Novice in Singapore

[layman]

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On 5/11/2004 2:11:08 AM Consultant wrote:

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On 4/29/2004 1:38:16 PM starfire wrote:





If you think about buying online, there are other variables to think about. A few are within your control. Many are not. Buying from B&M has an equal amount of variables beyond my control too. Eg, If it rains heavily, I can't go to the shop, can I?

Just imagine the convenience of being able to bring your jewelry into a B&M store, and getting it re-sized, cleaned or altered, and even getting a nice cup of hot tea in the process. You can also see and touch a variety of diamonds and jewelry, and feel the heft of the ring that you may be considering.

...and paying for all these services which are automaticaly included in my diamond price. Nothing comes free, remember? In fact, feeling the ring is not an issue because many overseas buyers set their ring locally. You can touch all the rings you want before selecting a setting.

The ability to look at the diamond is definitely a plus. But having said that, some vendors provide such detailed info and pictures on the diamonds that they could more useful that asking a novice to look at a diamond. At least you can ask for opinions from others with numbers. Moreover, shops often have studio lights to mislead customers.





Then imagine doing this with a faceless internet broker who *may* know nothing about goldsmithing or diamond setting, and worrying about *possible* theft, loss-in-transit, damage or even outright fraud and paying courier service rates with insurance, and waiting for several days for the round trip.


Is that worse than facing a jeweller who knows nothing about goldsmithing or diamond setting? Not all the service assistant in big shops are expert golsmiths yo know?




Again, golsmithing is not the issue, many overseas customers set their rings locally, remember? I admit there are risks with overseas purchases. One just have to weigh that against potential gains. Which is why sites like this one exists to help customer reduce the likelyhood of fraud.




Would a reputable internet vendor cheat you of $5k and jeopardise a million dollar revenue? The return policy minimize the risks too.




Shipping risk is real, has anyone lost a diamond in transit before? That would make an interesting story.





Any of the above possibilities when buying online will wreck your day. You are talking about stakes higher than US$100 here, and possibly a *very* upset girlfriend or wife.

To be fair, buying from B&M has it's share of risks too. Worse, there are no forum, price stats or numbers to help you realise you are conned.




If you are dealing with a local B&M store, and you are 'conned', you could complain to CASE (a consumer association), take out a law suit, or just go and yell your lungs out. How do you do that to an unscrupulous online seller? There is no CASE but there are BBB and others. The last time I checked, the US consumer organisations seems to be able to do a bit more than what CASE can do.




When considering buying diamonds online, consider the pros and the cons seriously. Don't be seduced merely by cheap prices. You can't buy a BMW with the amount you pay for a Lada or a Trabant. There is no such thing as a free lunch. Consultant has a great reply to this. But I will add, not everything that is more expensive is better. At least one must know what you are paying for. You said it right, there is no free lunch, all the services, fancy shops, teas, they all cost money.





Best regards,

Stephen Tan

Charlotte Atelier

Singapore

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[tomatoe]

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On 4/29/2004 1:38:16 PM starfire wrote:







Hi,

I believe tomatoe's view is far too simplistic and perhaps not a little biased.



Mr Tan, whether or not you think my view is far too simplistic and perhaps not a little biased. The fact is that it is my opinion and in this day and age, I am definitely entitled to my own opinions as to HOW and WHERE I decide to spend my money for buying diamonds. Thus far, you certainly haven't been doing anything to convince me why I should be even visiting, least of all, buying from the highly esteemed, in your opinion, Charlotte Atelier. You certainly seem to have a proprietry bias against buying from the internet, as I have successfully done, with your comments like "Then imagine doing this with a faceless internet broker who *may* know nothing about goldsmithing or diamond setting, and worrying about *possible* theft, loss-in-transit, damage or even outright fraud and paying courier service rates with insurance, and waiting for several days for the round trip.
Any of the above possibilities when buying online will wreck your day. You are talking about stakes higher than US$100 here, and possibly a *very* upset girlfriend or wife." You are not doing yourself or your company a favour by deriding the fact that reputable internet vendors are here to stay for the long run and as more consumers who bother to do research become better educated about diamonds find out that they don't really need or want to pay for the so-called services because at the end of the day, if they get a piece of frozen spit, it doesn't matter if they were served hand-picked organic tea specially air-flown from LaLaLand.


While there are good online retailers, there may be just as many unscrupulous dealers. Same as in real-life B&M stores.

If you think about buying online, there are other variables to think about. A few are within your control. Many are not.

That goes without saying, anyone who goes into something blindly deserves to get ripped off. /idealbb/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif

Just imagine the convenience of being able to bring your jewelry into a B&M store, and getting it re-sized, cleaned or altered, and even getting a nice cup of hot tea in the process. You can also see and touch a variety of diamonds and jewelry, and feel the heft of the ring that you may be considering.

I don't need all that but yeah, I'll do all that and then spend my money, wisely, on the internet. Besides, there is a particular local diamond chain store B&M that cleans my diamonds for me with no questions asked.

Then imagine doing this with a faceless internet broker who *may* know nothing about goldsmithing or diamond setting, and worrying about *possible* theft, loss-in-transit, damage or even outright fraud and paying courier service rates with insurance, and waiting for several days for the round trip.

Any of the above possibilities when buying online will wreck your day. You are talking about stakes higher than US$100 here, and possibly a *very* upset girlfriend or wife.

If you are dealing with a local B&M store, and you are 'conned', you could complain to CASE (a consumer association), take out a law suit, or just go and yell your lungs out. How do you do that to an unscrupulous online seller?

The problem is that many people dont know a simple fact like how carat is simply the weight of the stone and not size and they just listen to whatever hoo-haa the average saleperson feeds them. Essentially, you are saying that it doesn't matter if they do go into a local B&M store and essentially purchase a diamond that will never sparkle like it should, because they can go YELL at the shop. In reality, they have been 'connned' into buying a particular diamond because they are uneducated and they believed in the salesperson 101% (again this is just a random figure, I have not done an AC Nielson survey on this) who just said, "Oh, that is a round cut, it is the best cut for diamonds.Your girlfriend will love it." or "It is a princess cut 0.5carat, I can assure you that it is the best diamond." A perfect real life example would be: My best friend has a 0.4ct e-ring that looks like a 0.3x ct to me, but then again her husband-to-be listened to the wonderful advice of the local salesperson who even convinced him that platinum was the BEST!

My point is: How can any of the consumers who buy from a local b&m in S'pore be upset about their purchase, when they simply don't know any better.

When considering buying diamonds online, consider the pros and the cons seriously. Don't be seduced merely by cheap prices. You can't buy a BMW with the amount you pay for a Lada or a Trabant. There is no such thing as a free lunch.

I didn't want to have a BMW, all I wanted was the best diamond that I knew would perform without having to pay through my nose. I was not "seduced" by the cheap prices but instead by the REALISTIC prices that were being offered by the many honest, genuine and reliable PS diamond vendors who bother to educate the consumer instead of simply deriding the way B&M's sell diamonds.

Best regards,
Stephen Tan
Charlotte Atelier
Singapore

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Replies from A semi-educated, savvy diamond consumer from Spore

P/S. And please dont resort to petty name calling like you did in the other thread, ie. "This was starting to sound a little hysterical"....

 

[starfire]

Actually, Tomatoe, it seems pretty clear to me that you have made up your mind about the situation of B&M stores in Singapore. You do not like to be confused with facts. That's fair enough.

However, your words online against Singaporean B&Ms in general are damaging and unfair, and a counter-balancing viewpoint is necessary for consumers.

I try to make my case in a clear and fair manner, but I suppose it is easier to make unfair damaging remarks when using a pseudonym. Your reputation is not on the line, after all.

You may choose to dismiss what I say as "proprietary bias", but I need to say it in case genuine consumers gets mislead by your one-sided view of Singaporean B&M stores.

In no way was I "deriding" (you seem to like this word) online retailers in general. There are, however, instances where service levels from *some* online retailers may not be as high as you think. I merely highlighted that possibility. Notice my qualifying words like "may" and "possible" in my post.

And notice that I made the point that some of the potential problems with online retailing may have to do with factors other than the online retailers, like loss-in-transit.

Why do you keep thinking that B&M stores in general like "un-educated" consumers? Why do you think that B&M stores like to "con" people? And why would you think that B&M stores want to sell poor quality diamonds, and kill their future business? Would you run your business this way?

In our case, we always try to ensure that consumers get all the information that they ask, and we try to "educate" consumers on the 4Cs and what to look out for in a diamond purchase. We try to present facts to consumers fairly, even about competitive diamonds.

I think you are not doing justice to many consumers in Singapore, by assuming that they generally make blind decisions. Trust me, this is not the case. We rarely see "dumb" consumers in our stores, and neither do we want to.

But I suppose you will believe what you want, regardless of facts. Good luck to you.

Best regards,
Stephen Tan

P.S. There was no name-calling, merely an observation which is apparent to all.

 

[starfire]

Hi Consultant,

Yes, it is true. All marketing activities, rental etc must be paid for.

In the end, the educated consumer makes an educated decision whether or not to go to a flea market and get bargain basement prices with no service, or he goes to Bloomingdales. He could fly first class, or fly no-frills.

Each has its place. And all I am trying to do is to highlight this.

Best regards,
Stephen Tan

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On 5/11/2004 2:11:08 AM Consultant wrote:

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On 4/29/2004 1:38:16 PM starfire wrote:


When considering buying diamonds online, consider the pros and the cons seriously. Don't be seduced merely by cheap prices. You can't buy a BMW with the amount you pay for a Lada or a Trabant. There is no such thing as a free lunch. (Totally agreed, you can't pay for a Lada or a Trabant and expect a BMW. By the way, where does the cost of hot tea, good post sale service, rental of B&M store, marketing cost and of course your salary goes to??? FREE LUNCH??? Yap, you are absolutely right, ain't no free lunch in the world. Everything has got to come from somewhere, obviously from the consumers pocket.)

Just my two cents worth...

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[starfire]

Actually, Layman, isn't this the kind of forum a consumer goes to get diamond knowledge and price stats?

So why would there be any more risk to buy from B&Ms, if you could do your research here or Diamondtalk.com beforehand?

Best regards,
Stephen Tan

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On 5/11/2004 7:59:36 AM layman wrote:

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On 5/11/2004 2:11:08 AM Consultant wrote:

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To be fair, buying from B&M has it's share of risks too. Worse, there are no forum, price stats or numbers to help you realise you are conned.




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[tomatoe]

Mr Tan, I should have made it clear from the very beginning that I believe that Charlotte Atelier is a speciality store in a class of its own and the customers that you do end up encountering may well be similar to those that we can find on this little island called PS. When talking about local b&m's, I was not pin-pointing stores that are much like Charlotte Atelier but the average chainstore mall retailer b&m. I see too many dull, lifeless diamonds on the average woman, encounter salespeople that don't know anything but still treat me with disdain and hear too many lame statements being made about jewelry by the salespeople in the average chainstore mall retailer b&m.

The average consumers are not 'dumb', just very uneducated about diamonds or even jewelry for that matter. Again, how can the average chainstore type of b&m sales person educate a consumer about the reality of diamonds when they themselves know so little? I am sure that those people who do read my words online about S'pore b&m's will not be that easily "mislead", they are afterall adults with their own minds and the ability to seek out knowledge.

 

[starfire]

Hi Tomatoe,

Thank you for your clarification. I appreciate it.

Yes, I find that I must agree with you that many chain-store operate in the way you described. I also share a dislike for poor service, poor product knowledge and bad attitude. We all know the bad-hats in Singapore, but it would be unprofessional for me to single them out in a forum like this.

Low product-knowledge is all too common, but probably it is because of the difficulty in maintaining overall high standards in staff quality in a chain-store environment.

Bad attitude is inexcusable. Retail staff with bad attitude are in the wrong trade.

My advise to you would be to seek out good retailers whom you can trust, and who have high service and product-knowledge standards. This will make your "retail therapy" more enjoyable.

Best regards,
Stephen Tan

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On 5/11/2004 1:20:13 PM tomatoe wrote:

Mr Tan, I should have made it clear from the very beginning that I believe that Charlotte Atelier is a speciality store in a class of its own and the customers that you do end up encountering may well be similar to those that we can find on this little island called PS. When talking about local b&m's, I was not pin-pointing stores that are much like Charlotte Atelier but the average chainstore mall retailer b&m. I see too many dull, lifeless diamonds on the average woman, encounter salespeople that don't know anything but still treat me with disdain and hear too many lame statements being made about jewelry by the salespeople in the average chainstore mall retailer b&m.

The average consumers are not 'dumb', just very uneducated about diamonds or even jewelry for that matter. Again, how can the average chainstore type of b&m sales person educate a consumer about the reality of diamonds when they themselves know so little? I am sure that those people who do read my words online about S'pore b&m's will not be that easily 'mislead', they are afterall adults with their own minds and the ability to seek out knowledge. ----------------

 

[layman]

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On 5/11/2004 12:59:59 PM starfire wrote:

Actually, Layman, isn't this the kind of forum a consumer goes to get diamond knowledge and price stats?


So why would there be any more risk to buy from B&Ms, if you could do your research here or Diamondtalk.com beforehand?


Best regards,

Stephen Tan

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On 5/11/2004 7:59:36 AM layman wrote:

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On 5/11/2004 2:11:08 AM Consultant wrote:

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To be fair, buying from B&M has it's share of risks too. Worse, there are no forum, price stats or numbers to help you realise you are conned.







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Stephen, you misunderstood me, let me rephrase that. My point is there are equal risks of buying from B&M and online, not more not less. This is in response to your statement that there are more risks in buying online.

I agree that when buying from B&M, one can still come to an online forum to find out more information. Since most B&M retailers often do not provide extra numbers or pictures, it is often difficult to compare prices and get opinions. I face the same problem when I bought one stone from a local B&M.

Assuming, one buys a GIA certed diamond. How do one describe a diamond without photos and angles in a forum post?

Mind you, a 1 ct diamond of the same color/clarity can range from $4.5k to $7k

So how do one know for sure if you are over-charged?

It still comes back to trusting the B&M jeweller not to over charge and not to cheat. So whether I buy online or from a B&M, I still cannot eliminate the need to trust the jeweller.

Thus, your argument about buying online carrying more risks is not true in my opinion. It is still a matter of trust the jeweller's reputation.

I have bought online, I have bought from B&M and I have faced this issue before, so I know.

In my case, the local jeweller did give me a fair price ( I think) but I only had a choice of 3 diamonds, of different color, clarity and price. Compare this with the tens of diamonds of similar specs I get to choose online.

Ofcourse, you are entitled to disagree, I am just sharing my experience. As a matter of fact, somehow I wish there is a local B&M jeweller who can give me the choice, convenience and price of an online jeweller.

 

[baloo]

I recently got engaged while in Singapore. We spent the good part of 2 months going to as many stores in Singapore as possible. Some of the bigger names stores in Nee Ang City, to Scotts Rd, to others in the Heartland. One thing was common in all stores, the quality and cost did not match the stones I could find online. Add to that that I think the were naturally trying to overcharge me due to the fact I was an Ang Mo, I really didn't feel comfortable with making that purchase.

In the end I went with an online store. I selected a stone from GOG and had it sent to Sarasota Gem Lab for an indepenent appraisal. When it all checked out, I had sent back to GOG who sent it to Vatche for the setting. Once that was done, I had it sent to me in Singapore. The whole process took a month and a half.

I was very nervous as it was far the biggest internet purchase I have made but it was very smooth and I recommend this method for a good quality diamond at a better than B&M Singapore price.

 

[Consultant]

Hi Stephen,

Thank you for agreeing with me. Most of the time in Sin, when you chose to fly "first class" you probably get service no better than you fly "no-frills".

I have personally visited Charlotte Atelier at Suntec, ooh, I must certainly say that the staff there are defintely in a "class of their own". Perhaps, it's because of the "upper class" diamonds that CA is carrying that prompt its staff to speak with their nose up in the air.

I have seen and compare CA's Gabrielle, Soo Kee's Brillant Rose and Lee Hwa's Destinee. I felt that among all these brand name diamonds, Lee Hwa's Destinee, a conventional round brillant cut diamond (57/58 facets) looks more appealing. CA's and Soo Kee's diamond looks too confusing probably due to the additional facets, somehow CA's Gabrielle & Soo Kee's Brillant Rose resemble more of a mozanite and a real diamond.

Thank goodness too, that I manage to chance upon this local jeweller by the name of Vern, who not only provide me with first class service but also provided me "first class" prices for my AGS certified "Triple 0 - Ideal Cut diamond".

No offence, just my experience as a consumer searching for a realistic and true value buy.

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On 5/11/2004 12:55:56 PM starfire wrote:

Hi Consultant,

Yes, it is true. All marketing activities, rental etc must be paid for.

In the end, the educated consumer makes an educated decision whether or not to go to a flea market and get bargain basement prices with no service, or he goes to Bloomingdales. He could fly first class, or fly no-frills.

Each has its place. And all I am trying to do is to highlight this.

Best regards,
Stephen Tan

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On 5/11/2004 2:11:08 AM Consultant wrote:

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On 4/29/2004 1:38:16 PM starfire wrote:


When considering buying diamonds online, consider the pros and the cons seriously. Don't be seduced merely by cheap prices. You can't buy a BMW with the amount you pay for a Lada or a Trabant. There is no such thing as a free lunch. (Totally agreed, you can't pay for a Lada or a Trabant and expect a BMW. By the way, where does the cost of hot tea, good post sale service, rental of B&M store, marketing cost and of course your salary goes to??? FREE LUNCH??? Yap, you are absolutely right, ain't no free lunch in the world. Everything has got to come from somewhere, obviously from the consumers pocket.)

Just my two cents worth...

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[starfire]

Dear Consultant,

Thank you for your visit.

Gabrielle Diamonds were created by Gabi Tolkowsky a few years ago, using techniques gained from his experience cutting the Centenary Diamond (273.85ct D if), the Golden Jubilee (545.67ct) and his Flower Cut designs.

During one of his conversations with Marcel Tolkowsky (his great-uncle), he discovered that the Tolkowsky formula did not always yield the most fiery and brilliant diamond. Marcel agreed with him, and said that his formula was a result of studying only the highest colours.

Gabi wanted to create a diamond which has more scintillation and dispersion than a brilliant-cut diamond. Using the ideal-cut proportions as a basis, he created the Gabrielle Diamond.

Generally, to the naked eye, the Gabrielle Diamond tends to look more sparkly due to the additional 48 facets (compared to a "normal" ideal-cut). This is not self-promotion, this is fact.

However, we realize that there are some people, who may prefer the look of the "ideal-cut" diamond.

Your opinion is important, and we will continue to improve based on your feedback.

However, it is incorrect to use the term "resemble more of a mozanite" when describing the Gabrielle Diamond.

Perhaps you are unclear about the nature of Moissanite. Moissanite is a synthetic stone, which attempts to look like a diamond, but has no intrinsic value whatsoever. It is not even a synthetic diamond.

The Gabrielle Diamond is cut only from natural diamond rough, and there are no enhancements or treatments made on them to alter their colour or clarity. Every Gabrielle Diamond is certified by Diamant PrufLabor, which is the German equivalent of the HRD, which takes FULL responsibility for correct grading. I believe that not even GIA issues certificates with such a clause.

While I respect your opinion, I hope that you will understand that there is no comparison between the Gabrielle Diamond and a moissanite stone.

You are most welcome to visit us again anytime, if you have any question or diamond needs.

Best regards,
Stephen Tan

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On 5/13/2004 3:38:39 AM Consultant wrote:

Hi Stephen,

Thank you for agreeing with me. Most of the time in Sin, when you chose to fly 'first class' you probably get service no better than you fly 'no-frills'.

I have personally visited Charlotte Atelier at Suntec, ooh, I must certainly say that the staff there are defintely in a 'class of their own'. Perhaps, it's because of the 'upper class' diamonds that CA is carrying that prompt its staff to speak with their nose up in the air.

I have seen and compare CA's Gabrielle, Soo Kee's Brillant Rose and Lee Hwa's Destinee. I felt that among all these brand name diamonds, Lee Hwa's Destinee, a conventional round brillant cut diamond (57/58 facets) looks more appealing. CA's and Soo Kee's diamond looks too confusing probably due to the additional facets, somehow CA's Gabrielle & Soo Kee's Brillant Rose resemble more of a mozanite and a real diamond.

Thank goodness too, that I manage to chance upon this local jeweller by the name of Vern, who not only provide me with first class service but also provided me 'first class' prices for my AGS certified 'Triple 0 - Ideal Cut diamond'.

No offence, just my experience as a consumer searching for a realistic and true value buy.

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[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

I have not read every word in this discussion, but would like to throw in a few comments

It seems to be a discussion about "typical" this and "typical" that. There are no "typical people" or "typical busineses"!
Never was!

Also there seems to be some elitism about dumb B&M shoppers and intelligent online browsers.

A wise person said to me once - Intelligent people do not buy as many diamonds as smart people. Why I asked?
Simple - smart people make more money.
And sometimes smart people do not waste time with all the details, they find a trustworthy business and pay full price. They might pay full price at restaurants (not MacDonalds), and fly first class (because they have more flexibility) time is money, and you can sleep in 1st class.

Just a thought or 2.
Personally i think buying a diamond is very hard - people are often disadvantaged.
They are confused
They are fearful
They don’t want to be cheated
They are in love
They are feeling guilty
They are being compelled to buy, by their relatives, friends, peers and circumstances.

So it is hard

 

[yeewl]

Hello,
Just wanted to know if anyone went to have a peek at the recent Mondial sale in Grand Hyatt? Do you think the price is right or still rather steep?What do you think of their design?

 

[starfire]

Hi Yeewl,

It is very difficult to say. There are some items which are very rare and difficult to find, e.g. very large matching quamarine rose-cuts, fancy colour diamonds etc.

If an item is in demand or a collector's item, no price will be too high.

It all depends on what you are looking at. And what you are comparing their jewelry to.

Best regards,
Stephen Tan

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On 5/15/2004 11:47:28 AM yeewl wrote:

Hello,
Just wanted to know if anyone went to have a peek at the recent Mondial sale in Grand Hyatt? Do you think the price is right or still rather steep?What do you think of their design?----------------

 

[yeewl]

Hello again,
Just those that I've seen on the newspaper, the set stones or semi-precious like ruby or emerald (1K to 3K price range). Also their loose stone that comes with GIA/HRD or IGI cert, round brilliant cut.
Also, I noticed that Meyson carries IGI Belgium H&A while Taka carries IGI Japan H&A. Any differences between them as meyson salesperson claimed that their are the best and Taka's are lousy. Any truth to what he said?
Any comment would be much appreicated. Thank you

 

[starfire]

Hi Yewwl,

Generally, as you probably know, the GIA and HRD certificates tend to be more popular in Singapore. IGI and other certificates tend to be less sought after, which is probably the same as in some other countries.

For more information about IGI certificates, I suggest you do a search in this forum. There are quite a few threads discussing the merits of various certificates.

In our case, we work more with GIA and HRD certificates, while our Gabrielle Diamonds come with DPL certificates (German equivalent of HRD - DiamantPruf Labor).

Focus on the diamond. The certificates are supporting documents. If the diamond does not look pleasing to your eye, no certificate will make you buy it.

Best regards,
Stephen Tan

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On 5/16/2004 5:06:57 AM yeewl wrote:

Hello again,
Just those that I've seen on the newspaper, the set stones or semi-precious like ruby or emerald (1K to 3K price range). Also their loose stone that comes with GIA/HRD or IGI cert, round brilliant cut.
Also, I noticed that Meyson carries IGI Belgium H&A while Taka carries IGI Japan H&A. Any differences between them as meyson salesperson claimed that their are the best and Taka's are lousy. Any truth to what he said?
Any comment would be much appreicated. Thank you----------------

 

[tomatoe]

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On 5/13/2004 4:53:51 AM Garry H (Cut Nut) wrote:


Also there seems to be some elitism about dumb B&M shoppers and intelligent online browsers.


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It was never my intention to highlight this so-called elitism. In my zest and zeal to reply to certain comments made, it has come across as that way.

I've always felt that anybody who doesn't bother to do enough research about any purchase, from various sources of information, be it online or off, is asking for trouble. There are alot of online shoppers who've not done enough research and gotten their fingers burned and alot of offline shoppers who've done plenty of research and gotten a better deal than online.

 

[starfire]

Hi Tomatoe,

Perhaps emphasis should be made on sourcing information on diamonds online (which is after all a very good place to look for information). Whether or not a consumer buys off- or online, they should make the effort to do due diligence and to know what they are looking for, much like buying a car.

Your effort to raise the awareness of the need to research diamond purchases is to be lauded, and one wishes more consumers can be more knowledgeable of what they want to buy. However, sales staff at jewelry stores also have a part to play in this process, and I believe that more can be done to help consumers make the right choices in B&M stores.

Best regards,
Stephen Tan

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On 5/24/2004 12:26:31 PM tomatoe wrote:

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On 5/13/2004 4:53:51 AM Garry H (Cut Nut) wrote:


Also there seems to be some elitism about dumb B&M shoppers and intelligent online browsers.


----------------

It was never my intention to highlight this so-called elitism. In my zest and zeal to reply to certain comments made, it has come across as that way.

I've always felt that anybody who doesn't bother to do enough research about any purchase, from various sources of information, be it online or off, is asking for trouble. There are alot of online shoppers who've not done enough research and gotten their fingers burned and alot of offline shoppers who've done plenty of research and gotten a better deal than online.

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