Be a smart buyer this Diwali season

With Deepawali round the corner, it’s time for those customary tips on smart buying!

Let me begin with one of the most expensive items that people buy (that is, those who can afford them!) during this period — gold and silver. Here I would advise you to go for only hallmarked pieces, because that gives you a third party guarantee about the purity of the metal. So do check the website of the Bureau of Indian Standards for the list of jewellers selling hallmarked gold and silver and make sure that the metal you buy has the required marks of authenticity.

It’s equally important to ensure that the retailer is using duly calibrated and verified instrument for weighing the precious metal because given their steep price, any discrepancy in weight could mean a substantial loss. So check the certificate of verification issued by the department of legal metrology (which the retailer should display) to ensure the accuracy of the weight. I must mention here that in several states, inspections done by the legal metrology departments have found jewellers using unverified, inaccurate weighing scales and also selling gold without deducting the weight of the stones. So look out for these.

In the last fortnight, consumers have been bombarded with festival offers — by online as well as offline shops. Well, take advantage of them by all means, but only after comparing prices with other online as well as brick and mortar stores. Remember, most of the times, the biggest discounts are on unsold stocks or obsolete models. So never rush into a deal. Google consumer opinions and complaints on price, performance and after sale service of the brands and models that you wish to purchase. Make an informed choice.

Given the traffic snarls on the roads these days, I would think that everyone would want to shop online. But the lure of Deepavali Melas is so strong that people are prepared to brave those long hours on the road to shop there. Well, I guess the melas have their own charm and obviously you cannot enjoy that festive ambience by sitting at home and shopping online!

However, the downside of these ‘melas’ is that you get goods from temporary venues and most of them do not give cash receipts. So take the contact details of the organisers and that of the outlets from which you buy the goods. And insist on a cash receipt and pay through a credit or a debit card or a mobile wallet. This way, you have a record of purchase and you have the contact details if anything were to go wrong.

I now come to the mandatory items on every shopper’s list during Deepawali — those tiny, sparkling lights and the decorative candles, that have to a large extent replaced the traditional and beautiful diyas because of the ease of use. Since we do not have mandatory safety standards for these festive lights, one needs to exercise utmost caution while buying them and more importantly, while using them.

So examine the wires and ensure that they are not too thin to carry the load and that they do not come out of the holders easily, as such exposed wires can cause electrocution. Once they are hung, never touch them or the surface on which they are hung, particularly metal surfaces, without unplugging them from the main socket.

Similarly, decorative candles can cause a fire if their containers are inflammable or if they burn till the end, igniting the surface on which they are placed. So choose them with care and place them on a flat, firm, heat-resistant surface, away from inflammable substances. Before lighting them, trim the wick to one quarter of an inch — this prevents the flame from becoming too big. And have a happy and safe Deepavali!

GOOGLE CONSUMER OPINIONS AND COMPLAINTS ON PRICE, PERFORMANCE AND AFTER SALE SERVICE OF THE BRANDS AND MODELS THAT YOU WISH TO PURCHASE. MAKE AN INFORMED CHOICE