those mugs. It was around Rs 1,000. We both went to the store manager and had a conversation about it. After a long drawl that took place, he said, "We are really very sorry, you are absolutely correct, it is Rs 500. Someone may have tagged it wrong by mistake". After a tiring day we ended up watching a movie. The next time I see a sale tag, my eyes won't glow for sure.
All gimmicks
With gimmicks like these that retailers and advertisers play, shopping is no more a pleasure. Today ads and offers are so manipulative that even a smart shopper falls for it. Next time you're out shopping, plan it well. Never buy things in a jiffy and whatever you buy check its value for money. Is it worth the price? Go shopping with friends; it comes in handy as you can share the costs many times. Use your shopping cards and collect or redeem the points. Don't feel shy to ask for help from the salesmen. Remember, the customer is the king and do read the *terms and conditions. All I can say is "Dekhawa par maat jao, apni akal lagaao!"
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