Computer goods are far cheaper bought on the net than in mall stores which, however, offer atavistic gratification: you get to see, touch and smell them. And buy immediately.
And effectively, neither outlet category supplies advice, though stores give an imitation of doing so. The sole advantage of buying in a store is after-sales repair service which is reflected in the higher price. Finally, net buying is entirely impersonal, according to those who dislike it, and functional, according to those who do.
This week, I compared prices for a monitor, anti-virus and Office software, a USB network adaptor, PC memory (RAM), Windows Vista operating software, and Garmin satellite navigation (Satnav) hardware.
Continues Below↓I visited the web outlet of the largest Main Street and mall outlet, and compared its prices with those on three sites that display prices and sell computer equipment. These were: www.pricecheck. co.za; www.comx-computers. co.za; and www.wantitall.co.za
All sellers charge for delivery - and all are disarmingly coy about revealing their delivery charges until you've made the purchase. Complaints procedure information is equally scanty. Some have a return policy for faulty goods. No sites offer decision-making help or contact phone numbers. My advice is: think or thwim.
These are some findings based on my sample:
Whether you buy in store or at the store's web outlet the price is the same. In other words, shopping through the store's web site is costlier because of delivery charges. The sole advantage of going for the store's web option is dodging its commission-hungry staff with only the most basic knowledge of their products.
The variations in prices for the same items quoted on the net are sometimes huge. They may vary by as much as 120 percent, which translates into savings of R600 to R700 for Microsoft software, and R1 000 for satellite navigation hardware.
Web outlet prices vary enormously - by upwards of 100 percent in some cases. Shopping around saves money.
In-store prices are equivalent to or higher than the highest prices quoted on the net.
It follow that the lowest prices of different net-based suppliers are usually far less than those of store-linked outlets. In my sample, the sole exception was a Samsung 18.5 monitor: only one web-based seller was slightly cheaper.
Websites offer greater variety of some products, like laptops, than the stores.
Shopping on the net and elsewhere works best if you know what you want by item and brand.
Without it, you're stabbing in the dark.
That highlights a missing element in the purchasing process: lack of independent counsel. What advice exists on the net and elsewhere tends to reflect commercial agendas, often posing as disinterested consumer guidance.
The country's population, educational levels, wealth and wealth disparities militate against consumerism: one would hardly expect commercial sites to give informed advice involving comparing products whose manufacturers pay their salaries.
What advice is available tends to be anecdotal. Because of the country's education levels, wealth disparities and history of obedience it can't support sites offering disinterested and informed advice.
However, you can get disinterested advice from other markets, though not all products sold here sell there or vice versa.
For R13 you can take out a month's subscription to a respected UK site like www.which.co.uk which tests and evaluates products, including computer hard- and software.
Ultimately, the best shopping procedure is to visit www.which. co.uk; ask around; and then visit the store to cop a feel, then scour the net to buy.
It's tempting but wasteful to be shocked by price variances. Sure, the stores have got to cover their overheads but that doesn't mean that you have to pay for their business choices. Sure, too, some web prices are rapacious but the best way of bringing them down is not paying them.
greig.rj@gmail.com
