I have a bad case of buyer’s remorse. Regular readers know that I pride myself on being a savvy shopper. I’m always on the hunt for the best deals, and I can smell a clearance sale a mile away. Yet in Vegas, aside from those all-you-can-eat buffets, screamin’ deals are harder to find.
When I arrived in Vegas, I’d noticed a crack in my phone screen and was determined to get it fixed before my phone sustained more damage.
Thankfully, only the screen protector needed replacing, but that can easily run $40-$50!
On the quest to repair my phone, Dale and I stumbled upon an incredible gadget shop that sold the latest and greatest technological devices. Soon thereafter, we found ourselves negotiating with the sales clerk.
The salesman was willing to give me a new screen saver for free – if I purchased this power phone case for only $129.99.
Now, before you balk – this phone case is the real deal. More than just a typical case, this one contains a backup battery; when your phone battery starts to lose its charge, you just switch over to the backup power in the case. No more hunting for an outlet in airports, restaurants or coffee shops, right?
With other great features like a built-in stand for propping up your phone while watching videos or listening to music, it seemed like a dream come true. I was on board.
Then, the sales guy got a little eager. He put another deal on the table that we actually started to consider: for $600 total, he’d give us the charger, the screen protector, and six sets of wireless headphones. Hear me out! These were great headphones. I put on a pair and walked all the way down the shopping gallery, and could still hear the device they were linked to four stores away. The salesman reminded me that there were less than 250 shopping days until Christmas – I could finish the bulk of my shopping right then and there….
It was te
mpting, but we were in no way prepared to come out of any store spending $600. In the end, for $129.99, I got the cool power phone case, the screen protector I needed, and a sparkly pink stylus pen. I felt pretty great about my deal and the fact that I didn’t cave to any additional “pressure selling”, until I got home and looked up the case online to show a friend.
What did I see? The exact same phone case on Amazon for $14.88. Ouch. I’ll admit it. My pride is hurt. How could I, an expert shopper, have been so naive?
What about you? Have you ever overpaid for something you thought was a great bargain at the time of purchase? Please, tell me about it. Misery loves company, and my fancy phone case and I could use some right about now!
Happy Monday,
~Mary
