Throwing money away... Literally!

Written by Golden Star from the blog This 'n that... on 19 Feb 2008
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On Sunday afternoon I spent money I don’t have, four thousand rand to be precise on a certain item (electronic appliance). By money I don’t have I mean I "payed" by credit card for it.

Come Monday morning I’m surfing the net & BAM… there’s the very same item for half the price (yes 2 grand) and it’s not even on special! Damn!… Of course I felt like the biggest fool to ever walk this earth. I might as well have taken 2000 in cash and burnt.

The thing is I didn’t know at the time that I was being ripped off. At the same time no one forced me into buying, I did it of my own free will. On my way home I did wonder if I’d made the right choice. It even crossed my mind that I could have paid too much but I just said it must be "quality". Of course "too much" meant 500 to 800 bucks & not 2 grand! Crap!

If I hadn’t opened the item and messed up the packaging the second I got home then I’d take it back to the damn shop without a doubt but I’m stuck with it. How could I possibly live with myself and the item? Going home and looking at it everyday? Am I now supposed to think of all this as one of those harsh lessons that life teaches us? Am I supposed to just admit that “life is a b$tch” and move on? How? Especially when the truth is I want my money back but the reality is I’m not gonna get it. What do I do or say to myself to make it all okay? How can I possibly recover from this "feeling like the biggest idiot" syndrome?

Has the same kind thing ever happened to you and how did you handle it? I hope better than me because I really just want to strangle myself. I’ve even decided that if anyone asks I’ll just say I paid 2 grand for the item and that’s a secret I’m taking to my grave.

21 Comments

LM
19 Feb 2008 00:49

He he he he!!!! G. Star......when the gurus say you must shop around before spending ur hard earned moolah...they are talking from experience.

To answer ur question, No I don't think I was ever ripped of....actually I'm a sucker for discounts....will negotiate a discount for almost anything (big things)...from car to furnisher...

with cash or plastic in your hand you are the king...u need to learn to use that to ur advantage....

Best-Achiever
19 Feb 2008 01:34

@G-Star --- As LM said it is better to shop around first, and do negotiations for you'll get a better deal. having said that, in your situation we all have done it maybe once or twice(maybe for our own luck we werent bying big stuff), but there is no point in beating yourself about it, the only gud thing you can get out of this is a lesson not to do the same mistake away. experience is a very harsh teacher because most of the time we have to learn it the hard way.

Best-Achiever
19 Feb 2008 01:42

same mistake away ..... meant again

Zee Babes!
19 Feb 2008 01:52

@ Gold Star - I normally do that with clothes....in many cases i buy things at outlets like you Truworths/Edgards etc and days later, I see the same outfit eMachay`neni and I feel like i`ve been robbed...and now I have resorted on shopping koMachay`neni.

A wise man once said - We often buy things we dont need to impress ppl we dont like with the money we dont have. We buy things coz XXX has them and we want to prove dat we 2 can do it.

TIP: Keep locked eMachayneni.... discounts never get better dan dat.

monchooza
19 Feb 2008 02:00

Thatha Zee, i am sure ukuthi unezigodi eziningi neh???

Khuselwa
19 Feb 2008 02:25

Once you've made a decision/chosen to take a certain route, stick with it. There's no use beating urself up about what could have been if there's no way to start over...That's my motto.

Zee Babes!
19 Feb 2008 02:31

@Monchooza - Thatha Zee, i am sure ukuthi unezigodi eziningi neh??? Zi galore lurvh

WhiteSockGirl
19 Feb 2008 02:32

Oh yeah I know the feeling. My laptop gave up on life and I had a lot of deadlines.. my laptop is my everything. Since I am stuck in SMALLTOWN and with no options I bought a machine at one the local dealers with no software and pay what I perceive on my salary as a small fortune. About a month later I saw in a pamphlet of one of the bigger dealers that, they advertised the same machine with software for the exact same price. Ouch,...

Molilo
19 Feb 2008 02:47

If i was in ur shoes I will buy the R2000 one and return it to the shop I bought the R4000 one as u said they r exactly the same so no one will know I do that all the time and it always feel good. As consumers/customers u must know ur rights and u do have a right to return things u do not want anymore

Golden Star
19 Feb 2008 04:03

@Molilo u are on to something there. In other words rip off the rippers? I like it... ha ha ha ha *evil laugh*

sbu001
19 Feb 2008 04:31

I've been a victim of throwing away a lot of money this Jan in way that my credit card now is fucked...

I got ripped off by trying to get a driving test date for my licence as my licence was expiring,it was about R1,200..

Many lessons and bookings which made R2,500..

The traffic department guys are wasting our they must be lenient

To make things worse I buy this formal trouser,I was in a hurry I did not notice that it was a bootleg and I am so not fashionable when it comes to wearing bootlegs and after removing the tags I realised that it was not what I wanted..trying to return it a week later ,,,,and they said they want their tags.

sbu001
19 Feb 2008 04:33

I mean't leaners licence was expiring

traffic dep guys are wasting our money....not sure about the spelling on lenient

Nonny
19 Feb 2008 05:40

Sbu001, don't worry u spelt lenient correctly!!!

sponono
19 Feb 2008 05:56

Golden Star...you can still return it .no matter how messed up and shredded it is..as long as you know your tantrums and how far they can get you/......go'head and throw one at the asistant.failing that go for the manager...I'm sure they'll refund you instead of facing your perfomance...(dont forget to say..."is it because I'm black"...-sometimes it works..hi hi hi

seriasly...My "throwin money away" happens if I buy somethin to wear...e.g a great t-shirt that I thought was mine only...to see some drunken/ugly/unkept schmuck wearin it ...then I wish I hadnt bought it...eeeerrrg

Zee Babes!
19 Feb 2008 06:12

@ Spono - My "throwin money away" happens if I buy somethin to wear...e.g a great t-shirt that I thought was mine only...to see some drunken/ugly/unkept schmuck wearin it ...then I wish I hadnt bought it...eeeerrrg

If those drunkards have moola so be it... is it not about affordability - kusho ukuthi uthenga lapho kuthengeka khona nawe - kuhle lokho!

sponono
19 Feb 2008 08:12

Zee Babes! .....kuyokwenza nawe ngeliny'ilnga usazimisele kuleyo.t-shirt /top ekumanqaza kamnandi..uvele ubone ngoma-hosha orathukile eygqokile....LOL

Zee Babes!
19 Feb 2008 08:17

@Sponono - kuyokwenza nawe ngeliny'ilnga usazimisele kuleyo.t-shirt /top ekumanqaza kamnandi..uvele ubone ngoma-hosha orathukile eygqokile....LOL

Ngiyobulala umuntu = kuyophuma is`dumbu ngimfungu `baba!

Tynt!
19 Feb 2008 08:25

This kinda *bleep!* happens u knw: bt eish R2K, thts sumthin else.

Mybe itz wrth it "Quality wize", Thts wht I alwys tel mwa.

heavenly
20 Feb 2008 15:00

If i was in ur shoes I will buy the R2000 one and return it to the shop I bought the R4000 one as u said they r exactly the same so no one will know> not sure about that molilo coz products hav these numbers on them batch number, item number and so on, depends on the product and they write them down if u make a purchase unless they r careless then u can get away with it.

Molilo
21 Feb 2008 00:34

If u buy a kettle say Phillips they all have the same barcodes no matter where u buy them only a store specifies how much that specific barcode is worth. I have done this a lot and I have managed to get my change and even if it gets broken and the guarantee has passed u do not have to worry u buy a new one and return the old one for repair and donate the other one to ur friend for her b-day. U can even swap boxes if u are not comfortable always be street wise. Therer r even stores that u can return goods without producing a receipt. So y will this be difficult. As I said I love returning stuff and I never encounted a problem thus far.

myname
21 Feb 2008 00:56

yes sponza that thing works my luv "is it bcoz im black" & i always laugh after i got what i want hi hi hi hi. And Molilo u r so right my luv . Mna i cant remember how long i've been changing my iron eClicks & they know mi

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