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  • Category: Club House Discussion

    Which products you would prefer to buy online?

    I was not a big fan of buying anything online. I would prefer going to a store and checking out the product for myself. This was before I realized how it was less expensive to purchase something online than from a brick and mortar store! What's more, one can get a product which may not be available anywhere in a shop. So I started my foray into online shopping about 2 years ago. Over this time, I bought a few movie DVDs because they were not available in shops. I also bought an external hard drive and a pen drive as these were at a lower price than at my local store.

    However, one product that I would prefer to buy from a store would be garments. I do not much like the idea of buying clothes online even if they are not very expensive and even if they can be returned. Somehow I feel that the colours do not show as well on the screen as they do when one actually sees them. Besides, the sizes offered are limited so they may not even actually fit me whereas in a store if I simply hold it up against my body I could gauge whether it would be a good fit across the shoulders and lengthwise too.

    So which are the products you would prefer to buy online rather than at a local shop?
  • #22107
    Well, I buy almost anything online. Right from shoes, electronic items to things like screen guards - I have ordered all of them. I have also purchased a hammer drill as well.
    But, I would not prefer buying garments online because I am not sure of the quality as being posted. Rest all, yes - I am fond of purchasing online.

    Live....and Let Live!

  • #22110
    I do quite a bit of shopping online. I buy my fruits and vegetables from an online store. Not only are the prices cheaper, I get good bargains in the form of discounts and something free on a minimum purchase. The products are fresh, clean and neatly packed. I can return and not pay for something that doesn't meet the quality. Additionally, this store sells exotic veggies/fruits that are not available elsewhere.

    Apart from that I have bought decor items, medical supplies, electronic goods, kitchen appliances, pots & pans, olive oil, cosmetics, linen, books, garden supplies, furniture and a lot more.

    Verdict: Pleased. These stores have made shopping so convenient.

    A love affair with knowledge will never end in heartbreak!
    Take Care
    Juana

  • #22111
    Even I agree with you. Whichever item which doesn't have a fitting issue and a feel on the skin, can be bought online.
    I bought my son's lunch box, his toys, my kitchen utensils and baby items too.
    You don't need to dress up, spend money on transport, waste time in bargaining and then come back purchasing something which you are not happy with.
    Nowadays I am even thinking of trying groceries from Bigbasket. We also order pizza, cakes etc online. No carry bags, no weight lifting.
    When technology allows us to be lazy, why shouldn't we take the advantage of it?

  • #22112
    Online shopping used to be a novelty just a couple of years ago. People used to be wary of buying something online because of the so called stories about wrong products being delivered. Such stories continue to go viral these days, but nobody seems to care for them.
    As for my personal experience, I have never faced any quality issue with the products I have bought online so far. Online purchase has helped me in getting better prices, convenience of shopping sitting at home and the exposure to the variety.
    One more important thing I have come to notice in favour of online purchase is the privacy. As for instance, when you set out to buy lingerie or for that matter, even contraceptives (like condoms), you are forced to feel embarrassed for no practical reason. You are forced to steel yourself against a few awkward glances. Purchasing such items online gives you total privacy against those stares.

    Live....and Let Live!

  • #22123
    I don't like to buy clothes from online mega stores. Rather I always prefer to buy them from shopping malls, markets etc. As I feel there is much difference between the one I can check for quality before buying and the one for which I only have a picture. Apart from this I like to buy anything from online mega stores like: shoes, DVDs, electronic items, decor items, books, sunglasses, sports accessories etc.

    Online mega stores have made the shopping very easy as now we need not to search any product in the market. Every thing is available on the online mega stores. All we need to do is to order the product we need to buy and then the product gets delivered at our address mostly at a cheaper rate than the market rates. So if technology help us to save our money and time, then why shouldn't we take the advantage of it?

  • #22125
    Another advantage that online sites offer is the search options you have at your disposal. When you set out to buy a product, you can search for the same in different sites and compare the prices accordingly. Or better still, you get to look out for the features you want and then decide on the model.
    Crux of the thing is you do not need to run from one shop to another. You can order a thing no matter the seller is located in any city.

    Live....and Let Live!

  • #22126
    There may be a chance of experiencing something which isn't a happy one, but then there is also an option to return those things within a stipulated period of time.
    We all know when we go back to a shop to return something, we don't generally feel comfortable. The behavior of the shopkeeper and the hazards associated make us generally feel jittery about it, whereas in online shopping these issues are quite smoother.

  • #22127
    I do not like to buy cloths, vegetables and fruits from online ecommerce stores. Apart from these, I can buy anything from shopping sites like Gadgets, Video Games, CDs/DVDs, Smartphone Accessories, Storage devices etc.

    The best thing about these sites is that, most of the time, the price of the product is much lesser than the actual MRP. Offline store do not give such discounts. For example, a week ago, I bought an 8 GB Memory Card from Amazon.in. It got delivered yesterday just at my doorstep. I paid only 151 Rupees (Rs. 40 shipping included) for it whereas its actual price on our local store is 240 Rupees. That's is a difference of total 89 Rupees. My experience of online shopping so far is very good. I never got any damaged or affected product.

  • #22130
    It is true that buying from an e-commerce site has its advantages. However, I am wary too of buying very expensive goods from such sites. Some of you have mentioned buying electronic items. Would you buy such items with high price tags? For example, perhaps you would buy a microwave oven or a steam iron. Would you though buy a TV? Have any of you bought a laptop or an expensive smartphone (costing more than 10k) online? I would far prefer checking out and purchasing such products at a shop.
    Regards,
    Vandana

  • #22135
    Well, coming to the question put forth by Vandana, I have already purchased a smartphone Samsung Galaxy S3 around a year and half ago. It did cost me Rs. 23000. I have not faced any issue with the device till now and I am still using it as my primary and only smartphone.
    But, then - I agree it is a bit wary to go for such expensive items online. I would advice you to check the reliability of the e-commerce sites concerned. With many smartphones available at " online only" model these days, it is not that scary either.

    Live....and Let Live!

  • #22138
    I am very much comfortable in buy any expensive item from an online ecommerce store as far as the Cash on Delivery option is applicable on it. Even, I am planning to buy a laptop next year which will cost me around 20,000 Rupees on Amazon.in. Since COD is available, I will surely buy it from there only.

    Initially, I was very scared of online shopping, this is the main reason why I bought a very least expensive item, but after recieving my first item without any problem, all my fears are gone. Now, I do not hesitate to buy something online. And my favourite ecommerce site is Amazon. It is my default preference. I only look at other sites when the particular is available on Amazon which is very rare.

  • #22141
    Let me tell you the situation of the online shopping in one of area near to me.

    Recently many online shopping sites decided not to deliver any products worth more than Rs. 10K in Noida, UP. Let's find out why this happened!

    What Amazon says about delivering the products in Noida, UP: They won't deliver anything worth
    more than Rs 5K to any address with a UP
    postal code.

    What FlipKart says about delivering any product to Noida, UP: No delivery, for Rs 10,000 plus
    orders from UP.

    So why this happened? The reason behind this was the incorporation by the customers. What the people did in Noida, UP was they ordered many products from such online mega stores and at the time of delivery of their products to the given address they make a group of boys (Dons) like a gang, and when the delivery boy come to deliver the products at the given address they get ready in the group and after the delivery boy reaches they all beats him very hard with hockey sticks, baseball bats, cricket bats etc and they took some of the products with them and they destroyed the rest. Soon this process was a trend in Noida, UP. The same thing was repeated many times, so for a proper solution for it the online mega stores made some conditions for the customers with UP addresses.

  • #22148
    Thanks Sagar for the update about non-delivery to U.P. Imagine - due to looting by such gangs e-commerce sites won't deliver there, thus creating a set back for customers & also bringing down the revenue the sites would have earned through sales in that State.
    Regards,
    Vandana

  • #22149
    Regarding buying expensive devices like smartphones and laptops - isn't it risky? You are paying out such a huge amount for the device. Suppose later the device turns out to be defective within a week or so & the site does not accept the return of the device on some flimsy excuse. What then? Isn't your hard earned money gone in a whiff?
    Regards,
    Vandana

  • #22155
    Good question raised, Vandana - but what to do with a device that is available only via E-commerce sites? Many manufacturers are coming up these days with online only mode of shopping?
    Live....and Let Live!

  • #22158
    I have a doubt in connection with the complaints about some e-commerce sites. We have been seeing newspaper reports surfacing every now and then about a stone being delivered in place of a smartphone. Are they really true? Or just rumours?
    I have been a regular online shopper for almost 7 or 8 years now. I have never faced any of such cases so far. How come such rumours come out of nowhere? Could it be that the regular brick and mortar shops spreading such stories?

    Live....and Let Live!

  • #22159
    Vandana,
    Your raised a good point about buying costly electronic products online. The truth is that it is actually safer to buy such products online rather than from physical shops. If that product starts behaving bad after a few days you can easily get it replaced, no need to even go to the service center. If you buy from reputed ecommerce portals then you don't really need to worry about return and refunds. Just make sure you read the policy regarding these properly.

    I haven't had a bad experience regarding electronics but I do have an experience to share with you.
    I bought shoes from Amazon, however after it came I realized that the size was wrong. Amazon offers a easy return/refund policy with no questions asked. I requested for refund of my money because the bigger size was not available. The shopkeeper refused the refund saying that it was not their fault -a point I accepted but then I had bought it through Amazon which has no questions asked refund policy even if that is just because I do not like the product after seeing it actually. As me and the shop owner were in disagreement I filed a complaint with Amazon and within 15 days I had my money refunded back to my account. The shopkeeper didn't even ask back for the shoe.

    If this had happened at a shop I would have probably had to look for another shoe but there would have been no chance to get my money back.
    Note one point, it will be the shop owners who would refuse your refund-return request on flimsy grounds, not the portals themselves. If you buy from reputed portals, you are actually much more safe.

  • #22181
    Timmappa Kamat,
    Referring to this #22158, I have also not faced any such case. Even none of my friends faced any issue of getting other product rather than what they ordered online.

    Vandana,
    Even I think its better to buy the smartphones from the online shopping websites. And there are also some smartphones that are only available on the online shopping market. The difference which you get from buying it from the online shopping sites and the shopkeepers in your area is that you can easily replace your smartphone if you dislike it or have any issue with it. You need not to go to the shopkeeper of your area, you can simple place a complaint on the online shopping site from which you purchased it and they will surely provide you a method to easily replace it.

  • #22186
    What about after sales service? The warranty is valid for an online purchase of a smart phone, computer, PC tablet or laptop so suppose some problem arises in a gadget which I buy online will they fix it if within that warranty period? What about when the warranty period ends? Whom to approach for repairs?
    Regards,
    Vandana

  • #22189
    You can refer to the warranty conditions provided on the site. Most of the times, the service centres accept the warranty claims for products purchased online. You need to register your product soon after you receive it with your nearest authorised service centre. Make sure you get the invoice for your purchase.
    Always go for a reliable e-commerce site. I would advice Flip kart and Amazon as the most reliable ones. The "online only " items will have no issues as they tie up with a particular site and sell only through them.
    Don't be afraid about whether your local service centre will accept the warranty. They do as I have experienced it myself.

    Live....and Let Live!

  • #22211
    Ankit mentioned that if a product becomes non-functional after a few days, then one can easily get it replaced. However, what if it is not a few days but, say, a couple of months later? Will the e-commerce site still be willing to provide a replacement? That is why I am wondering whether it is safe to buy something as expensive as a laptop online.
    Regards,
    Vandana

  • #22214
    As long as the local service centre is ready to register your product, there should be any need to worry. Even the smartphone or other electronic dealers guide you to the service centre when there are any complaints. I have not seen them replacing or repairing the products at their site.
    If you are so wary, you can enquire at your local service centre whether they will be willing to accept your product for registration if you buy the same online.

    Live....and Let Live!

  • #22216
    Right now I am also facing an issue regarding this. I have bought a set of induction cooker friendly cooking set, from Amazon.
    Now one of the frying pan has suddenly taken a curve from the bottom after two three usage.
    I am in a quandary, whether it will fall under the return policy, because it is not the entire package, but just a part of it.
    I just want to know, if anyone has experienced a similar issue while purchasing online. Also let me know, if anything can be done to replace the item.


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