By: Barnali Bose ( Sr. Associate Editor, ICN-Group )
KOLKATA: It was late afternoon and a day off from work.Lunch being over, I took a magazine intending to recline on the couch and drown myself in the luxury of a rejuvenating midday nap.
The sound of a motorbike rudely jolted me into wakefulness. With a grimace, I peered through the window cursing the intrusion,under my breath.
In no time, I rushed down and even before the doorbell rang, I was there at the door,a broad smile on my face. Guess who it was?
Well, it was none other than the ‘wishmaster’ with the items I had ordered a few days earlier on a popular online shopping portal. I wasted no time in tearing off the polythene covers to expose the hidden treasures.
I was elated as I took out the elegant handbag of a very popular elite brand and patted myself for having got it at a ‘throw-away’ price.I now reached for the other packet and my smile turned into a frown.
What lay before me was a saree, far removed from the one I had seen on screen. Impatient to return it but finding the server down,I decided to talk to a Customer care executive.
After tapping on some single digits, I was made to follow a good number of recorded verbal instructions. Then waiting for what seemed to be an eternity, I had just begun to wonder whether it was a test for patience when a well-trained voice uttered “Hello! How can I help you?”
I narrated my tale of woe to which he categorically stated, “but Ma’am it is mentioned that the colour may be slightly different.”
Well,thought I, If green can pass off as ‘slightly different’ from blue,then, well so it was.
“But then what about the quality? It appeared to have a sheen and seemed so light ,but this one is…”He politely cut me off saying, “…ma’am sorry for the inconvenience,but texture might not match your expectations.” I was speechless.
True ,I was foolish enough to think that virtual and real would coincide … “ Alright I wish to return it ,”said I. “But Ma’am you can only transfer the money to your wallet ( a sort of savings account with the shopping portal ) and buy something else. No refund will be provided, it is clearly stated.” I was without doubt caught on the wrong foot.Dejected,I rudely disconnected the line.
As I checked the messages on my mobile ,I found that at least a dozen were those of lucrative offers.‘50% off ’, screamed one with a ‘only till stocks last’ warning.
I turned to the remote and switched on the TV. Oh,dear! there was no escaping the shopping bug.Two anchors were endorsing a product.They were assuring and reassuring viewers that theirs was the best yet the cheapest.
‘Stocks’,they said were ‘depleting’ fast,indicating none but a fool would miss ‘the golden opportunity’. ‘Stocks’, earlier a share market term, is now randomly used in the shopping arena.With a cynical smile,I changed over to another channel.
Discounts being the order of the day,it seems discounted price is the new fixed price these days. One doesn’t need to even make the payment instantly. Buy now and pay later is the ‘mantra’ of the day.
Earlier there were discounts only before festivals. But now with companies vying with one another to increase sales, the gainer is the consumer.I however find, with shopping having become easier,I often tend to go overboard.
From refrigerators to rings and grocery to garments everything can be bought with the mere tapping of a finger.Sometimes to get free delivery, I have to buy for a minimum stated amount and I often end up being saddled with things I do not know what to do with.
A few years back,when online shopping had not yet invaded our lives,shopping used to be a fun day out with our whole family hopping from one shop to the other,stopping for snacks and tea and finally returning home with the satisfaction of a holiday well-spent.
I remember a bond formed over a period of time with the shop owners who would often welcome us with a refreshing drink on a warm summer afternoon and with folded hands say, “ Hope to see you soon” when our shopping was done.
Virtual shopping has taken the place of window shopping. What I like about it is that I can buy as many items I want, drop them into my cart and then remove all the items one by one or all at one go.
The inherent desire to shop is fulfilled while at the same time neither do I make a dent in my purse nor drain my account. It replicates window shopping that would earlier appease my buying instinct.
Was I becoming a shopaholic?Oh! I couldn’t possibly be,I reasoned. Then, I found an easy solution to de-addict myself. I quickly uninstalled all the shopping apps, pledging to myself not to install any in the near future.Beaming with pleasure at my self-imposed deprivation, I laughed aloud,a laugh of egotistic victory.
At that moment,a friend of mine called, “ You won’t believe, the new online store I had told you about is offering 70 % off on all brands.” I paused for a few seconds.“ Control,” said a voice inside me. Paying no heed to it, I was off to Playstore,and my quivering finger tapped on the app.Finally,I found ‘install app’ and I was caught in the whirlpool of endless desires once more.
