Monthly Archives: August 2012

Tips and Tricks

Helpful Tips on Buying Electronic Gadgets

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Helpful Tips on Buying Electronic Gadgets

There are times, when we regret an ‘Impulse Purchase, a ‘Purchase in a Hurry‘, a ‘Purchase due to Pressure by the Sales Person at the Retail Store’, ‘Shortage of Time’ or a ‘Limited Period Discount Offer at a Retail Store/ Online Shopping Website‘.

Here are a few Tips on buying Gadgets like Laptops, Mobiles, Tablets, Digital Cameras, Consumer Electronics, Large Home Appliances, etc.

I believe using the below mentioned Tips , you will be able to ‘buy the right product, get more value for your money, get better after sales service and shall not regret your purchase decision’.

  • DO NOT BUY high value Consumer Electronics, Laptops, Mobiles, Tablets, Digital Cameras, Large Home Appliance, etc. ‘on Impulse’, ‘Under Pressure’ or ‘in a Hurry”.
  • Select the right Manufacturer. For better after-sales-service/ technical support, prefer a manufacturer who has a manufacturing facility or a proper distribution and after-sales-service setup in India (more specifically in/ around the location of the usage of the product).
  • Visit the website of the manufacturer of the desired Product and go through the

Features,
Pictures,
Videos,
Specifications,
Warranty,
Owner Reviews (if available),
Technical Support Section

of the desired Product.

  • Check, if the desired product is listed in the ‘Discontinued Products’ on the Product Manufacturer’s website. The websites of HP, Intel and other leading companies have pages with a list of discontinued products. You can easily search for discontinued products by typing “discontinued products” (without the quotes) in the ‘Search Section’ of the Product Manufacturer’s website.
  • Check for ‘New Products’ at similar prices that are ‘Coming Soon’ or already ‘Available’. New or other Products might be having more features or some features, which you might have missed out on.
  • Check for ‘Promotional Offers/ Combo Offers’ for the desired product on the Product Manufacturer’s website.
  • Check for ‘Extended Warranty Offer(s)’ for the desired product on the Product Manufacturer’s website. Currently most Laptop manufacturers are offering Free! Extended Warranty for a period of 1-2 years. A few LCD/LED TV manufacturers were also offering Free! Extended Warranty for 1-2 years.
  • Go through the

Reviews,
Defects,
Known Issues and
Complaints

of the desired Product on Internet. An easy way to do this is to Google or search for the same, by typing the Brand and Model of the Product followed by the Keywords: “Defects, Complaints, Known Issues, Reviews and pressing Search” (without the quotes).

  • Once you have selected the Product, check its lowest online price on a Price Comparison Website like junglee.com.
  • Check-out the desired Product at its Manufacturer’s Brand Store or a Large Format Retail Store like Croma, Reliance Digital, Big Bazaar, Digiworld, Vijay Sales, Ezone, etc. Almost all Brand stores and Large Format Retail Stores have all the products on display, and you can see and try them before your purchase. Large Format Retail Stores now try to match or better the prices offered by leading Online Retailers. In Large Format Retail Stores In Delhi/NCR, for Laptops, Tablets, Digital Cameras and Mobiles, I have found Reliance Digital’s prices to be the ‘highest‘ (even after Discounts). The Attitude of the Sales Staff at Reliance Digital towards the Buyers is also ‘indifferent’. The Sales Staff at Croma is better trained and more responsive. Currently, for popular models of Mobiles and Tablets, Snapdeal.com and Homeshop18.com are offering the Lowest Prices.
  • Check-out the Discount/ Cash-back/ Interest-Free EMI offers provided by your Credit/ Debit Card Provider on its website, at Large Format Retail Stores and on the websites of Online Retailers. Currently, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and Citibank are offering attractive Cash-back and Interest-Free EMI Offers at select Large Format Retail Stores and select Online Retailers.
  • Buy your desired Product from your Preferred Retailer or place your order at an Online Shopping Website, where you are most comfortable based on your prior purchase experience in terms of Pricing, Packaging, Delivery and After-Sales-Service.
  • When buying from any Retail Store insist on a ‘Factory Sealed Unit‘. Do Not Accept a Repacked Unit. Online Retailers normally ship Sealed Units. Do Not Buy Used or Demonstration Units, as these are generally handled carelessly by Visitors, Staff and the Cleaning/ Housekeeping Staff of the Store. If you like a particular Used/ Demonstration Unit, the Retail Store would normally extend an Additional Discount on that Unit.

Happy Buying!

HomeShop 18

Homeshop18.com : A Quick Review

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HomeShop18.com : A quick review

‘HomeShop18’, India’s leading provider of on-air shopping services, is fast emerging as a leader in the online retail space in India.

A venture of the Network 18 group and GS Home Shopping, Korea (Third largest home shopping company in the World), ‘HomeShop18’  started its 24 hour home shopping shopping channel, ‘HomeShop18’ in 2008 and offered a few brands of Home Appliances, Kitchenware, Mobiles, Cameras, Sports Shoes, Apparel, etc. The company also ventured into the online retail space with its website homeshop18.com.

The original website had a limited number of products and was not the best on all fronts.

I have observed that since early 2012, the site has not only has increased the number of products in its existing product categories  but has also expanded into new and diverse categories like Books, Computers, Office and Stationery Products, Health and Beauty Products, etc. The appearance of the website has also become more attractive and user-friendly.

Helpful ‘Product Demonstrations’ shown on HomeShop18’s round-the-clock TV channel (which airs on DTH platforms, Cable Networks and select TV channels) also provide help to buyers visiting the site in ‘Product Selection’ and ‘Decision Making’.

With new players entering the online retail space every day, new Benchmarks are being set on Product Pricing, Product Quality, Packaging, Delivery and Customer Service. With every online purchase, Customers expect better value for their money and good quality service, which they rightfully deserve.

Homeshop18 is working hard to become the largest player in the online retail space in India by:

  • providing ‘Lowest or Competitive Prices’ for most products sold on its website,
  • providing ‘Brand, Product, Repeat Order and Festival/Season specific Discounts and Gift Vouchers’ on a regular basis,
  • maintaining a ‘Large Catalogue’ of thousands of products across multiple product categories along with millions of titles of books,
  • weeding out ‘Inferior Products’,
  • adding ‘New Products’ on a regular basis,
  • upgrading its website for a ‘Better Customer Experience’,
  • providing its Customers ‘Prompt Updates’ of their Orders and Deliveries via SMS and emails,
  • providing ‘Better Quality of Product Packaging’ for damage-free delivery,
  • improving the ‘Customer Service’ on its 24*7 Call Centre and
  • reducing the ‘Delivery Time’ with self-owned and managed warehousing across multiple locations.

In a nutshell, during 2012, homeshop18.com has appreciably improved its services across multiple fronts, is improving its services further and has become a ‘Recommendable Online Shopping Destination’ for select products.

Most Offers across multiple categories on homeshop18.com get better with the ‘Additional Discount/Gift Coupon Codes’ mentioned on the ‘Product Description Pages’.

To receive the Additional Discount,  upon Check-out, DO NOT FORGET to ‘Apply’ the ‘Discount/Gift Coupon Code’ mentioned on the Product Description Page, wherever applicable otherwise you will lose the Additional Discount.

In my opinion, offering a straight forward discount or automatic application of the discount, wherever eligible is a better idea, as the customer may forget to apply the ‘Discount/Gift Coupon Code’ mentioned on the Product Description Page.

I recommend purchase of the following Products from HomeShop18 :

  • Books,
  • Small Kitchen Appliances, Kitchenware, Cookware, Cutlery, Kitchen Storage Products, etc.
  • Entry Level Point and Shoot Cameras
  • Camera Accessories like Tripods, Camera Cases and Memory Cards
  • Entry Level Mobiles, Select mid-range and high end Mobiles
  • USB Flash/Pen Drives, External Hard Disks and PC Peripherals like Webcams, Speakers, Mouse, Keyboards, Printers, etc.
  • Entry Level Tablets with ‘1 GHz or Higher Processor, Capacitive Touch, Android 2.3/ICS’ costing between Rs.5000/- to Rs.7,000/-.  (For multiple reasons, I am of the opinion that the entry level Tablets available on the market today, do not offer good Performance or a good Display and a long Battery. Most of these Tablets are not good value-for-money products. Good after-sales-service, specially post-warranty service and availability of spares for these Tablets should not be expected. Most of these Tablets would actually end-up as use and throw gadgets like the cheap unbranded Chinese ‘Touch and Dual SIM’ mobile phones available a few years ago.)
  • Select Audio Accessories like Panasonic Headphones and Cables
  • Select Health Care Products from Omron and Citizen
  • Pens, Stationery and Office Supplies

HomeShop18 needs to further upgrade its site by adding more ‘Product Selection Filters’ and ‘Product Comparison Options’ for Consumer Electronics, Computers, Laptops, Mobiles, Cameras and Tablets. Multiple Product Filters and Comparison Tables of Product Features and Specifications help buyers in Product Selection and fast Decision Making. These tools would also lead to more sales for HomeShop18.

For hassle-free purchase of items like Apparel, the site should also offer Fit Guides/ Size Selection Guides and ‘Product Selection Filters’ on Colors, Size, Type, etc.

Few Customers write reviews of the products purchased from homeshop18.com. HomeShop18.com should encourage their customers to write ‘reviews’ about the products purchased and their overall ‘purchase experience’. This would not only help other Buyers but also homeshop18.com in improving its services.

Happy Shopping!

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Homeshop18 beating Flipkart at its own game
Android Mobiles, LG

LG India launches Smartphone Idea Camp Contest

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LG Electronics, a global giant in modern technology and mobile communications, has launched an innovative campaign by the name ‘Smartphone Idea Camp’. This campaign is a ‘consumers connect’ initiative which would be conducted online. During the campaign, LG would invite consumers to submit unique app, feature, concept, service, design, UI ideas that they desire in their phones. The best ideas would get incorporated in LG’s future smartphone line-up and also win prize value of Rs. 15, 00,000.

The 2 month long campaign, which kick-starts today encourages tech enthusiasts to share their innovative app feature concept, service, design, UI ideas on the Smartphone Idea Camp page.The contest would be open to all Indian residents, and the entries would be evaluated on the basis of imagination, creativity and utility.

 “We at LG firmly believe in constant innovation and this contest allows our consumers to showcase their creativity and talent. The Smartphone Idea Camp is an excellent way to gain inspiration from the imagination of the mobile phone users and tech enthusiasts. It helps us gain a better understanding of the demands and desires of our consumers and gives us a first-hand insight into their minds. For dynamic products like mobile phones, it is extremely important for us to be in direct contact with our consumers in order to understand what exactly they are looking for and, therefore, add value to their lives”, says Sanjay Maheshwary, Business Head, Mobile Communications, LG India.

Today, smartphones have come a long way from where they started out. The hi-tech smartphones allow consumers to multi-task with unbelievable ease. Quad core processors, cloud gaming and GPS enabled search engines are the latest rages in the mobile world. Near Field Communications is another technology that is all set to take the mobile market by storm by this year. The umpteen features and innumerable apps that come pre-loaded with the smartphones also help make consumers’ lives easier.

The consumers too have changed rapidly, with more people now opting for a smartphone than a basic feature phone. The smartphone market is growing at an incredible pace, and a large chunk of the consumers now use their smartphones to surf the net, book air tickets, play games and watch 3D videos. The changing perceptions and the rising consumer demands is a constant motivation for smartphone makers to innovate.

The advent of social media has completely shifted marketing trends and it is getting increasingly important for companies to have better connect with consumers through such platforms rather than simply spending millions on mass media. Consumer connect initiatives help companies reach out to a wider set of audience in an intimate way and keep pace with the fast changing demands and needs of the consumers.

Today, a brand is judged not only by the services offered by them but also by the initiatives taken by them to bond with their consumers. LG understands that as a company it cannot confine itself to its corporate space but must reach out to their consumers. Smartphone Idea Camp is one such initiative by LG to fashion a bond with their consumers, and take their help in developing something unique.