6 things shoppers can learn from the Flipkart sale

It was pegged as the mother of all sales, and it had the shoppers salivating. But when the D-day arrived, there was a barrage of consumer criticism that dwarfed the scale of the sale itself. The complaint: most of the shoppers failed to get the goodies.

Of the one billion who visited Flipkart, 998.5 million came back empty-handed. If you too were among those disappointed, here are some pointers that can help you prepare better the next time you want to binge on such a sale.

 

1. Advertised discounts may not be yours

 Though many buyers managed to buy things at fabulous discounts, thousands of miffed customers discovered that their orders had not been executed. The fact is that there are too many people jostling for the same goods.

According to Flipkart, it received a billion hits, while the number of people who actually managed to get their hands on the stuff was just 1.5 million. In other words, one in every 600 visitors to the site managed to shop. So, remember that you may not be able to get the advertised discount.

You may be well-prepared with all your payment details at hand, but you can never be sure that you will get the things you want at the discounted price. Take the case of the Xiaomi phones launched a few weeks ago. At times, they were gone in less than 3 seconds.

When there are millions of people competing against you, keep in mind that the probability of you making a purchase is bound to be extremely low.

2. Save time by registering and using wallets

Most of the people who got their hands on the discounted products were mission-ready at 8am on Monday — the moment the sale began. If you were among them and still missed out, chances are you did not have a registered account with the e-tailer or didn't have a registered payment account (Flipkart Wallet).

While you were entering your credit/debit card details, those with registered accounts were pressing on the buy button.

If you want to grab future offers, having a Wallet, which you can top up beforehand, can speed up your checkout process. Also, browse the site beforehand, pick out the items that you are really keen on, and place them on a separate 'wishlist' that the site lets you create.

In this manner, you can access your top picks quickly and easily, and check whether they are being offered at a high discount.

 

3. The deal on offer may not be the best

Cancelled orders were not the only reason buyers were unhappy with Flipkart. Many customers bought goods on Flipkart only to learn later that rival e-tailers, Snapdeal and Amazon, were offering them at higher discounts. For instance, a MacBook Air that was being sold on Flipkart for Rs 54,000 was priced at Rs 50,000 on Snapdeal.

It is customary for rival platforms to come up with their own deals when a peer announces a sale. So, the next time there is such a sale and if you have set your eyes on a specific product, compare its price on other platforms before you click on 'buy'.

If you have accounts with several e-tailers, comparing prices and purchasing the cheaper item becomes easier.

 

4. Refunds or exchange? Not during a sale

 

Most sales, whether offline or online, have rules that are different from those that apply to normal purchases. Television advertisements by online retailers say that returning a product is very easy.

However, this is not true if you have purchased it during a sale. If you have second thoughts about a purchase, you won't get a refund or even be allowed to exchange the product (unless it is faulty). Many people who were able to get their hands on heavily discounted products during the Flipkart sale, and later wanted to exchange them, could not do so.

So, learn to rein in impulse buying during such sales since you cannot cancel the order and can't get store credit. All these stipulations were clearly specified in the terms and conditions on Flipkart's website. So, next time, go through these carefully before you click on 'accept'.

 

5. Try to use 'Cash on Delivery' option

If cancelled orders weren't bad enough, spare a thought for buyers who may still be waiting for their refunds. Online retailers are very prompt, but refunds can still take up to 1-2 days to reflect in your account. This can be quite a bother, especially if you have been denied the discount.

To avoid this, choose the cash on delivery (COD) option. Even if you don't get the goods you order, at least you won't have to lock your money away

 

6. Don't lose sight of other promotion

 

Often, there are exclusive launches on the day of the sale. In the inevitable rush to benefit from the discounts on offer, customers tend to miss out on these launches. For instance, Huawei launched its Honor 6 mobile phone exclusively on Flipkart on 6 October.

Now, perhaps, in a bid to cash in on the discounted first-generation Moto X offering, you missed out on a phone that could have otherwise been your preferred choice. Now, however, it's too late since you cannot exchange it.

Therefore, it's important that you watch out for big launches during a sale. You might get more value from the new product than from a discounted offering.