Buyer's remorse
We've all done it. We've bought something brand new on sale that a couple of weeks ago we wouldn't have even thought of. That endorphin rush as you hand over your money for the shiny new shrink-wrapped item that will change your life. You don't just want it, you NEED it. This years latest exercise machine that is guaranteed to lose you weight in minutes a day. The latest kitchen appliance that can cook a roast chicken in 20 minutes. That hi-tech cellphone that makes your old one look like something out of the Stone Age.
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The next day is a different story. After the glee of unwrapping the item and proudly showing it off to friends and family you get that sinking feeling that maybe it's not all it's cracked up to be. Perhaps that cellphone is more complex to use than your old one. Perhaps that piece of exercise equipment also requires you to diet as well. The problem is in the fast paced instant gratification prepackaged society we live in we expect immediate results. It is a marketers dream that we have come to believe the advertising they feed us on a daily basis.
The impulse buying situation is not helped by the billions of dollars spent each year on marketing. It has now evolved into an exact science and every aspect of selling the item is tailored to the target customers. Everything from store layout, signage, interior advertising, music and decor are all there to help promote the product and clinch the sale.
The problem lies not only with marketing but with us as well. We don't know what we really want. We want a cellphone with a large screen and a good camera but which is low cost and compact. We want a contradiction and as a result we are never fully satisfied.
So how do we stop that feeling of buyer's remorse? To stop buyer's remorse we need to look at the reasons why people experience it with their new purchase. It may soon be outdated technology, there may have been better deals elsewhere or you were just sucked into believing the hype about it. In the majority of cases it is a simple matter of sitting down and weighing up the pros and cons of purchasing the item. Do you really need it? Is it too expensive? Will it really do what it claims to do? If you can answer these three questions honestly and are happy with the answers then by all means purchase the item. If not then expect to get that sinking feeling the next day.
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