Business News Desk – The festive season is about to begin. Navratri will start first. After that Diwali will come. During this time people do shopping. Online and offline retailers offer various schemes and discounts. Many times, after seeing a special scheme or offer, we make such purchases which we do not need. In such a situation, when money goes out of our pocket or a huge credit card bill comes, we feel remorse. Moneycontrol is telling you 5 such tips, keeping these in mind you will avoid excessive shopping.
Don’t fall prey to festive sale offers
During the festive season, companies adopt various methods to increase sales. These include limited time offers, gift offers, limited stock sale etc. These methods are adopted by both offline retailers and e-commerce companies. “You should try to avoid pressure tactics of companies. It would be better if you make a budget in advance and buy accordingly,” said Harshil Morjaria, Value Curve Financial Solutions.
Don’t fall into the trap of false discounts
Some e-commerce companies increase the prices of products first. Then, they give higher discounts on them. You buy in hopes of getting a bigger discount. Later you find out that the price of the product elsewhere is the same or less than what you paid. Therefore, before using false discount offers, check the price properly at other places.
Focus on quality instead of discounts
Some companies give huge discounts on their old stock during the festive season to clear it. In some cases it reaches 70 percent. Customers decide to buy it immediately to take advantage of the huge discount. Later you find out that the model you purchased has been discontinued long ago. Many times there is a problem in repairing such products. Their parts are not available.
Avoid Buy 2 Get 1 Free Offers
During festivals you will see many such offers that you can buy 2 and get 1 free. Some retailers offer cashback on debit or credit cards of some banks. Such offers are especially available on electronics products. The purpose of such offers is to withdraw money from the customer’s pocket. For example, a customer buys two shirts instead of one to take advantage of the offer. He gets three shirts for the price of two. First of all, you were supposed to buy one shirt, but you bought two. Secondly, the customer has no way of knowing whether the price you are paying in the offer is the normal price or higher.
Pay special attention to hidden fees
Shipping fees, handling fees, delivery charges, convenience fees, payment processing fees are examples of hidden fees. It is important to keep an eye on such hidden fees while shopping during the festive season. Customers make purchases in a hurry. Later they come to know that they have to pay some fees, which they were not aware of earlier.
