This is the entire point of questioning why people don't do more research first....it COULD very well be hurting their wallet in terms of being a bad deal. Maybe I am super anal but it's my good hard earned money that I suffered for. I would never just throw it at the nearest jeweler without doing some good ole hard research first.----------------
On 12/18/2003 7:36:40 PM phoenixgirl wrote:
Most people do not care enough to really find out all the facts before commiting to something unless it hurts their wallets.
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On 12/18/2003 7:54:01 PM phoenixgirl wrote:
I agree that it isn't smart, but I see my occasional role here to be to offer helpful advice or information. I wouldn't criticize someone who was just doing what most people do in all areas of their lives . . . accepting things without questioning. I don't think it's such a sin that the newbie should be scared off from our forum.
I think it's a valid topic for our forum, but I wouldn't have brought it up right in the middle of raylswor's post. My students do very stupid things, like not turning in an essay which counts for a test grade, thus receiving a zero instead of the 60 or 70 I would have given them for a crap essay (69 and below is an F), or like cutting my class when I am one of the teachers who consistently checks for this and turns them in. But I would never make a public service announcement about these things right when the situation arose. That would embarrass the student who would probably be less inclined to change the behavior than if I had brought it up at a later or separate time.
The prices of some goods are usually negotiable; the prices of others aren't. Maybe he did shop around, maybe he didn't, we don't know. All he asked for was a price range, not criticism.
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First off.....who's being critical? I made an observation that I cannot understand why this happens REPEATEDLY....week after week here. And further, that if it does, why does the information become so important AFTER purchase when it clearly wasn't important before the purchase?
Second.....I didn't ask the question to be a public ridicule of this guy. Do you realize that nearly everyone here starts by saying "wow, I've been lurking and reading". Well, perhaps reading this observation will spare someone else. I am not calling this guy an idiot, I'm asking why does it matter NOW?
I'm asking because I'm trying to understand. My role here is to help, too, but I'm not here to help mold these people. I'm not their teacher.
But yes, I do find it somewhat exasperating, and if that makes me rotten, then so be it. I'm rotten. I've been on here a year now, and in that year, I'd lay odds that this has happened 30-40 times. I'm sorry, but no matter how one tries to slice it, I cannot understand who in their right mind would make any purchase of this magnitude without knowing what represents value.
Maybe I'm among the minority who cares about getting value for my dollar, but I wouldn't just hand over thousands of dollars for a car without knowing what it had. I wouldn't hand over hundreds of thousands of dollars for a house without ever getting a home inspection until after the sale. In fact, I wouldn't buy ANYTHING more than $100 or so without finding out what represents value----and that includes a diamond.
I'm sorry if this feels like a lesson at Raylswor's expense, but it has to be said at some point, and there's never going to be a perfect time.
For all of you considering large purchases (diamond, house, cars).....please, PLEASE exercise a bit of common sense and find out about the purchase BEFORE buying.
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On 12/18/2003 8:31:52 PM raylswor wrote:
Having better things to do with my busy life than spend countless hours doing research on rings (although I did enough research to talk sensibly about them), I had enough faith in the jeweller to guide me a little. The reason I asked the question on this forum after I bought the ring was:
1) not to see if i could sell it for more than I bought it for
2) not because I plan to cry myself to sleep if I had overpaid
I just asked a simple question for some piece of mind
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That's exactly my point......I have NO qualms with people who don't want to "waste their time up front doing countless research", and no qualms with those who decide to have faith in their jeweler......providing you can retain that "faith" post-purchase.
If one has better things to do than gather information for a smart purchase, then why wouldn't he also have better things to do than worry about money already spent? If he had faith in someone else to tell him it was a good deal pre-purchase, why not go back to that same person after purchase.
People don't question things after the fact unless they think they may have made an error in judgment. My only point was "why not apply that cautiousness beforehand". Not a criticism of you, Ray....a general question for the myriad of folks lately who've come here under the same conditions.
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On 12/18/2003 9:09:10 PM raylswor wrote:
1.
I'm sure you can understand how it becomes confusing when one comes and asks if they overpaid AFTER the fact....then later notes that they don't really care if they overpaid, but that they are just really happy with the stone.
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I only made that comment..because lets face it..ya gotta stick up for yourself somehow...and well..because its the truth.
2. A simple 'need more data' and leave it at that would have been sufficient for the purposes of this discussion I beleive.
3. You have all been a very inviting bunch and the fact that you didn't take this opportunity to jump down a 25 yr old newbies throat was much appreciated.... *cough*
4. If anybody needs advice on buying a computer..let me know as that's where i made all my money![]()
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I'm sorry if my question made you feel that you had to stick up for yourself. Just as you're asking questions to try to understand your purchase, I'm asking so I can try to understand why people care after the purchase but not pre-purchase. I'm not being fresh.....I don't get it, and hoping that someone can shed some light on it.
My comments aren't directed at you personally.....there have been at least eight people in the last two weeks who've come here the exact same way. To not ask why is to miss an opportunity for folks to consider the ramifications of buying without enough knowledge.
If you felt our comments were less than inviting, please accept my apologies. At the end of the day, I'm not the one who has to worry about the value of your purchase, so it's really no sweat to me. I was trying to understand why so many people research after the fact.....that's all.
The whole point of forums like this is exchange of ideas and that sometimes means opposing viewpoints. It's not a format that suits those who are easily offended, and it's a tough format to make the sincerity and intent of one's words come across. My comments weren't meant critically at all, and it's a shame that a few of you interpreted them that way.