Things to take care of while buying appliances online
With the advent of technology, the standard of living has improved greatly in the past few decades. And electronic appliances constitute a major part of the luxurious lifestyle. And as the technology has improved, so is the ability of people to make better and well-informed decisions. With this come a lot of questions, like which product to buy, what are the things that one ought to keep in mind or should one buy online or from the company showrooms or electronic outlets? Be it a refrigerator, an air conditioner or a washing machine, there are a few things which should be thoroughly understood before making the final purchase. So we at Bijli Bachao have tried to bring together a few measures or steps that you can take in order to purchase the best suited product for yourself.
Make sure that you are getting warranty on the product
Warranty on appliances: It is a very important aspect that you should keep in mind while making a purchase. Why? Because when you buy a product, you are not only putting a considerable sum of you money in their product but also you are placing your trust in their product and services. Warranty is a like a promise that the manufacturer makes to the consumer of its product that it is totally accountable for what the product is designed for or what the product has got to offer. If the product fails to deliver the services or becomes faulty before the time that is mentioned in the warranty, then the manufacturer bears the total responsibility to it.
So it is very important that you should read the terms and conditions mentioned on the warranty card/slip so that you are well aware of all the defects or failures will be covered in the warranty. Since your money and your trust is going in that product, it is only appropriate that the manufacturer stands up to the expectations.
Also if you are buying a product online, make sure that you are getting a warranty on the product. In recent past we have observed that some manufacturers are not providing warranty on their products sold online on some of the e-commerce platforms. Make sure that you check the comments and feedback by some of the previous buyers on the e-commerce site to make sure that you are getting a warranty on the product. Avoid buying a product that does not have a few comments from people sharing their buying experience.
Check the customer reviews (user reviews) of the product
This is another very important point which facilitates better decisions while making a purchase. It is true that you can find a plethora of information on the internet about the particular product you are in interested in, but what can be a better option than getting to know the experience of someone who has already used it?
That is what customer reviews (or customer ratings or user reviews) do for a potential buyer. People who have already used a product have a detailed knowledge of how a product actually fares in a given scenario. So it is always advised that you should check out what the customers feel about the particular appliance through customer reviews. Avoid buying a product which has less than 4-5 reviews as much could not be said about the credibility of that product through the customer reviews.
Check the seller ratings
As the number of people interested in buying online have increased, so has the number of online shopping portals. There are some portals like Flipkart, Amazon and Snapdeal which offer to sell the products of different sellers. It is important to note that these portals are aggregators and not actual sellers. They list the products that the sellers have on their websites giving a common platform. So the accountability of the product lies with the sellers and not the shopping portals. So it becomes equally important to check out the consumer ratings of the particular seller from which you are interested in buying. You can see if the seller is trusted to deliver the ordered product on time, if the product is in proper condition or damaged and if the customer service of the seller is satisfactory. Check out the reviews of other products that the seller has sold to get an idea on the service quality of the seller. All these factors will definitely help you in selecting the best suited seller to you.
Mind the accessories !
There are many appliances which do not have any accessories whatsoever. But there are a few, air conditioners being one of them, which do require some accessories. Check if the price at which the appliance is offered is exclusive or inclusive of the handling charges, the installation charges or any other added charges. It is always a proactive measure to be completely aware of what all charges you are supposed to pay when you order an appliance.
Also make sure that the manufacturer is providing warranty on the particular product on the website from where you are thinking to make the purchase. Because it happens in some cases that the manufacturer does not give out any warranty if the product is bought from certain online portals.
Conclusion
Buying is a skill. And in today’s world, where there are hundreds of choices, it is very important that it is well-informed. And being well equipped with the appropriate knowledge is like an icing to the cake. So next time you think of buying an appliance, it might be a good idea to go through all the measures mentioned above and you will be happy that you bought exactly the product you wanted.