Beware the “upsell”

It’s everywhere – you go to buy a household item that is visually appealing, functional and within your budget and what do some salespeople do? They try to sell you the “better” model – “better looking”, bigger, sleeker, “more elegant”, whatever.

Here is a recent scenario: I decide to buy a new front –loading washer and dryer succumbing, I admit, to the promises of this technology. And this is an instance where visual appeal is not “make or break” – I mean there are only so many things you can do to jazz up a laundry pair! After researching, asking people what they like or don’t like I choose a pair which will suit the needs of my husband and me very well. I figure that white is just fine, that I don’t need “steam” this and that and that a smaller washer and dryer will be fine for two people. So I head off to the appliance jungle.  I am told that my choice is “entry level” – the implication (I guess) is that this is shameful. How could I possibly want anything so basic?  But I ignore the veiled insult. Since that approach isn’t working I am steered towards the glitzier red pair (with the fake plastic “chrome”) and I am told of the huge benefits of having a washer and dryer that will handle tons of diapers (?) and kids’ clothing. Since my children are grownups and I don’t wash my grandkids’ clothes I remain unimpressed. You know what? I have decided that I will ignore the salesperson and that I will buy that “entry level” pair. Shame on me!

Hey, let’s be “real” when it comes to making choices about what we buy to put in our homes. Decent furniture, appliances, accessories and finishes such as flooring can cost a fair amount of money. But you don’t have to bankrupt yourself buying this stuff.   Apart from the appearance of an item, I think that a key issue here is “shelf life”. Most of us know that there is a lot of poor quality merchandise “out there”. If longevity is important to you, you have to be savvy – research and learn about the quality of what you are buying. Planned obsolescence is a sad reality of life these days.