Over researching before buying an item

[starfighter]

Tell me about it.

Took me ages to decide on a TV. eventually got a Sony 40", glad I did now 3 years later as spending the extra on 1080p has paid off and it accepts 1080p over VGA which I need for the xbox360 and allows the audio input to be mapped to the VGA and change the names etc. glad I spent the time.

However I have needed a desk/chair for about 3 months and really would have been better buying anything as I have hardly used my computer, but as time goes on I feel now that it has been so long it is even more important to buy the right ones!!!

Aghhh!!!

 

[Cosimo]

I’m guilty of doing it and sometimes spend much more than I should.

 

[ganesh]

Terrible for this, i'm an anti impulse buyer. Most things i buy are very carefully considered, compared to competing products and researched endlessly. This amuses my girlfriend greatly, but at least when i buy something it's what i want and i know it will be a good product.

 

[[TW]Fox]

I’m guilty of doing it and sometimes spend much more than I should.

But you can probably spend more than you otherwise would because of the money you've saved through not buying random stuff on impulse.

 

[Lustral]

It has taken me over 3 years in deciding on a monitor , was gonna be the 2408WFP , then it was the 2410 , but of course now its too expensive. Hopefully Dell will be bringing out a new model soon. Ill buy it straight away this time , rather than just waiting.

 

[Oxide™]

I tend to research most products I buy, then once I'm happy I'll then go on to finding the best possible price, this is usually what takes up most of my time when purchasing a product.

...

+1

I spent too much time researching a pair of socks once - I still get ridiculed at work for it

 

[POB]

I do, but much more time is spent on cheaper items then more expensive ones weirdly.

A case for a phone would take longer to choose then the phone itself.

 

[Deleted member 651465]

The worst part about the researching is those pesky customer reviews!

I hate trawling through all the information, weighing up the pros and cons, thinking "yes, this is the one".. go look at the reviews one last time and you find one customer review that seems to put that doubt back in your mind arrrrgh!

Back to square one

 

[POB]

The worst part about the researching is those pesky customer reviews!

I know, I have to review the reviews.

If one person makes a bad review I have to decide if I can trust their review, I can check their other reviews or work out it they are stupid.

 

[Retromatic]

Yes, always with anything of significant value/needs to do what I want it to.

I did a lot of this for my HDTV's and loads of other technology when I get them, I wanted to know the ins and outs/pro's and con's of each model, plus peoples opinions etc.

It's very tiring but worth it I guess.

 

[Strife212]

Depends what it is, something like a bag I couldn't really care less, a 30 second inspection to see if its decent quality will do.

 

[Wryel]

I went out to get a bag at lunch time last week and game back with a knitted jumper and a shirt.

I'm sure the jumper and the shirt came with a free bag though right?

 

[Greboth]

I am the same to an extent. I will research a product to learn what I want, take a tv like what size, resolution, ports on back etc once found some that met those criteria quite an impulse buy to which one.

 

[anything I don't mind]

I do this as well, but i think it is because of my ability to buy the wrong thing and regret it afterwards. I have spent/wasted too much money on products that i regret buying. So now i spend extra long researching and reading opinions.

It depends what it is and how much it is. If you are just buying a bag, then i wouldn't look in to it too much, but it depends what sort of bag you are looking for lol.

But i am guilty of up specing, like i say i want to spend £50 then i see one for £60 with that extra spec and i think it is only £10 more, then i see another for £80 and i think it is only £20 more but that will last me for years etc. Meanwhile i have actually gone up £30...

 

[Clipsey]

Yep, waste hours researching products I "may" buy, and usually I'll end up saying "You know what, I don't need it" so I end up researching something else I may need
But, I prefer being in the know before buying most things. Now something like a backpack, unless it's for traveling, then I'll just pick the one I like.

 

[BennyC]

Expensive items and functional ones I will to save buying twice.

You wouldn't want to buy a backpack to find that it's uncomfortable or too small and have to end up buying twice.

Other stuff not so much for example a chalk bag for my chalk at the gym. All it needed to be was a 'chalk bag'. As long as it contains my chalk, job done.

 

[ojrules]

i do this too, on marginally expensive things, im usually dissapointed after so much research/ looking forward to it...

 

[Surfer]

Yes i over analyse stuff that i buy unless

a) its under a certain amount - then i dont care


b) its for someone else less fussy


example: im looking for a new microwave-combi oven grill . Number 1 on my list is a SHARP R959slma.

Wont pay more than £150ish for it. Unless anyone knows a better combi for that price range?

 

[Kazz]

It seems as if I'm not alone. I do this with anything over about the £10 mark.

A few weeks ago my other half asked if I would like a new coat for xmas. Brilliant I thought. Queue (grammar police check?) 4 weeks of me browsing between a few different stores, review sites etc. Only to come back to the first two that caught my eye 4 weeks earlier and spending a further hour in store comparing them... She didn't seem amused .

Same with my 460GTX Hawk, waited, waited some more, and another 6 months until it came down to £150 for that one day only. Bargain! .


...I need help .

 

[daz]

It is easy to get caught up in what might be very minor details. In terms of research the ultimate is to go and try something yourself. Reading reviews online can only get you so far and you'll soon realise that not everything is as objective as first appears.