Does anyone else hate buying things these days?

Caporegime
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Ive come to the realisation that i simply hate buying anything now. This is, largely, for a couple of reasons..

A. The main one - **** me there is just simply too much choice for almost everything now. For example if you want some wireless earbuds, there are literally hundreds, probably thousands to choose from at such a wide variety of prices and with such varying reviews, how in the hell is anyone able to make an informed decision on what is good? I went through a couple of different ones of varying prices, first pair was cheap and absolutely awful. Second pair was twice the price, but still not that wonderful, third pair was barely more expensive than the first, but has much better sound quality and more features than either.

This is just an example though. It applies to pretty much anything, especially anything in the electronics market.

If you punch in any sort of cheap electrical good into an ebay or amazon search you get 1000's of results. Now a lot of this is due to the insane amount of chinese brands, but then that doesn't help, because i have often found some of the cheaper stuff is better than the crazily expensive known brand stuff.

B. Constant changing of discounts, voucher codes, cashback etc. Prices of things change too frequently and by too much, ALL THE TIME. One day something is worth £100, the next day it will be £50 with a cashback offer or something. Often you will buy something from a retailer, and then the following day you will receive a newsletter email from them informing you that the thing you just bought is now half the price.


It is just becoming absolutely impossible to make an informed choice on the quality or price of almost anything these days. Few things seem to have any inherent or lasting value and the prices charged for things just change seemingly on a whim.

/end rant

So GD, anyone else just totally exasperated with the retail market?
 
Caporegime
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Leafy Cheshire
I think the key is to not care about discount codes, vouchers, cashback, etc.

Just find a product you like the looks, sound and features of, and buy it assuming you actually need it.
 
Soldato
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I have quite a large amazon/ebay return rate, to a point where both have "warned" me about it. Same with clothing sites like Asos, sizing specifically length on tops is just so hit and miss.
Its not my fault most items are just crap.
 
Associate
Joined
4 Oct 2009
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987
There's nothing worth buying. Everyone has everything they need/want already.
People buy things out of boredom. The "gadget" gets used for a couple of days before being put on the shelf collecting dust, or in a drawer for years on end. Rinse and repeat.
 
Man of Honour
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Brand and seller is a big filter for me. There are a lot of assumptions you can make which might occasionally see you miss out on a deal but generally keeps you from making mistakes.
 
Caporegime
OP
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Often? I can't remember this ever happening, TBH.

I think you might be suffering from boredom.

Well i was being a little hyperbolic, but the point still stands. Because you have viewed and looked at certain items, you tend to get marketing emails or notifications about them, even if you have already bought them. Sometimes, said marketing material is showing you it is now cheaper :p
 
Caporegime
OP
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I think the key is to not care about discount codes, vouchers, cashback, etc.

I agree with you there. I think i get a little too obsessed with trying to get the best deal all of the time.

However, that doesn't solve point "A". there is simply too much choice.
 
Caporegime
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Wish i was in a Ramen Shop Counter
What I tend to do is YouTube video it, you can almost always find a video “best X item review” or “best X item in 2020”. It will at least get you a shortlist of about 5 things and then that’s my filter.

I also have Honey plugin installed, if it had a code I’ll use it, if not I just go ahead, provided I need it.
 
Soldato
Joined
21 Jan 2003
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5,594
The infiltration of Chinese brands annoys me and the number of fake reviews associated with them on the likes of Amazon.

Plus the fact the seem to release a new iteration of the same product every 6 months with no real change or benefit to the design, it's purely a marketing ploy to make it seem current, but when it comes to researching something to buy it makes it a tedious process.
 
Caporegime
Joined
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38,372
I have quite a large amazon/ebay return rate, to a point where both have "warned" me about it. Same with clothing sites like Asos, sizing specifically length on tops is just so hit and miss.
Its not my fault most items are just crap.

What are you buying on eBay and amazon that needed returned so much that you got a warning?

I've only ever returned faulty goods from both.
 
Soldato
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What are you buying on eBay and amazon that needed returned so much that you got a warning?

I've only ever returned faulty goods from both.
Faulty Goods.
Quality not good enough etc

If i buy something and it's not what I expected/advertised or the quality is rubbish my opinion, sorry but its going back regardless of the value.
 
Last edited:
Soldato
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England
I quite enjoy buying things. It's nice when you realise you can finally rationally justify buying something you've wanted for a while, without it being a waste of money or unnecessary.

Depends on what you're buying though - nobody likes buying the boring stuff.
 
Caporegime
Joined
21 Jun 2006
Posts
38,372
Faulty Goods.
Quality not good enough etc

If i buy something and it's not what I expected/advertised or the quality is rubbish my opinion, sorry but its going back regardless of the value.

So cheap Chinese no name crap?

Do you not bother to read the bad reviews or look at the pictures from the buyers?
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Aug 2006
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10,034
Location
ChCh, NZ
Yep. Hated it for years so I don't do it. We truthfully don't need much of anything. I buy what I do need (or occasionally want) 2nd hand as I refuse to pay the new price markup.

My most recent purchase was a pair of 2nd hand (new) Nike leather sneakers I got for $35 with the $169 price tag still on the box. Shoes were literally brand new. Owner sold it because 'Lol, thought I'd like the color and when I got home I decided i don't, lololol'. Too bad, let me take that off your hands for pennies on the dollar.

Previously we bought a 2nd hand (new) baby bjorn bouncer. Story 'my 6 day old baby decided he hated it'. As if the baby had a coherent thought process. We got it for $60 from memory, retails for $350 or so. Luckily our baby loves it.

I bought my PS4 Pro from a South American guy that urgently had to get back home to Colombia and was doing a fire sale to raise money for the plane ticket. Again, pennies on the dollar.

Heaps of advantage to be taken from people that's under the impression needless garbage would make them happy.
 
Soldato
Joined
30 May 2007
Posts
4,845
Location
Glasgow, Scotland
Ive come to the realisation that i simply hate buying anything now. This is, largely, for a couple of reasons..

A. The main one - **** me there is just simply too much choice for almost everything now. For example if you want some wireless earbuds, there are literally hundreds, probably thousands to choose from at such a wide variety of prices and with such varying reviews, how in the hell is anyone able to make an informed decision on what is good? I went through a couple of different ones of varying prices, first pair was cheap and absolutely awful. Second pair was twice the price, but still not that wonderful, third pair was barely more expensive than the first, but has much better sound quality and more features than either.

This is just an example though. It applies to pretty much anything, especially anything in the electronics market.

If you punch in any sort of cheap electrical good into an ebay or amazon search you get 1000's of results. Now a lot of this is due to the insane amount of chinese brands, but then that doesn't help, because i have often found some of the cheaper stuff is better than the crazily expensive known brand stuff.

B. Constant changing of discounts, voucher codes, cashback etc. Prices of things change too frequently and by too much, ALL THE TIME. One day something is worth £100, the next day it will be £50 with a cashback offer or something. Often you will buy something from a retailer, and then the following day you will receive a newsletter email from them informing you that the thing you just bought is now half the price.


It is just becoming absolutely impossible to make an informed choice on the quality or price of almost anything these days. Few things seem to have any inherent or lasting value and the prices charged for things just change seemingly on a whim.

/end rant

So GD, anyone else just totally exasperated with the retail market?

I hope this isn't taken as insulting, but do you have anxiety issues?
 
Caporegime
Joined
29 Aug 2007
Posts
28,597
Location
Auckland
The problem I face is one of going a bit too Rainman when it comes to working through the choices. My wife - and others - will see [thing] and buy [thing] because it's probably pretty good and seems like a good idea. Not a spreadsheet in sight, no multi-layered reviews of reviews, no informed second opinions :(

I go the other way, to the point where it almost removes any joy of actually buying [thing]. My satisfaction is knowing that I've bought the right [thing] (which is of course subjective so is really a false win) and then I get some marginal enjoyment from actually having [thing]. I could bore you with football boot examples, my recent Timberland experience (nailed that one, though *fistbump*), two new guitars I bought, and a car. I get some grim satisfaction from removing the fun of spontaneity and I'm actually okay with that. Come at me.
 
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