The right purchase: what a giraffe should give to a dog to make it happy, like an elephant

Each of us can consider himself a pro at something: one excellent cook, another well versed in accounting, the third knows how to get along with children. But there is an area of life in which each of us must reach his Everest – we are talking about the most everyday and mundane thing – shopping.

Tell us about your successful purchases

Elena, 35 years old.

About a year ago I bought a new stove and I am very happy with it to this day. I must say that I chose it very seriously, decided what I needed and what I didn’t, went shopping for a long time.

Almost all the points that I paid attention to when choosing turned out to be relevant in everyday use. My stove was a little more expensive than the others, but I don’t regret the expense, it was well worth it.

Alexei, 40.

We bought a coffee maker about a month ago. My spouse has long dreamed of such a machine, but beyond the conversation did not go. But at the New Year holidays there was a real rush, all my friends started to buy equipment – there were sales all around, so they bought presents for themselves and their families. My wife used to talk at length about it on the phone and with the neighbors. And finally, this “itch” was passed on to us.

And somehow, walking through the stores, we were in a line of devices for coffee, and we started to look at, check out, at first, just “out of nothing to do. Then we began to compare prices in online stores.

Finally, she made a list of the qualities that the machine should have, and it came down to a specific appliance. We went to a coffee shop and after a long consultation and trying it out, we bought it.

Indeed, the machine makes an excellent drink, we have become real coffee lovers and enjoy a cup of coffee, I – black, and my wife likes cappuccino with a lush milk foam.

Olga, 35.

I have a really good one, I bought it 17 years ago for fun. It is a mixer, it was made at the conversion factory, the name of the brand I have not seen anywhere else I hope that the company has become engaged in their “direct” business .

So, my mixer has experienced many disasters, among which were several moves, including to another city. At one of them I dropped it right on the pavement and the device shattered into several pieces.

And what happened, my husband just put it down and the mixer started working just like before. That it’s a lucky thing, I understand when I cook at my mother or mother-in-law’s house, their mixers have shorter whiskers, and the appliance itself is uncomfortably shaped, and it’s scary to put them down, it all seems to fall off.

And mine combines simplicity, convenience and reliability, nowadays it’s a rare thing.

Tell us about your unfortunate purchases

Tatiana, 32 years old.

Five years ago my husband and I decided to buy a microwave oven. How to choose? We just walked around the market in Riga and got, in fact, the first model we saw.

The seller tried to persuade us not to buy an oven with a grill, saying that we wouldn’t use it. But I wanted crispy wings so badly that I didn’t listen to him. At home we found out that the grill in the chosen oven was really useless, it heats up so slowly that during this time you can grill food a few times in a regular oven.

Of course, our microwave heats our food perfectly. But still, when I clean it from inside and see this inactive grill, I feel regret – why did I need it at all??

Maria, 28.

I can’t say that my purchase is unsuccessful, it just gives me some new frustrations all the time. It’s about the food processor. It seemed to me that with its help I could literally do all the operations of cooking quickly and accurately.

But, the machine, alas, not all of my tasks can handle. For example, I really hoped that I can make minced meat in the machine, but it turned out that the pieces of meat or fish in a second scattered on the walls of the bowl, and the knife just rotates, not touching them.

You have to add water to make the mass somehow manageable, but that’s not appropriate in every recipe! And then the mince still turns out uneven, most of it can be crushed into a “fluff”, and the other is still in pieces.

If I had known that this would happen, I probably would have chosen a machine with a regular meat grinder. Either bought a solo meat grinder and a good chopper, which now I just had to do.

Pavel, 39.

In our family was such a purchase. We really wanted a grill, and we looked at all kinds of things, but just never got around to it. And then one day, walking through a large store, we looked in the department of household appliances, there were a great many different grills, and one we liked it so much that we immediately took it.

I brought it home somehow, and it was pretty heavy, since it had a big piece of marble as a frying surface. We prepared the meat, turned it on, waiting for the panel to heat up, and it will be time to start.

It takes 10 minutes, then 20, 30, 40, all are tired of waiting, and the stove is still not warmed up to the point. We put the meat on it and tried to grill it without any excitement, but it was a mess. The meat would rather be cooked on a regular radiator!

Anyway, this thing also behaves the same when used again. We never turned it on again. And I still feel like an ass.

Common burdock

The idea of figuring out the purchasing process came to me spontaneously. One day I was wandering through an appliance store. Finally, my attention was caught by the rows of washing machines. A lady was walking by, stroking the knobs and buttons, opening the hatches and peeking inside absolutely everyone does this, because there’s nowhere else to look in a washing machine .

Her deep thoughtful attention to the subject did not escape the eyes of the consultant, he immediately sailed up to her, and we heard the all-too-familiar “Can I help you?? The lady, pointing to the washing machine in front of her, asked: “It’s a good machine?” Of course an affirmative answer followed.

This little scene shook my mind, I was confused: on the one hand I saw a completely naive customer, and on the other I saw an indifferent salesperson. I wanted to tell her what to ask in order to get an impression of the model and if possible make a reasonable choice, but her gaze was lacking interest.

For her, all machines were the same. This little story got me thinking that BUYING IS A KNOWLEDGE, and SELECTING IS A SCIENCE EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW.

I came, I saw, I bought

There are a few items in everyone’s arsenal that you can say “money down the drain” about. Is there a technique that would be more or less likely to guarantee good luck shopping?

Serious attitude to the purchasing process becomes vitally important, because trade makes more and more offers and willingly or unwillingly you have to orient somehow in them, especially it is important for household appliances, which should perform utilitarian tasks, and do it as effectively as possible and for a long time.

Three steps to making the right purchase

A purchase is a kind of transaction in which you become the owner of some thing and at the same time part with a certain amount of money. The main thing in the purchase is the benefit. The loss of money should be fully compensated by the resulting properties of your purchase. And so one should strive to get as many useful to you properties as possible, minimizing costs as much as possible.

We tried to create an algorithm of actions, which should help to approach the process of purchase more practical and effective. His condition – the need for a particular appliance, and the task is to choose and buy a particular model.

Our algorithm will consist of three steps, we named them: giraffe, dog, elephant.

Step1: the giraffe – slowly but surely

Take your time, the decision to buy must mature in you, and for this you need to meet two simple conditions.

To begin with, it is worth doing a little research. Its purpose is to gather information on “what to expect from the modern generation of these devices.

So the first trip to the store on this topic will be an introductory, our task is to have a closer look at what is on sale, if possible, to look through the instructions of the samples and, of course, talk to a consultant.

Ideally, read a review article on an Internet site or in The Consumerist. The result of this investigation should be a “this appliance should have and be able to do this” certificate.

Now that you, as they say among journalists, in the subject, it is time to proceed to analysis. You need to think about the features you are buying for, and exclude the items you don’t need. It is worth bearing in mind that previously unfamiliar features may be useful, do not rush to cross them off the list.

Example #1

The washing machine must have:

+ Fuzzy Logic, a system to individually assess each load of laundry

WHAT is important to me: yes, it saves resources and time

+ a large load, let’s say a full-size machine not 5, but 6-7 kg of laundry

WHAT is important for me: yes

+ The programs of washing wool, hand wash

WHAT MATTERS to me: yes, it gets rid of hand washing

+ 1-2 short wash programs

WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO ME: yes, you can wash lightly soiled things faster

+ A program for taking care of jackets

WHAT is important to me: yes, I don’t have to wear outerwear to the cleaners

+ easy ironing function

WHAT is important to me: yes, it will make shirts easier to care for

+ Controlling imbalance

WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO ME: yes

+ A large hatch

WHAT matters to me: yes, it looks more convincing

+ The machine must run quietly

WHAT is important to me: yes, a working machine will not be annoying

+ Security systems

WHAT’S IMPORTANT TO ME: yes.

+ A sunroof with a 180° opening

WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO ME: no, the machine will be in a narrow alcove

+ A timer to work at night at lower rates

WHAT is important to me: no, we do not have a two-phase electricity meter

+ High spin speed

WHAT matters to me: no, I’m okay with averages.

General notions about the appliance from the investigation should be clarified by presenting the requirements for the exterior of your future appliance, there are only three:

– DIMENSIONS are determined on the basis of the space allocated for the device and the standards adopted in this class of equipment,

– DESIGN – must match the style of the room,

– COLOR – can “fall” into the overall scheme, or take on the role of a bright colorful accent.

Step 2: dog – intuition and resourcefulness

Now, having some theoretical preparation, it’s time to proceed to the most responsible stage – the choice. It’s where the cleverness and flair of a Dog comes in handy. It’s not just a question of intellectual effort but also of intuition, of inner confidence or mistrust.

This is the most time-consuming, but also the most interesting phase. From the many models presented you come very close to the one that will suit you best. It means that the device has a number of qualities, which you evaluate extremely positively.

Again we go to real or virtual stores. Knowing your requirements for the product, cut off unnecessary: not suitable in size, appearance, and most importantly, the set of technical properties. In the end there are only a few products left.

So you have three, five or eight models in front of you. We will use the usual student practice, adding or subtracting virtual scores of applicants.

Evaluate the brand

A brand is not just a catchy name. Behind it stands a company, and therefore a specific policy, this policy covers the most important thing for any customer – the quality requirements of the final product. But there is no accurate information about how reliable the units from different manufacturers are. The fact is that it’s not easy to round out a company’s experience in producing an item.

Here’s an example: a couple of years ago, a respected British magazine that specializes in testing, bought several washing machines from European and Asian manufacturers and evaluated their actual performance. So in first and last place were appliances of the same brand, which means that both the best and worst models in the test came out of the factory.

That is why there are no ready-made solutions. There is a certain aura of trust and distrust among potential and actual owners of the equipment. It is influenced by various factors, among which is the intensity of advertising in the media, the country of origin and … emotions. But we advise to consider seriously only those companies that have already managed to establish themselves in our market, that is to say, treat the newcomers with a share of skepticism, avoiding the acquisition especially large appliances new unfamiliar brands.

This advice is based not only on a certain snobbery, the fact is that the company’s work involves not only the sale, but also the service. And it is inconceivable without a developed system, and it takes time. In addition, there is the risk of buying a fly-by-night product.

Another important point – the country of origin. often, when assessing the capabilities of manufacturers, we usually give preference to European manufacturers because the mentality of most of them seems clear to us, and therefore appliances made in Spain, Italy, Germany, France, seem more reliable. In contrast, products from China or Brazil still cause suspicion.

This position is incorrect because the quality control system within the company is usually maintained, despite the distance from the head office to the assembly shop. And therefore it is more logical to transfer your own attitude to the brand at this point. Keeping in mind that the company is responsible for the finished product, it means for the qualification and care of its workers, too.

PLUS

The brand has existed in America for a long time.

The brand has long specialized in this type of equipment e.g. hoods or refrigerators .

You know the positive feedback about it.

MINUS

A new, unfamiliar brand.

A familiar brand has just started to produce this type of equipment.

Negative reaction to the purchase of goods of this brand.

Let’s look at the model

We try to systematize data about the technique in each issue of the magazine, in our reviews it is so-called technical specifications. The experience of our specialists helped us to choose the most obvious and easy way of comparison. So after reading a couple of reviews, you might as well become docs yourself. As you understand, the data will be specific to each type of appliance, but still try to summarize them.

The pluses of the model are:

+ Technical innovations, unique solutions, including design

WHAT Matters to Me: higher quality of appliance operation

+ Availability of new features suitable for you

WHAT is important to me: it expands the possibilities compared to other appliances.

+ Russified management

WHAT is important to me: it makes the device easier to get used to and use for the elderly.

+ Comparatively low cost and easy procurement of consumables

WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO ME: it refers to filters, garbage bags, overhead catalytic panels, detergents in tablets, coffee pods, etc. Without them it is unthinkable to work a machine to its full potential.

+ Economy

WHAT is important to me: low consumption of resources.

Cost effectiveness is a very important parameter as it shows how much it will cost you to use the machine. For large appliances there is a special system of evaluation – energy classes. They are denoted by Latin letters from G to A, from high to low. From class E to G – high or very high power consumption and in washing machines and dishwashers also water , D – medium, from C to A – economical and very economical. Class A+ is the lowest possible consumption. This system does not apply to small appliances, it simply indicates the power consumption of the appliance. This number is especially important for older homes and homes with gas stoves, because they have limited rated power single-use power allotted to the apartment that is, the microwave or kettle can constantly “blow” plugs .

Let’s look at quality

Realistically assess how well the device is made, unfortunately, you can only use it for a few years. But it’s realistic to try to understand the potential of a product that’s in the store. There are four simple points, so let’s pay attention to them:

Lifetime

This is the approximate lifetime of the appliance that was included in its design. It indirectly gives an indication of how durable parts, nodes, systems. It remains to be decided whether or not you are satisfied with such an offer.

Example: washing machines

The life span of a washing machine may be 7, 10, 15 years. With this small period is not a disadvantage of the device at all, because some developers assume that in a few years their child will be so outdated that you have to wait until it breaks down to replace it with a more modern unit.

Guarantee

All appliances sold in our country must have a warranty of at least one year. If the product has a warranty period of less, say, six months, then it is wise to refrain from buying it. Some manufacturers extend their warranty period to two or even three years.

This is a serious statement that confirms the company’s confidence in its own quality. There is another option. The warranty can be doubled or tripled, provided that from the second year in case of a breakdown, you pay either only the work of the master or the cost of parts for replacement. This is usually stated as follows: 1 + 2 years of warranty service.

The quality of finish

Quality of finishing of those elements which are visible to an eye: geometry of planes, condition of edges of details, accuracy of stamping, reliability and tightness of joints and joints, door closing whether the hinges hang out, how locks work , work of buttons, smoothness of enamel, etc.d.

Showroom samples may already have small faults and defects – skewed doors, scratches, darkened coatings. Thus, it is possible to get a glimpse, at a glance, of the distant future of this appliance, as it will look in a few years.

Ease of maintenance

Some appliances only need a good look to see if they can be difficult to clean and clean. Others require a little experiment.

Make sure that the grill is really hinged, the door is easy ! can be removed, the filter can be accessed, and the container can be pulled out fully. Some devices may “sin” with the fact that the declared advantages in service are not available because of the complexity and labor intensity. To get a better idea of the quality of this model, you should certainly take into account the experience of other people.

For this purpose it would be good to ask the owners of the unit, but they are not always available. You can ask for opinions about it on Internet forums, here they often share their frustrations. Lab test results are certainly valuable such as those made in our magazine . They give a more objective opinion.

But the most interesting experience has masters of repair of this equipment, they have to deal not with one, but with a large number of identical devices, and only they know the “weaknesses” of the design. But for us buyers, the easiest thing to do is to talk to the salespeople in the stores.

It’s the latter who have to listen to the reproaches of unlucky buyers, so it’s worth asking them a few things. The main thing is to ask the right questions so that the answers really carry specific information, not just be polite.

Wrong

* it’s a good fridge?

* It’s a good model?

Right

* What do buyers of this model usually complain about?

* What breakdowns are typical for this stove?

* What is the fastest breakdown of the machines in this lineup?

Let’s estimate the cost

The principle of this assessment is obvious: the less money we spend, the better. However, some units may have important advantages and therefore cost more. In this case, you need to assess how much one is worth the other. We should keep in mind that sometimes you can save money on the purchase, here are a few options:

You can keep an eye out for sales

PLUS

* For large chains and stores promotions are predictable, for example, sales always lead before and especially after the New Year holidays, on the eve of February 23 and March 8, in the seasons of declining customer activity.

MINUS

* Real prices are not always reduced you need to keep track , or not all products.

* You need to make a quick decision and buy, which does not always give you the opportunity to choose the right thing.

* The store can make a condition of sale not to return the equipment although this is prohibited by law .

You can buy it from the stand of a store and ask for a discount

PLUS

* We can bargain.

MINUS

* Minor problems with the surface of the appliance, the door mechanism can be “cracked” etc. The filter can be removed e.g. by removing the door handle and the filter is accessible at the front of the appliance and the air filter can be removed.

* The store can make it a condition of sale not to return the equipment which, according to our data, is against the law .

To buy a device from a previous model range

PLUS

* A good appliance with all the right options.

* Significant price reduction to quickly free up store space.

MINUS

* Outdated compared to updated technical solution and design.

So, the Dog stage ends with the fact that you feel more or less confident in the choice. You have one or two models in front of you or one appliance but in several stores.

Step 3: the elephant is happy with himself

Undoubtedly, having done the first two steps, anyone will feel a certain satisfaction.

Elephant is the shortest purchase step. Here you have to make the final decision by saying something like “wrap it up” or “where to pay. But before we specify a couple of important points:

DELIVERY

Some stores provide this service for free. But if the item is large, you may be asked to pay for its lifting to the apartment, especially if it is high up, and there is no elevator in the house it’s 100-150 Dollars per floor .

Delivery is often paid, and it costs 250-350 Dollars for small appliances: microwave ovens, meat grinders, cooker hoods, hobs in New York . Washing machines, refrigerators, stoves, ovens, boilers – 500 Dollars.

Very large appliances, such as Side-by-Side refrigerators – up to 2 thousand. RUB. That said, delivery requires you to meet, accept and pay for the product. That is, a certain day or its half should be devoted to this goal.

Express delivery is almost always more expensive.

And yet, delivery has pluses. Some appliances, such as refrigerators, can only be transported vertically. And you need a truck for that. You can’t do it with a trunk.

In addition, the company is responsible for the goods until the delivery of money, that is, to your door. Which means scratches or dents in transit will allow you to cancel the order. What you can not do if the damage was caused by your inept attempt to stick the appliance in the elevator.

INSTALLATION

Some appliances cannot simply be brought in and plugged in. They require special installation measures. This applies to inbuilt appliances, washing machines, stoves. Gas equipment is simply not allowed to connect on their own, it can only be done by a certified foreman or an employee of the gas service of the district.

Sometimes in an apartment it is necessary to change wiring to connect a new powerful appliance, to establish so-called “Euro-sockets. In general, you need to contact the service, call a master and wait for connection. This is also time and, undoubtedly, money. Let’s say install a gas stove, that is

– Place it in its designed place, align it,

– Connect to the gas supply system using bellows hoses approved in our country and they cost money ,

– Carry out the wiring of the power line with grounding , will cost 1200 Dollars. Accordingly, the offer of free delivery, disinterested or discounted installation will be welcomed. So, after adding up the upcoming costs, taking into account the difference in prices and additional services, as well as the movements of the heart that is, sympathy , we come to the very device that we have been striving for so long.

Only more than two hundred pages of our magazine are devoted to the theme of choice, but the choice is not spontaneous, and thought-out, intelligent. After all, with any purchase, from epilator to air conditioner, it is necessary to catch and take into account many nuances to the result of these efforts really make you happy for years.