» By: Gary Durkin
“ Buyer beware. “ By GARY DURKIN © 2005 - All Rights Reserved Worldwide. You may not be familiar with the title of this article, or indeed my writing style - but often they go ‘hand-in-hand’. I use phrases or sayings to support my articles - as this often acts as a good starting point to drive home various key facts I am trying to emphasize to my readers. The phrase or saying ‘Buyer beware’ has some legal background, but is more often linked to everyday life when trying to warn people against the perils of purchasing - that’s purchasing, often without good deliberation, consideration of facts - or sometimes just good old ‘commonsense’ (me included!) Today’s fast pace World is all about ‘here and now ‘ getting things done today - action, not delays. We are all part of it. We all want things immediately, we hate waiting, postponing, complications….. Without this hyper-energetic lifestyle, there would be no need for fast-food, microwave ovens, email, cell phones, instant coffee, 500 TV / Cable channels, express elevators……. But … that’s the World we live in, and the life we lead. Who, more than anyone, has grasped this concept of high-energy, turbo-boosted lifestyles than…. the sales, business and marketing industry? They are dominating virtually every aspect of our lives, often subliminal, subconsciously - but always effectively. This drives the passion inside us, acting as the catalyst which results in our eagerness, need, often greed - to make impulse decisions, instantaneous purchases…. many of which are regrettable. Hands up those of us who have never bought something on the spur of the moment, then later wished they hadn’t?? It’s not all our fault. Whilst we must hold ourselves partly accountable, society too, but we mustn't forget the experts all around us who are preying on our weaknesses - to make ‘that’ sale. It’s all about….. ‘BUY NOW - Limited Stocks’. ‘ Sale Ends SOON’. ‘ Offer Won’t Last Long’. ‘ This Deal Closes Tomorrow’. ‘Price Goes Up At Midnight’. ‘Get It While You Still Can’. ‘One Day Sale’. It’s all very clever marketing and sales techniques - nothing illegal (not usually), some might say not even immoral. Here’s a little ‘hint’ about the morality of ‘sales’………. Where I live, I am constantly bombarded with Sales and Special Offers, just like many other countries. I will see an advertisement offering me a 75% discount off the normal price of a set of dining room furniture. Sounds good so far - that’s one hell of a saving - 75% off. This means I pay only one quarter the normal price. However, and here’s the catch…….. the retailer, part of a large chain, has at some time in the past few months, at one of their outlets / stores (usually one of their smallest, and least popular) - placed a ‘higher than normal’ price on the items for a short period. So - usual price in usual stores would be $2,000 But they applied a ‘special’ price at a small, unpopular store of $3,500 - for the same items. Advertise 75% OFF (but hidden in the small print they refer to the price at this ‘one’ store, where the item was on sale there for a few days. SO - here’s the bottom line. If it REALLY was 75% off - the ‘usual’ price of $2,000 - you would pay just $500 However, as they are using this special price from just one of their outlets, you pay 75% off this ‘adjusted’ price of $3,500 - which is $875…. So you are in fact, paying much more than what the real discount should be. This is not illegal. This is exploitation of a loophole. And people just like you and me fall for this every day. Many of us will buy because of the discount, the special offer, the sale price - and have less regard for the product itself. NOTE - businesses very, VERY rarely sell items for LESS than they cost. So Sale Prices still mean they make a profit - albeit a reduced profit. Often our impulse purchases of special offers and discounts, are made without a second thought regarding the terms, conditions, exemptions, exclusions, and guarantees (if any) that apply. Here is another, very quick example, of how we can be exploited. Mail Order companies, just like any other business have sales and special offers. But not all of them allow free returns of goods if you change your mind. This means that if you have decided not to keep the product, then YOU have to pay from your pocket, the cost of returning the item. This itself is a factor which is off-putting to many, and deters people from returning goods. This results in lower returns, lower refunds for some Mail Order companies (and more profit). The internet for example, is jam-packed with special offers, limited time sales etc. It’s is one of the most popular forms of internet marketing strategies which ‘force’ (persuasive encouragement) people BUY NOW. And it works! You simply don’t want to be left out……. To be the one who missed an opportunity…… so out comes that credit card and BANG! You’ve done it! Often, following this very short period of adrenalin-driven hyperactivity, follows a prolonged period of remorse and regret. “Why the hell did I buy that?” Sometimes we quickly try to claim a refund - but often we don’t. We may have some small nagging doubts inside, but we put them to one side and cross our fingers. It’s only later, when we realise that the sale was ‘hyper-hyped’ - and the product may have been over-sold and in the cold light of day, under-delivered - we really start to have our misgivings. Often, it’s too late by this stage. The offer has closed, the refund period *(if any) has expired. The product didn't live up to our expectations, the car doesn’t have an engine, the video we bought was Betamax, the software was too hard to use, the book was written in a reading style for those studying Quantum Mechanics, there is no support, I didn’t read the small print…….. The last part is vital. If you really MUST have it - then check, read, understand and know the terms. Don’t spend $200 on software only to find it doesn’t come with installation instructions, a manual or support. Check it out FIRST. If you are SO pushed for time, that the special offer / sale ends in two minutes - and you haven’t got the time to read the terms,…… do you really need it THAT MUCH? If you have doubts - or questions, then ASK FIRST! If the seller wants to make the sale, they will be happy to help you. If they’re obstructive - walk away. Is ANY purchase really THAT important that you MUST buy it NOW? Unless you are buying food for your family…. I doubt it. Can you afford to burn money? Or do you just buy things for the hell of it? Make sure you KNOW what you are getting, what the limitations are, and if you get any support. So….. Buyer Beware !!