Think before you buy from Snapdeal.

On a second thought, just for the argument sake and fun, let me take the side of Offline retailers.

Now, running a brick and mortar store is not an easy task. There are many extra overhead expenses that needs to be taken care of. High rentals, huge electricity cost, security issues, theft and many others. These costs are minimal in case of a online store. Moreover, a small offline retailer doesn't gets the margins enjoyed by a established online retailer as they are purchasing items in huge quantities. Many of these online retailers have huge investment backing and can run their business for years in losses just in order to eliminate the competition.
In addition, the online retailers operate from states having low tax structure and most of the time they get away without paying the higher tax applicable in state. For example, Mumbai has octroi and in a offline store all items are octroi paid. But how many times octroi is charged to an online retailer on a product delivered in Mumbai?
Similarly VAT on mobile phones, in Maharashtra it's 12.5% while in most states it is 4-5%. How many times Flipkart pays the Vat difference on a mobile shipped from Bangalore /Gurgaon?

I remember one incident on my trip to Delhi 6 months back. We were in Nehru Place IT market and were looking for Laptops, we intended to buy two and were ready with cash money. We liked one particular model and wanted to check it's specs in detail. The shopkeeper opened Google and typed model name and first link was of Flipkart, selling it cheaper by almost 2.5k. We offered shopkeeper 1k above the Flipkart price on each laptop (total 2k ) but despite contacting his distributors and store owner he was unable to match the Flipkart's Price + 1k . I strongly believe that he didn't have the enough margin to cover it.

So point is, it's NOT like that the offline retailers are ALWAYS cheating. Sometimes they are genuinely unable to match the online prices. I have seen the neighborhood grocery waala buying stuff from D'Mart and Big bazaar during sales and selling them in his shop.

Start bashing me now, it's all fun. I myself buy online to save money.
 
@bigbyte

Not bashing but as a consumer who till now has always relied on these offline shops, now gets a better and cheaper option then why would I not buy online. Similarly with stores like Dmart. Yesterday I bought Tomatoes for 40 Rs a Kg from a sabji wala, it was not the best quality ones. but still good. Then I went to Dmart for some shopping and found a pre bagged 0.54 Kg tomatoes for 11 Rs :eek:
Damn half price and the tomatoes were equally good compared to sabji wala. Now since the sabji wala pays for the rent of place or hafta to police etc, is it my concern ?
Moreover where I stay, infact in this entire Pune city, IT people are discriminated left right and center. We always have to pay through the nose for same stuff or be it auto rikshaw travel, it is time they get screwed.

PS: Dmart prices are far far better than reliance and other such big box stores when it comes to groceries.
 
Can we send email to the companies who have put up such warnings? AFAIK, consumer can and should sue them if they are not honouring the warranty.
 
letmein said:
I beleive @gmano said that said that all India warranty means just that, irrespective of where you buy it from, as long as you have a valid tax invoice.
@avi can probably go after them since he's already suing protocentral.
Click to expand...
And who gives this all india warranty in the first place. They set the t's & c's law permitting.
 
raksrules said:
@bigbyte

Not bashing but as a consumer who till now has always relied on these offline shops, now gets a better and cheaper option then why would I not buy online. Similarly with stores like Dmart. Yesterday I bought Tomatoes for 40 Rs a Kg from a sabji wala, it was not the best quality ones. but still good. Then I went to Dmart for some shopping and found a pre bagged 0.54 Kg tomatoes for 11 Rs :eek:
Damn half price and the tomatoes were equally good compared to sabji wala. Now since the sabji wala pays for the rent of place or hafta to police etc, is it my concern ?
Moreover where I stay, infact in this entire Pune city, IT people are discriminated left right and center. We always have to pay through the nose for same stuff or be it auto rikshaw travel, it is time they get screwed.

PS: Dmart prices are far far better than reliance and other such big box stores when it comes to groceries.
Click to expand...
similar is the case here with reliance.

onions for no reason are being sold for 30 + rs /kg. brick and mortar shops
D-mart sells it for 24 rs/kg.
reliance fresh still sells it for Rs.15 /kg
 
raksrules said:
Not bashing but as a consumer who till now has always relied on these offline shops, now gets a better and cheaper option then why would I not buy online. Similarly with stores like Dmart. Yesterday I bought Tomatoes for 40 Rs a Kg from a sabji wala, it was not the best quality ones. but still good. Then I went to Dmart for some shopping and found a pre bagged 0.54 Kg tomatoes for 11 Rs :eek:

Damn half price and the tomatoes were equally good compared to sabji wala. Now since the sabji wala pays for the rent of place or hafta to police etc, is it my concern ?
Click to expand...
Don't know if you have these in Pune but tomatoes are dirt cheap right now. This is not an online store but a 90% govt org with their own shops that sources directly from farmers .They say no middle man is involved but the market can beat them at times.

raksrules said:
Moreover where I stay, infact in this entire Pune city, IT people are discriminated left right and center. We always have to pay through the nose for same stuff or be it auto rikshaw travel, it is time they get screwed.
Click to expand...
you have to shop around for ricks. I usually ask 5-10 before i find a guy who will take me where i want at the price i expect. Time of day is ciritical. they just wont go some places at certain times without an added incentive.

If you cannot shop around then you pay through your nose. Course the way you are dressed and look also plays a big factor. When i had friends over from the UK, i'd ask them to stand 10 feet away and do the negotiating myself. If they were with me the price was always 50% above if not much higher. My friends asked why i was arguing over a few pence.[DOUBLEPOST=1402396300][/DOUBLEPOST]
Sobirvs said:
Companies like Dell and others only have put the warning on their sites so that local shops don't get the problem with cost cutting. Snapdeal is alright to purchase anything in my previous experience.
Click to expand...
Sony has a list of authorised sellers, six of which are online. And in other places they say to look out for sony logo in the shop otherwise they won't honour the warranty.
 
Last edited:
@blr_p

That is why i have a Bike so I don't have to take a rick. Also there are certain emergency situations where you don't have time to haggle and reaching destination is more important and this is the time we feel helpless.
 
Hmm. Well in Mysore its kinda different. No point in asking 100 auto wallas. Well there are no 100 guys at one place. But you get my point.

It be like around 10 or 20 will be together at a stand, and its just the same rate for all. We may negotiate with one, but another one will take as. They have their own system. So no point in shopping around. Only had to call them when I was shifting my place and need someone to carry my bags. No cars were available and I wasnt keen on calling everyone I knew. So just went with them. :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
 
bigbyte said:
Didn't he charge Extra for delivering the machine to your home?
Click to expand...

After accepting the price of 29k I went next day & the dealer told me that he had given me a quote of 29.5k & not 29k.. At this point even though I was desperate I didn't budged... I showed him the quotes since I'd written it in front of him on a paper for every machine I asked price for. I wend adamant that I will only pay 29k & it should include delivery charge as well since I am not getting any discount, freebies or offers from him. Pulled out the cash as well & told him this is what I am going to pay & nothing more...

Finally he budged after seeing the cash & accepted the 29k including shipping...
 
m-jeri said:
Hmm. Well in Mysore its kinda different. No point in asking 100 auto wallas. Well there are no 100 guys at one place. But you get my point.

It be like around 10 or 20 will be together at a stand, and its just the same rate for all. We may negotiate with one, but another one will take as. They have their own system. So no point in shopping around. Only had to call them when I was shifting my place and need someone to carry my bags. No cars were available and I wasnt keen on calling everyone I knew. So just went with them. :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
Click to expand...
Don't go to stands, find a busy road, its totally random then.
 
^^

So, from my house/house I should go to a busy road somewhere else? Don't you think you should know where i live or work before giving advices like this?
 
m-jeri said:
^^

So, from my house/house I should go to a busy road somewhere else? Don't you think you should know where i live or work before giving advices like this?
Click to expand...

I don't know where you stay but I have to agree with what @blr_p is saying. Here in Pune too, in the area where I live, there are 2-3 auto stands. Those auto guys will be doing timepass there and it is sort of cartel. They will not bulge below a certain amount. Here too it is not recommended to go to stands. So if possible, I would also say walk till some busy road and take an auto. Only if it is possible.
 
Again your post means nothing. You dont know where I live or work. Someone who works in mysore Infosys or L&T will only understand what i just said.
 
Back
Top