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Top 5 reasons for gadget buyer’s remorse

5 Replies Rebecca Moss

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Electronic gadgets

Typical gadget purchases.

Nothing compares to the excitement of getting a brand new gadget home. But, when you get it out of the box, have you ever regretted buying it?

New research from Debt Advisory Centre shows that the majority of people in the UK (82%) have experienced buyer’s remorse – and 20% of them have regretted buying gadgets (that’s just over 8 million people!).

Gadgets can be a big commitment – so if you regret buying them it can feel awful. That’s why Debt Advisory Centre has looked at the top 5 causes of ‘gadget buyer’s remorse’, and suggested a few ways they could be avoided.

1. I didn’t really need it (38%)

Many of us have been guilty of this at some point or another. It can be so easy to get caught up in the excitement when a new gadget comes out – and we feel like we just have to have one of our own. However, in the end, we realise that we didn’t actually need it at all.

One of the best ways to avoid this is to delay your purchase – by a week, a month or perhaps even longer. It might take some determination, but after the time has passed you might have a better idea of whether you actually wanted the gadget in the first place. Plus, if you wait a month or two, the cost might go down too.

2. I couldn’t really afford it (21%)

21% of people with gadget buyer’s remorse regretted their purchase because of the cost. That’s equivalent to 1.7 million people across the UK! And it’s true: gadgets can be very expensive, especially if they’re brand new.

Buying something that’s a bit too expensive is one thing – but getting into debt because of it is quite another. At Debt Advisory Centre, we’ve found that overspending is one of the main reasons people get in touch with us. We hear situations like this every day, along with the other causes of debt like job loss, divorce and other changes in financial situation. Whatever the reason, if you’re struggling with your debts it’s important to get help as soon as possible. A debt adviser could assess your circumstances and suggest an appropriate solution.

If you’re hankering after a gadget you can’t really afford (and you’re sure you actually need it), well: patience is a virtue. Wait it out, and you might find that the price drops significantly – or you might be able to find it much cheaper second-hand.

3. It was poor quality or broken (17%)

If you get your gadget out of the box and it doesn’t work properly, or it’s visibly broken, you should be entitled to return it and get a full refund. If it’s not quite as good as you were expecting (for example, if it’s a bit shoddy or flimsy) you should be able to return it, citing that it’s not suitable for your needs.

Surprisingly, only 7% of gadget-buyers who regretted their purchase actually returned it. Always check retailers’ returns policy before you buy anything from them.

4. I rarely or never use it (15%)

One day, your gadget can be your favourite possession, and never out of your hand. Then, a few months down the line, it can be in a cupboard – forgotten.

In this case, you may not be able to return it to the retailer (as you may have had the item for too long). So you could take an example from our respondents, who sold their item on (21%) or gave it away (6%). Have a look on eBay or similar sites to see how much other people are selling your item for. It’s worth at least getting some of the money you paid back.

5. I didn’t like it (10%)

It’s reassuring to see that ‘didn’t like it’ is the least popular reason for regretting gadget purchases. Gadget-buyers clearly do their research to see whether a gadget is right for them before they buy it.

However, if it does turn out that you don’t like it – don’t just keep it (like a whopping 66% of our respondents did). Act quickly and you can return it.

Looking after your gadgets

Leave a reply Jack Guest

Gamers, office workers and tech fans who lead a busy lifestyle might not rate tidying up their technology as their highest priority. However, there comes a point where all the wires and cables become so intertwined that they become almost impossible to prise apart. This is where keeping all your tech in check could prove useful.

It doesn’t have to involve hour after hour of moving your devices around or untangling cables. With a combination of hi-tech and low-tech solutions, you can make your tech at home or in the office look a lot cleaner and easy to find, use and transport when you need to access it.

Cable management

Messy cablesFor gamers in particular, this is essential. The problem of cables becoming tangled is common for many console owners. The best thing to do to avoid this problem is to use a series of cable ties. They’re cheap, easy to use and help to keep numerous cables bound together behind the back of your TV screen.

At the same time, you’ll want to make sure that all your gadgets are well-ventilated. Keeping the holes in your computer, consoles, TV and other devices clear from obstructions like wires or cables will ensure that they’re less likely to overheat. This should extend their life and help keep them running fast.

All-in-one charging

Many of us own quite a few gadgets, many of which have mains chargers. In some cases, e-readers, smartphones and tablets can be powered up using the same charger, but to save space and energy when two or more of them need recharging, a multiple docking station could be helpful.

They’re relatively good, but they’re not too expensive, plus they can work well in the office as well as at home. If you own a range of Apple products, you’ll surely want one in order to reduce the stress of trying to find the right charger for each device. It could also become an important addition to any office desk, especially if you need access to all your gadgets at all times.

Smart labelling

Labelling your technology is a simple but effective idea, especially in the workplace. If, for example, you work in a large office, you’ll want to be able to find your computer/laptop straight away. Putting a label on it could save you time in trying to find it, especially if you feel like you’ve mislaid it somewhere after a meeting.

Asset labelling is useful too. It can be used to track your tech if it goes missing or gets stolen. As seareach.plc.uk point out, it’s useful for devices other than computers as well. It could be used to keep track of printers, scanners, tablet PCs, photocopiers, monitors or even items of furniture such as tables, chairs and sofas.

Improve your cooking experience with an app

26 Replies RonF

Having a tough time inside your kitchen? Cooking is not an easy task, especially for those who feel it is strenuous and time-consuming. Favorite Recipes is the app that changes those notions and adds a new dimension to the overall cooking experience.

Developed by CulinartMedia Inc. for iCook2day, Favorite Recipes has a bunch of delicious recipes with clear explanations on how to prepare the dishes. Their collection is divided into categories like soups, salads, seafoods etc. On choosing a particular recipe, you can easily add it to the menu list by checking the orange circle given alongside.

Favorite Recipes iPhone appPreparing a dish is really exciting as each recipe has awesome images and details like cooking time, preparation time and the level of difficulty. You can see the ingredients for each recipe and easily add them to your shopping cart by checking the required ingredients.

There is an option called ‘Serve‘ on the top right corner of the screen. It indicates the quantity of ingredients needed to cook a particular dish for a certain number of people. This ingredient calculator provides options to cook for only 4 or 6 people. It would have been good if there was more flexibility so that users could have a wider choice, may be from 2 to 10 people.

I also noticed that the app crashed in this particular area when I tapped the ‘Cancel‘ button.

The ‘Directions‘ tab gives you an explanation of the steps to be followed while cooking. You can see the text version in the landscape mode and text with associated images in the portrait mode, which is a cool idea from developers. The ‘Shopping List‘ is a convenient option to collect all the ingredients you need to purchase for different dishes. You could place your order via Email or take your list along with you when you go shopping. Ingredients which you already have at home can be easily removed from your list.

Favorite recipes iphone app shopping list‘Menu‘ option is similar to the add to favorites section, where you can add recipes to the menu thereby deciding on the dishes you will be cooking for the day. Apart from all these great features in the app, there is a collection of Chef Michael’s cooking videos! This section has a list of dishes with detailed videos on the making of each recipe. It’s quite less in number and I feel a version update with more new recipes and videos would be welcomed.

This app is well-designed with beautiful photos of finished recipes, high-quality videos and some interesting features. The developers should have kept the user’s perspective in mind while developing the app’s interface. Apart from some minor bugs like the app’s tendency to crash, Favorite Recipes is a much recommended one!

You can download the Favorite Recipes app here.