The_Big_K
#-Link-Snipped-# - that's an interesting insight. I think it'd be worth doing a comparison chart for other items on sale on both the websites as well. But why focus only on HomeShop18? There are other players too who might be trying harder to get attention from the blogger media. Junglee for example is trying hard to establish themselves in Indian markets and Jabong, with all of its advertising dollars is already giving Flipkart a hard time competing in traffic.
How about mobile prices in the smartphone category?
#-Link-Snipped-#,
HomeShop18 has been mentioned in the comparison of Books in the
Technology, Self Improvement and Best Seller categories because its
Prices are the Lowest when compared to Flipkart, IndiaPlaza, Infibeam, BookAdda, Uread, Ebay, IndiaTimes Shopping and on the price comparison website, Junglee.
I have experienced it myself that the
Quality of Packaging by HomeShop18 even for low priced Books
is Simply Outstanding. The shipping package is capable of withstanding mishandling during transit without causing any damage to the book inside.
In over a dozen books ordered by me to
HomeShop18 on various subjects till date, HomeShop18 has
promptly delivered my Books
in 1-3 days of my orders.
The wide differences in pricing of Books by various Sellers are indicators of the extent of the
Margins on Books and the
extent to which, we as Consumers in the name of convenience, are willing to take a Hit. For some Consumers like the #-Link-Snipped-#
getting a Book cheaper by15% might not be of significance, whereas
for a Student, it may mean acquiring another useful Book, without blowing a hole in his pocket.
I have been told by Udit Malhotra of talkabouttech that he is already working on a comparison of the prices of other popular technology products from the above mentioned Sellers.
I may add that the Comparison of Prices for Products like Laptops, Mobiles and other Electronics Products is more Complex as Sellers bundle and combine related Products with MRPs which are 5-10 times higher than their real world prices. For example, Philips 5.1 Speakers with Wireless Remote have an MRP of Rs.6,990/- but are available for ~Rs.2,000/- in Big Bazaar and other Outlets. Multi Card Readers are available for Rs.30/- but carry an MRP of Rs.250/- to Rs.300/-. Private Label Bluetooth Hands-free is easily available in the market for Rs.250/- but carries an MRP of Rs.1500/- to Rs.2500/-.
Very conveniently, most Sellers do not specifically mention the
MRP (Maximum Retail Price) of the Product being sold by them. The Consumer believes that he is getting a Discount, whereas he might be getting the Product at a price which is actually just a few Rupees lower than its MRP. Visit Super Markets and you will find many products bundled together as combos in the Grocery section. Many Combos are actually at exactly the Sum-Total of the MRPs of all the Products. The Customer in good faith believes that he is getting a Discount. Upon reaching home, he discovers he has received 'Zero Discount' but bought 3 products instead of 1, which he actually required.
To make extra and illegal profits, Sellers like Flipkart resort to Unfair Trade and Anti-Consumer Practices by selling products such as Toshiba Laptops, 'Without Accesories' by removing the Backpack/Carry Case thereof. If you visit the Toshiba India website, you will discover that most models Toshiba Laptops come with Backpack/Carry Case as an 'Included and Standard Accessory'. Since a Laptop's Backpack/Carry Case is an essential accessory, the Customer has to buy it from the Seller or from the market by paying for something which was actually supposed to came with the purchased product!
In our lives, all of us have experienced undue harassment and stress at the hands of Sellers, Service Providers and Manufacturers be it issues relating to price, delivery or post-purchase services.
Here the real issue is not just about comparison of prices but ensuring that we as Consumers are not being taken for a ride by Sellers.
I hope others at CE will also join this conversation and ensure that nobody supports fraudulent Sellers online.
