I have an absurd habit of using things (appliances…furniture…etc.etc.) till they reach breaking point. I let go of my first car when its gear rod broke in two pieces in the middle of the road. It’s not a good practice, I realise, as one of the ACs breaks down followed by the microwave and then the water purifier. All indispensable items in a city where humidity now is at an extreme, where directly consuming tap water can be a health risk and where extreme weather conditions and fast paced lifestyle (howsoever you may slow down) require an easy, time saving and alternate system of warming/cooking food.
In this era of swiftly changing technology, buying any cooling/cooking/purifying system is not easy. A whole lot of on and off line market surveys precede the actual purchase. So I deep dive into upgrading my knowledge on the latest, most efficient and most durable products available in the market. The problem of a consumerist society is unfortunately the brand strategies…sales gimmicks…. marketing techniques….In plain words, the sweet talking showroom guys adept at entrapping a customer with the most beguiling offers.
They will not leave any stone unturned to lure you into buying machines with multiple utilities. For example, an air conditioner can double as an air purifier with a disinfecting mechanism to boot to give the optimum air quality inside your house so that as soon as you step out you can contact n number of infections floating in the air because living in an insulated atmosphere has already lowered the immunity level of your body to sub zero.
Also, the greater the number of utilities of a machine the more technologically sophisticated it is. The more fancy it is the more trouble it gives in the long run. As a result, the maintenance cost goes up every succeeding year. This I speak from my personal experience. The bottom line, therefore, is one has to be adequately informed and alert in order to make the right choice.
The long and short of the whole story is that I have to devote more time in this quest towards material comforts than I really want to. In doing so, I am lagging behind on WP and unable to write as many posts as I wish of my own and also read, like and comment on the posts of my dear friends. In between though I am stealing time to read and comment on a few I sincerely apologise for those I am not able to. I am hoping to get back soon to my normal routine. Till then I request you all to bear with me please.
In the meantime, the fake subscribers (chat bots ??) are still continuing to trespass my blog space. As I delete more come in hordes to invade. This sudden love for my writing!! I am more worried than enamoured. Hope WP has some mechanism to counter this onslaught.
I’ve been lucky! I don’t get too many fake subscribers, but gees, I don’t want to jinx it by saying that! I wish you success in finding new appliances. X
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Good that you don’t get troubled by fake subscribers. It’s a blessing Carol Anne. Thank you so much 😊👍
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Very true, the consumerist society entrapment customers with sweet marketing talk about a product. So, we have to be adequately informed to make right choices. Thanks so much for sharing your personal experience so honestly!
As for WP, it’s OK, take your time. The fake subscribers is really devastating, though. I hope the WP team does something about it.
Meanwhile, I’ve had to battle with a seemingly persistent “subscriber” who had to create three accounts and like my older tech posts in my first blog, a tech blog, in quick succession, and their links were some sort of fake website posing as Amazon affiliation. I tried to remove them, but they kept resubscribing.
I had to report their behavior because it was reminiscent to that of a bot, and also report one of their domains to the registrar and the hosting company to get it to stop. Finally, they stopped.
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I understand your point! It is wise to get good value for your money and research the market, though it’s a long and tedious process. The posts will wait for you to be free, so no need to be sorry. Wishing you the best dear friend
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Thank you so much dear friend for understanding
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Been there! Though unlike you, I make hasty decisions, to regret them later. You take your time and get the best deal available. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
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At this point I have to also consider that whatever I buy should be able to cover the period of my existence on this planet. Not a negative or sentimental statement but a factual one.
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That is something I’d also think.
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आप अपनी मार्केट की रिसर्च जारी रखिये हम इंतजार करें गे,पर यह भी सच हे कि आज में थोड़ी परेशान थी कि आप कहां हो,ढूंढा भी हर जगह जहां हमें पता था आप आती जाती हो,शुक्र हे शाम को आप मिली.
खुश रहिए
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इसी लिए सोचा कि एक पोस्ट में खुलासा कर दूं। मैं भी बहुत परेशान हो जाती हूँ जब तुम पोस्ट नहीं देती हो तो। Good the feeling of missing each other is mutual 😍😍. अपना बहुत सारा ध्यान रखिए।
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यह अच्छा किया आप ने
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Good luck with your new acquisitions!
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I’d say necessities..
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Indeed! 👍🏻
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😊
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Appliances don’t last as long as they used to. I’m sorry for your frustration, discomfort, and expense, Geeta.
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It’s part of life I suppose. One has to go through these things. Thanks Mary.
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Geetashree, I love that your appliances are staging a synchronized rebellion ‘Let’s all break on the same week!’ they agreed. 😂 And yes, the showroom guys with their sweet-talking ways are basically modern-day magicians. ‘Buy this AC that also purifies, disinfects, makes your coffee AND predicts your future!’ Meanwhile, the bots love you so much they’ve adopted you. Flattering and terrifying in equal measure. Don’t apologize we’ll be here. Your appliances will eventually make peace. Until then, take your time. 💙
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Khadija , that synchronised rebellion is very heavy on me.
It is taking up time and energy which I can better utilize in other activities. But practicalities of life cannot be ignored. Right?
Yes, the ACs are multi-faceted. They can separate dust from the air and sow flower plants in the accumulated debris – a superlative exercise in recycling. The only thing is I don’t require such “super powerful” machines around me. 😂
Meanwhile the bots are becoming nightmares. Is WP listening???
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Best wishes as you navigate your new purchases. You are so right and how difficult it can be and it’s terrible when you have multiple things to buy.
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Thank you so much Yvette. Shopping is an exhausting exercise.
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💜
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Gc, take your time. It’s all okay. Well, our electricity bill has increased, too, and it’s no surprise of what is happening in the world now. Take care.
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Thanks a ton Hazel. TC
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My pleasure, gc
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You took me back to my childhood days. Allwyn and Sumit appliances were built to stay with a family for decades, not to be replaced every few years.
Good luck with your research and purchase.
On a funny note, many Indian families are experts at getting maximum value out of everything. We often save spare parts as well, just in case they might fit or be useful for something else in the future. 😊
Our lofts or टांड were full of such “might be useful” items.
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😂😂
Absolutely correct
Your comment made me smile.
I remember that advertisement where one of the visitors on a tour of the rocket building section of ISRO asks “Kitna degi??” Referring to the mileage.
Hehh…Hehh…we are always preparing ourselves for that might-come-handy situation.
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The simple life is best
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Yes, it is. Thank you so much Derrrick 🙏
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So sorry to hear you are still struggling with the bots. They are insidious.
I do wish appliances lasted as long as they used to. My first refrigerator lasted nearly 30 years. I’m not sure how much longer my newer one will last. After two years it’s already beginning to make loud noises. 😦
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Thank you. I too wish this unwarranted invasion should end. But of course all invasions are unwarranted.
I still believe that buying a fridge is a one time expenditure though it is not. At this point buying anything means it should outlive the owner. But I am doubtful about it.
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A wonderfully candid and relatable post! Sometimes our obsession with getting the *maximum life* out of everything ends up costing us more in time, money and frustration. 😄 Your point about being an informed consumer—and avoiding the lure of unnecessary bells and whistles—is spot on. And I hope WP soon puts an end to those mysterious “subscribers”! Wishing you a quick return to your writing routine.
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Thank you Indrajit.
I so wish to remain out of these myriad material arrangements but they are unavoidable.
By the way that maximization of life is a mirage.
Sifting through the barrage of information is also not easy.
I am kind of wading through…. 😂
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True. It’s better to ignore the noise.
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Apology accepted . . .
👐 😆 👐
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Thank you, sir
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I detest the fact that when you need to get an appliance the salesperson will be all over you and once you have a certain issue, they disappear than the exes. I face this with the annoying water purifier. The annual maintenance comes up faster than I would like and I get about a million calls but when we shifted homes and had to get it fixed, we were asked to wait three days. When I told the customer service, if they expect us to go without drinking water for some days, they actually said yes! 😀
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The water purifier is still not replaced. I am waiting for the one which does not require an AMC. The companies fleece you in the name of after sale service.
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I wonder if there are any without AMC and isn’t it funny that we have to depend of purifiers which actually waste water. As children we could drink tap water. Everything is becoming so corporate these days.
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The modern water purifiers are without AMC
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Check out this one
Atomberg Intellon – India’s 1st Adaptive Water Purifier*| RO+UF+UV+Alkaliser | Zero Cost for 2Yrs | 4 Modes | TDS-Based Filtration | Smart IoT | 7-Stage | Retains Minerals | 8L | 2Yr Warranty | No AMC https://amzn.in/d/0dtOM3py
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