Be wary when choosing devices
When buying a new gadget it’s often tempting to get the high-end model even if you know you don’t need it.
New devices are shiny, the marketing is slick and sales staff are convincing.
That last factor, in particular, can put you under a lot of pressure, especially if you’re not tech-savvy.
A friend recently went to buy a new iPhone after her last one was damaged. She, like most people, is an average user so she didn’t need anything too powerful.
She wanted to stick with Apple so I recommended an iPhone 7 as they recently had a drop in price and its specifications were good enough for her needs.
That’s what she planned to buy when she visited a big box tech store but she ended up walking out with an iPhone X.
While the iPhone X is a great phone, it’s almost twice as expensive as an iPhone 7 and much more than most people need.
It’s also recently been discontinued and replaced by the iPhone Xs (Apple’s flagship phone) and Xr which goes on sale later this month and has a newer processor than the iPhone X and is $300 cheaper.
I’m not sure of the salesman’s motivation but he certainly wasn’t doing the best by my friend in convincing her to buy the iPhone X.
Sales staff should help buyers find the product that suits their needs, not offload old stock.
It gets worse. My friend was sold an extended warranty for another product she bought. Consumer New Zealand has criticised these warranties as they are redundant because the Consumer Guarantees Act already offers protection.
This tale shows why you need to be wary when shopping for tech (or any other expensive product). It pays to do your research first to ensure you’re informed before you go into a shop.
You may get a salesperson who helps you get the right device but if not it’ll help prevent you from being upsold something you don’t need.
If you are given different options by a salesperson when shopping you can always go home to do your own research. This also serves as a cooling off period so you don’t make any impulse purchases.
Another option is to leave your wallet at home so you’re not tempted to buy something you don’t need.
It pays to do your research first to ensure you’re informed before you go into a shop.