Cautious All The Way

It's the middle of the night. I am, once again, browsing through shopping sites that some social media ad redirected me to.

I was thinking about new brush pens I wanted to buy and today it appeared as an Amazon ad on my Instagram feed. So, after a moment of bewilderment and some suspicion about how this could happen, I ended up following the link. There are some five to six companies offering the same product at almost the same price and it is becoming harder to choose. I have wanted these pens for a while now so I need to make sure I buy the best ones. But, I also don't want to spend much. So, I begin researching by looking at customer reviews and pictures of people using the pens.

I am scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling. 

And then it hits me- do I even have the time to sit and paint? I have a million things to do, errands to run, assignments to finish and people to meet. But somehow, I decided I should draw or paint and that led me here.

So, if you're wondering whether I made the purchase or not, well, I did not end up buying it because I simply do not have the time to use it. But, did I enjoy wasting an hour looking at options and possible consequences? You're damn right, I did. 

This got me thinking about how I tend to behave as an online user/consumer. I spend a significant amount of time looking at ads, products, and services, and appreciating them. I'm 21st century digital shopper after all!Sometimes I look at certain things and go on trashing it for how useless it is. I discuss it with my friends often. "Have you checked out the latest Nykaa sale?", "Did you see that new brand being added to Amazon?", “Isn’t that the most useless product you’ve heard of?”- these and much more have become an intrinsic part of my daily conversations. And, people relate to it because that's how typical our entire online behaviour pattern has become.   

So, to come back to the main point, there are some types of behaviour that we often conform to. I believe that I swing between so many types myself that it is hard to ascertain one strict category that I fit into the most.

On many occasions I'm the one who, motivated by unceasing greed and want, looks for things I could potentially buy. My Nykaa wish list is solid proof of this. I keep adding to my list, and maybe even to my cart, hoping that once I do have the money to splurge, this will be where I land first. Sometimes I even go as far as hoping for some good discount to come my way before I can click pay.

Other times, I become rational in my purchases online. Because I am not much of an online shopper anyway, I tend to "wait" and “think” before making any purchase. The hesitation in me is extremely strong as my last post would suggest. I'll pine, overthink and (almost always) eventually give up .That is my online behaviour summed up in a nutshell.

I am also, on some instances, drawn to certain brands only when I know I cannot find it in my city. Before Forever 21 opened in Kolkata, my only option to buy trendy but affordable clothes from that particular brand was through a relative or friend visiting it in some other city. Otherwise, I would have to fulfil my brand-obsession quota with some online shopping which was also very rare as the option came to me much later.

Similarly, there have been times when my way of making a choice rests on the process of elimination. I lay out all my options. Look at what suits me and what doesn’t. This might also involve pros and cons lists after gathering a lot of information online. Infact, this is also how I decided to move to Bangalore and pick the college that I did. Among various options and careful thinking about what would maximise my satisfaction arose this one option that went with my requirements and capabilities like no other.

Granted, hesitation about whether I made the right choice always exists in whatever behaviour I exhibit, whether online or offline, I still tend to be a bit more careful with online purchases and choices since I believe that I am a bit wary and suspicious about my end satisfaction.

For instance, I had a bad experience once with a skirt that I bought on Jabong. That made me distrustful of online shopping in general to the point that I have still not bought anything from that or any other site. I stick to things that I know have lesser chances of getting muddled in the process such as books or beauty and lifestyle products that I already use and know how it will turn out. Experimenting online is simply not my thing.

Even the phone that I currently use was bought online due to lack of an alternative and the process did worry me a little. Yes, it turned out fine but there is usually that voice inside my head that keeps reminding me that there could be an issue and the product might not turn up at my doorstep the way I expect it to. I fear being cheated by vendors. I also detest the hassle of having to go through customer care to get the money refunded or the products replaced.

Given the pace of our lives, it is hard to make out time and emotional energy to deal with the frustration of it all. However, this is the downside of online shopping that we all must face. No one I know, atleast, has always had a pleasant experience. Sure, it has been convenient on more occasions than it has not. But, there is always the story of that one time when things went south.

So, to sum it up, while I remain an avid user of social media sites, shopping pages and am also always up to date about what is on sale and what is not, I am still not a very enthusiastic buyer online. I am content with buying in person (unless it can’t be found this way) because it adds a physical dimension to the entire shopping experience and makes it more social as well. I enjoy going to malls, browsing, trying things out and then buying it. It gives me a different kind of satisfaction, one that I usually make time for despite having a busy life.

Maybe, given the way things are changing, I might have to depend more on online shopping in the times to come. My value as an online customer might, thus, increase. I might even start using apps other than Zomato or Swiggy for actually buying products or services (not food!) online. But as long as the mall down the road is still standing upright, bustling with my favourite stores and outlets, I can’t resist visiting. My instinct will always be to go there with a friend or my mom and make a day out of it. 

I’m still an avid social media user and explorer, but, online shopping and I are still in the honeymoon phase of our relationship. It might take a little while longer for us to get cozy.