Discussion Forums > Technology
Just need to understand how Westeners buy things
kyanwan:
I buy stuff online because here in the USA it's cheaper. We've got a pretty free market out here. I also hate going to the store - if I can avoid it, I will. People piss me off. I end up swearing, giving people the finger, and being a general asshole. :)
And oh yes - I swear like crazy at the store. Everything pisses me off. I went out to buy some styrofoam for making a photography display thing ---- and I was ranting about this "Fuck this shit! Fucking $3.99 for a fucking 4x4 cube of styrofoam? WTF is this? Fucking bastards! Fuck this store!" ( with someone who works there observing my rant. Ah, I then went to Home Depot - and got a 2' x 8' sheet of the same shit for only $6 - so - my ranting was warranted. Fuck craft stores. Oh - I also continued my rant about that other store after I found the so-much-cheaper one that was like ... 50x the size - lol. )
The nasty little country where half of my background is unfortunately from ... Jordan ... they have a prohibitive tax like Philippines has. 100% tariff on certain merchandise. It's so prohibitive over there, that the country is pretty backwards in a lot of places.
Yeah, why is it like that? Because that's one of the more "liberal" countries over in the Middle East. Iraq made the country more expensive than it already was. ( The bastards charge 100% tax on cars too. ) Also - the king is a fucking greedy lying piece of shit thief who should be overthrown. Just my opinion.
--- Quote from: ant900 on April 12, 2010, 10:05:56 PM ---
--- Quote from: kurandoinu on April 12, 2010, 10:02:06 PM ---Do Americans not have things like Argos then? They stock a whole host of things, but its all kept in a warehouse above/below the shop and you pick out of catalogues. Places like Tesco and Wilkinsons offer extra choices that you can order in as well.
--- End quote ---
I've never heard of a store like that state side. Closest thing would be ordering stuff via catalogs delivered to your homes (which has been pretty much erased by the internet) or "warehouse stores" such as Costco or Sam's Club (gigantic warehouses where people go to buy stuff (mostly food) in bulk.)
--- End quote ---
Obviously you've never experienced the old store called Service Merchandise. :)
They were around up until the 90's.
Wiki calls them a "catalog showroom" which is basically what they were. They had all kinds of stuff on display - you take a little card, go to the HUGE customer service desk ... and wait by the conveyor belt. Your stuff would come rolling down the belt.
They did have a selection of small stuff sitting on racks around the store though. Anything that would fill up a cart - you need to pick up at the belt desk.
I grew up loving their catalogs - always clipped out pics of stuff I wanted and made a nice visual Christmas list ^^
BTW - have you ever bought something from the Customer Pick-Up at Toys R Us? Stateside - they mostly use it for bigger stuff.
There was another store. .. I forget the name ... Connoisseurs or Consumers or something ... that store was just a big showroom - kind of with glass displays with different electronics or stuff in there - EVERYTHING you had to order by giving a number to a clerk. They'd bring your things out of the warehouse.
Those kind of stores are basically dead now. A dinosaur from the 50s-60s that went extinct.
--- Quote from: NaRu on April 13, 2010, 02:24:19 AM ---I live in the united states and I shop online ONLY. Its cheaper, shipping is normally free for me, and dont get charge with tax (unless the store is located in Conn). I normally have 3 to 5 packages a months at my house since my whole family shops online
--- End quote ---
Ah yes, Connecticut and online shopping. I know the deal all too well.
Everything is tax-free. Have you ever found ANY store located in this hellhole?
If I do find them - this sorry excuse for a state is so small I'll just drive down to the store. :P
( I never have found any. )
Xiong Chiamiov:
--- Quote from: kyanwan on April 14, 2010, 05:53:27 PM ---
--- Quote from: ant900 on April 12, 2010, 10:05:56 PM ---
--- Quote from: kurandoinu on April 12, 2010, 10:02:06 PM ---Do Americans not have things like Argos then? They stock a whole host of things, but its all kept in a warehouse above/below the shop and you pick out of catalogues. Places like Tesco and Wilkinsons offer extra choices that you can order in as well.
--- End quote ---
I've never heard of a store like that state side. Closest thing would be ordering stuff via catalogs delivered to your homes (which has been pretty much erased by the internet) or "warehouse stores" such as Costco or Sam's Club (gigantic warehouses where people go to buy stuff (mostly food) in bulk.)
--- End quote ---
Obviously you've never experienced the old store called Service Merchandise. :)
They were around up until the 90's.
Wiki calls them a "catalog showroom" which is basically what they were. They had all kinds of stuff on display - you take a little card, go to the HUGE customer service desk ... and wait by the conveyor belt. Your stuff would come rolling down the belt.
--- End quote ---
Reminds me a bit of IKEA (which is not an American company, so I assume it is similar in other countries).
Brick and mortar stores have half-decent selection, a bit higher of prices, and idiots working at them. Until I moved here for uni, I was a bit far away from any sort of electronics store anyways, but when I visited a Fry's up in the Bay Area (which should be all awesome and stuff) I wasn't really that impressed.
Perplexing:
I live in the USA. As far as purchasing online I'm not real big on doing so. I prefer going to a store or mall and seeing the product that I am after.
Unless it's computer parts then if the deal is good online I will get it that way. More often than not though I go to a specialty store which is about 45 miles away and purchase them. For example the CPU I have I bought last year at the store on sell for $229.99 the price at the time on newegg.com was $289.99 so even with gas cost I still saved about $40 ish.
Also if both the store and newegg have the product and newegg is cheaper I tend to go to the store to see it in person (sometimes newegg's photos are not enough of a perspective).
TorturdChaos:
I do a almost all my shopping for tech stuff online for 2 reasons a) it usually is cheaper, and b) better availability. I don't live in a very high population area, so finding computer parts and such around here is expensive, and we have a very poor selection.
Mcgreag:
Sweden here.
I do almost all my shopping online, not just tech stuff but books, movies, cloths etc. Only thing I consistently buy offline is food and kitchen appliances (I need to feel the weight of the frying pan in my hand and properly inspect the vegetables, cooking is serious stuff :) ).
The reasons I shop online are several but 3 things stand out as most important.
1. Price. This is a given, I have yet to see brick and mortar store that can consistently match online pricing.
2. Selection. The town I live is not large enough to have a good selection.
3. Time. I can take all the time I need to research everything about the product. I don't need to make the decision there and then.
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