SHOPPING

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussion' started by Mike Allen, Jan 12, 2019.

  1. Mike Allen

    Mike Allen Total Gardener

    Joined:
    Jan 4, 2014
    Messages:
    2,861
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired. Plant Pathologist.
    Location:
    Eltham. SE. London
    Ratings:
    +6,097
    So todays shopping. Sit back and a few clicks of the computer mouse and that's it. I used to enjoy visiting high street shops, browsing, being able to pick things up etc, ask questions etc. That's changed now.
    We now live in a throw away world. I used to like visiting Tottenham Court Road London. Electrical shops, Ham radio etc. Science shops etc.

    I have just placed an order online with a Chinese firm. I've ordered a 3.5-90x simul-focal trinocular zoom stereo microscope + double arm boom stand. £499.00 post free. Yes I'd have liked to have handled it and tried it out, alas today is now.

    Anyone else have feelings about shopping?
     
  2. WeeTam

    WeeTam Total Gardener

    Joined:
    Mar 9, 2015
    Messages:
    2,362
    Gender:
    Male
    Ratings:
    +5,078
    Your a brave man sending 500 quid to China.

    Imho The high st. died when the councils decided to make it a nighmare to find parking and if you did find a spot a warden would be waiting to catch you overstaying by a minute so the council could extort 60 quid from you.

    Then the streets were filled with beggars, honest and fake ones, which didnt help matters aswell as the street drinkers.

    Online shopping saves me the hassles of goining into the city centre now and online is usually cheaper and offers a vastly greater choice imho.

    What I would change is the ludicrous amount of returns people are making with online shopping. A womens fasion retailer said she gets back about 50% of orders from her customers :yikes:
    Thats ahell of a lot of delivery vans needed just to do that.
     
    • Agree Agree x 2
    • Like Like x 1
    • Warwick lad

      Warwick lad Gardener

      Joined:
      Oct 29, 2018
      Messages:
      44
      Gender:
      Male
      Occupation:
      Semi-retired
      Location:
      Warwickshire
      Ratings:
      +104
      I would love a microscope, had one when I was a nipper, it's one of the two things I love. A telescope for the planets, the other for the micro world we live in.
      The problem with buying international is the following....

      Quote... "International items may be subject to customs processing and additional charges."

      I'm a home brewer and on the odd occasion, I've bought kit from China, then been hit with a tax bill on delivery.

      I've been hit with a parking ticket, the reason "I used the wrong ticket machine." yup you read that correctly.

      We went into Stratford upon Avon, 3 miles from home, by the river are two car parks both own by the council. We parked up paid for a ticket when we returned we found a ticket on the screen, not for being over on time. I used the ticket machine for the car spaces the other side of the tarmac road feeding both parks. When we went to the office to ask about the ticket, the above reason was what we were told.

      There was no way they would back down and we had to pay....needless to say, we don't go to Stratford any more, we now go to Lemington Spa.

      Who lost out here?? the high st....sorry traders...blame the council.

      BJ.
       
      • Friendly Friendly x 1
      • Victoria

        Victoria Lover of Exotic Flora

        Joined:
        Jun 9, 2006
        Messages:
        30,121
        Occupation:
        Lady of Leisure
        Location:
        Messines, Algarve
        Ratings:
        +49,896
        Some time ago I saw a programme on TV and they were interviewing women about on-line purchasing. I was shocked at the number (probably that 50%) that said they buy outfits for going out/parties etc, leave the tags on tucked in :hate-shocked: then return the item saying it doesn't fit or whatever!:yikes: I can't understand this mindset.

        I buy a lot on-line (can't abide crowds) but if I get something I am not 100% happy with, I give it to a friend or charity. This is possibly why Amazon sells things at a low price in the Warehouse Deals saying 'Used Once'. Absolutely appalling behaviour but I have benefitted many times with such items as an upright and a robot vacuum, both in original packaging and in perfect working order.



         
        • Like Like x 1
        • Friendly Friendly x 1
        • Doghouse Riley

          Doghouse Riley Head Gardener

          Joined:
          Sep 1, 2009
          Messages:
          3,677
          Gender:
          Male
          Occupation:
          "Pleasantly unemployed."
          Location:
          The Tropic of Trafford, England.
          Ratings:
          +4,411
          I spent my working life in retail management in from the sixties when I was in my early twenties. Starting with a TV and and electrical appliance store, then progressing to general manager. chain and deparmental stores.

          In my teens I worked in an office in Regent Street, where the girls outnumbered the boys ten to one. (Oh! Happy days!)
          It was common for some of the girls to buy a dress in Oxford Street Street on a Friday lunchtime, wear it on Saturday night and take it back for a refund at Monday lunchtime.

          I doubt if anything has changed.

          In chain stores another ploy was shoes. We occasionally found a pair of womens' tatty-looking shoes pushed under the display racks, where someone had obviously swopped them for a new pair and walked out without payment, wearing them.

          But with more afluent society these days, a lot of young women buy dresses in Primark, wear them a couple of times, then throw them away. Our son's partner, regularly does this.
           
          • Informative Informative x 1
          • Victoria

            Victoria Lover of Exotic Flora

            Joined:
            Jun 9, 2006
            Messages:
            30,121
            Occupation:
            Lady of Leisure
            Location:
            Messines, Algarve
            Ratings:
            +49,896
            This is the appalling behaviour I referred to.

            There is one word for this type ... THIEF!

            I agree with this but I then give the clothes to charity.

             
          • wiseowl

            wiseowl FRIENDLY ADMIN Staff Member

            Joined:
            Oct 29, 2006
            Messages:
            44,110
            Gender:
            Male
            Occupation:
            Philosophy of people
            Location:
            In a barn somewhere in North Kent
            Ratings:
            +89,259
            Good afternoon I was also hit with a parking ticket in our local car park,it was one of these where you have to type in your number plate :heehee: well Woo typed in one of the letters wrongly (I think I hit the wrong button) I didn't realise and off I went shopping,when I got back I had a £50 ticket:wallbanging:
             
            • Informative Informative x 2
            • Friendly Friendly x 1
            • Jiffy

              Jiffy The Match is on Fire

              Joined:
              Aug 25, 2011
              Messages:
              11,168
              Occupation:
              Pyro
              Location:
              Retired Next To The Bonfire in UK
              Ratings:
              +31,456
              I wowder how much stuff gets repacked and sold as new after it's been returned, food shopping we go to the shops first thing in the morning (we don't like lots of people) we do some internet shops but no with credit/debit cards we use gift cards :) or we look on line to buy and then ring up by phone to place order then get it delivered (free)
               
            • Fat Controller

              Fat Controller 'Cuddly' Scottish Admin! Staff Member

              Joined:
              May 5, 2012
              Messages:
              26,198
              Gender:
              Male
              Occupation:
              Public Transport
              Location:
              At me 'puter, GCHQ Ashford Office, Middlesex
              Ratings:
              +48,819
              I agree that parking has gone a long way to destroying the High Street, but surely some of it lays at the door of property prices, landlords and over-taxation creating higher overheads for shops?

              Of course, some of it is either taking the Mick when it comes to prices or simply stocking the wrong sort of stuff. On one of our first outings in the summer, we went to Debenhams, and they had an entire floor filled with 'clearance' stock. A lot of it was really, really expensive despite being clearance (dresses at £400, T-shirts at £90 for example and that was the reduced price!) - and the other notable thing was that a lot of it was utterly hideous. There was not a thread of mens clothing that I would have bought even if it was a quid. Go to Primark, and there is loads of stuff that fits, and is not horrid, and is considerably cheaper.

              As for our Chinese cousins, some stuff from there used to be terrible but the quality has gone up markedly. Quite recently, I had to buy a part for my car - that part, from Jaguar, would have bent me over for over £800. The exact same part can be had online for around £350. But, a pattern part can be had for around £170 from Germany.

              Not exactly flush, I bought the £170 part, and watched its tracking over the course of around a week from Germany to my front door. The part itself seemed to be as well made as the one coming off the car (in terms of metal quality etc), it fitted in its position (bolt alignment etc) perfectly, and all connections did also - - and it works, perfectly.

              Now, whilst I would love to support my local businesses, I simply cannot afford to spend over £600 more on what is essentially the same thing.
               
              • Like Like x 2
              • andrews

                andrews Super Gardener

                Joined:
                Aug 28, 2018
                Messages:
                900
                Gender:
                Male
                Occupation:
                Waste Management and Consultancy
                Location:
                South Yorkshire
                Ratings:
                +2,369
                Having our own small company I like support local businesses and buy local wherever I can, provided the cost of doing so isn't significantly more than buying on line.
                The issue I have is that a lot of the items I'm after are not available locally or I don't have the time to scour the local shops in the hope of finding the items.

                Amazon has made it too easy to locate unusual items.

                We have bought a lot of plants and seeds on line and tend to use trusted specialist suppliers who others have recommended. We have built a rapport with some of these and find that they operate as virtual local businesses.
                We do have a local nursery where the owner is quirky, to say the least, and he has some good plants and good knowledge of plants. Its good to spend a bit of time chatting to him, picking his brains - something you don't tend to get very often today.
                 
                • Like Like x 3
                • andrews

                  andrews Super Gardener

                  Joined:
                  Aug 28, 2018
                  Messages:
                  900
                  Gender:
                  Male
                  Occupation:
                  Waste Management and Consultancy
                  Location:
                  South Yorkshire
                  Ratings:
                  +2,369
                  Fellow home brewer here. I bought a couple of stainless steel vessels from Germany. Much cheaper than the uk, great quality and great service .
                   
                  • Like Like x 1
                  • Scrungee

                    Scrungee Well known for it

                    Joined:
                    Dec 5, 2010
                    Messages:
                    16,524
                    Location:
                    Central England on heavy clay soil
                    Ratings:
                    +28,996

                    We only go shopping where parking is free, with the exception of Central MK shopping centre, when we reluctantly pay for the cheapest parking spot (near Iceland) but only visit their shops when we've got vouchers for free drinks and cakes at John Lewis.
                     
                  • john558

                    john558 Total Gardener

                    Joined:
                    Feb 14, 2015
                    Messages:
                    2,359
                    Gender:
                    Male
                    Occupation:
                    Retired
                    Location:
                    Ramsgate, Kent
                    Ratings:
                    +8,189
                    Bought a couple of bags at Wilko.
                     

                    Attached Files:

                  • mazambo

                    mazambo Forever Learning

                    Joined:
                    Sep 11, 2018
                    Messages:
                    1,508
                    Gender:
                    Male
                    Location:
                    Stoke-on-Trent
                    Ratings:
                    +3,718
                    @john558 snap, got one Saturday, see they have 7cm pots 15 for £1, didn't see them in my local store though.
                     

                    Attached Files:

                    • Like Like x 1
                    • pete

                      pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

                      Joined:
                      Jan 9, 2005
                      Messages:
                      47,696
                      Gender:
                      Male
                      Occupation:
                      Retired
                      Location:
                      Mid Kent
                      Ratings:
                      +84,315
                      I never, or nearly never go into the town to shop.
                      You cant get there, congestion, if you do you cant park.
                      It costs the earth for just one hour.

                      You then get pushed around by mostly bolshy people, dodging them in the street is something I'm not good at.
                      But the town is mostly full of food outlets and pubs anyway.

                      I do use out of town shopping areas with free parking, but with all the massive house building going on these are mostly overcrowded also and becoming no go areas.

                      So Online is becoming the only way to go, much as I hate not being able to really look at something before buying.
                       
                      • Agree Agree x 3
                      • Like Like x 2
                      Loading...

                      Share This Page

                      1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
                        By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
                        Dismiss Notice