It's easy to wonder if that shiny new phone or laptop will become obsolete within the first four months you own it. It's also easy to wonder if you made the BEST decision. Often times we purchase items only to find out that a better model just went on sale at a lower price.
So what's a savvy consumer to do?
First off let's tackle the issue of research:
I personally like to research things online, using tech websites and user forums. I feel that since these areas are not run by the company who produces, sells, or offers service - you know that the review are more likely to be unbiased reviews from people like yourself. Sites such as www.cnet.com , www.digitaltrends.com and www.pcmag.com offer in depth review and commentaries on new and existing technology. You can also try www.review.zdnet.com for even more in depth analysis of the hottest trends in tech.
I personally like the zdnet reviews because I feel that they present their opinions in a very easy to understand format in real English!
One should never purchase technology based only upon what the salesman at the electronics or phone store tells you. Bottom line is they are trained to oversell. Sell the biggest and baddest item out there, and get the biggest commission bonus. Doesn't matter if you as a buyer really only needs something basic... if the salesman can convince you that you need the features - chances are you will buy them. But for many of us, we don't need to own the biggest and baddest devices, we just need those that suit our needs, perform well, and of course fit within our designated budgets.
Research turns out to be what separates those of us who get over-sold from those of us who buy exactly what we need. For example, your typical Realtor probably needs a phone that can help them maintain and access their database on the fly. But Mr. Average Joe, who has only a "phone list" of friends and family probably DOES NOT need a "contact management system" - unless of course they are terrible at keeping in touch with friends and family. So when Average joe goes to buy his new phone - he should first do some research into what is available within his price range. Next he should evaluate which features he truly needs, and eliminate those fun sounding features such as the ability to mix your own ringtones (an example of a feature that rarely gets used after the first two weeks of owning the phone). By doing some basic research you can quickly determine what you need vs. what you want.
Next we tackle price shopping:
eBay is the place to check if it is an older item (meaning it was released more than two months ago). By this time eBay will have some of them listed and you can get a good idea of how much they would go for as used items. This gives you a good benchmark for what the new price (Amazon) and the used price (eBay) would be.
My favorite way to check prices is to combine a quick check of both www.amazon.com and www.ebay.com. In my experience, if it's hot and trendy Amazon will not only have it, but they can get it from multiple sources. By searching in Amazons search box at the top of their website, you often will find that Amazon will do the price matching work for you.
You've researched what's out there, you know what features you really need, and now you know what a good price to pay would be. So the next time that jazzy salesmen comes your way trying to upsell you into the latest over priced unit with features that sound great but largely go unused - you will be able to confidently tell them that you know what you want, and how much you plan to pay for it.
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