A Pregnant Pause

This post was initially meant for updates on our KL trip, hubby’s visit home and our preparation for China in December. However, I’m fuming over this and decided that instead bottling it up, I will post it up for a fair evaluation from my blogger friends and anyone who cares to comment.

One of the key items I planned to buy is a laptop computer. What was supposed to be a super-duper shopping spree has instead left a sour taste in my mouth. Allow me to present the case.

After reading my story, if you think that I was duped, please let me know. If you think I was dumb, let me know too.

I’m torn between the two feelings that the only way to achieve any peace is to share and then shut up.

In the first week of October, hubby brought me to a renowned chain retailer at a top shopping mall to check out laptops on sale. I was set on a HP since I’ve been using one at work and am comfortable with its functions and performance. Their No. 1 position and after-sales service are scoring points too. The only gripe I had was its weight, which is unavoidable since I wouldn’t sacrifice screen size for the slim size.

I was tempted by Sony’s and Dell’s beautiful colors but function, not form, is top on my list. I would have loved an iBook (is it still available?) but that’s another nice dream. Thus, I was *very* pleased when hubby suggested Fujitsu. Playing the good housewife-to-be, I wanted to help keep expenses low and was happy to go for a ‘cheap and good‘ notebook.

A Malay salesguy (A) helpfully pointed out the key features and hubby translated them into benefits for me:

• 13.3″ wide screen – excellent for my eyes
• ~1.7 kg light – easy on my back
• Japan’s leading notebook brands – a quality product

While they discussed techie stuff (RAM, HDD, AMD/Intel bla-bla-bla), I took it for a test drive. The 13.3″ is efficiently spread, the keyboard was smooth and relatively silent and the touchpad was rough enough for sensory control.

While it didn’t come in gorgeous colours like vibrant reds or aqua blue, I still liked its sleek, charcoal grey colours – I’d still feel professional even if I worked on it wearing my grungiest shorts and t-shirt.

I loved it but hubby wanted to keep my options open. I was showed the Fujitsu S7111 and was titilated by the Intel processor and 1 GB RAM but the 1.8 kg put me off.

He also showed me Sony, Mac, Compaq and NEC but my fingers favored Fujitsu. In the end, it was down to price – if the gap between the S7111 and S2210 was small, he recommended the former. If I remember correctly, the S7111 was a better deal since I could max the slots given with a 1 GB RAM upgrade (Total=2 GB) but the S2210 will only give me a 1.5 GB RAM after the upgrade.

A few days before Hari Raya, I went to the shop again to check out the prices in case there were festive offers. There was. The Malay salesguy gleefully told me that a Kingston 1 GB upgrade was only RM150, reduced from RM250 earlier. I checked out the S2210 again, priced at RM3,699. The S7111 was RM4,399. This made a RM550 difference between the two. I was torn between the two.

We were then joined by a Chinese salesguy (B), who started his smooth-talking sales spiel about both laptops’ features. While he provided extra info on both products, I sensed that he wanted to close a sale that night.

Personally, I preferred Malay salesman A who presented the features, allowed me to ponder in peace and was at hand to answer questions.

B then highlighted the fact that a purchase-with-purchase deal of a Targus backpack at RM99 only. Continuing with his light banter, he chased the sale and finally offered a deal. With a RM200 deposit, he would:

1. secure the Hari Raya offer price for me, expiring on Sunday
2. If I opted for the display unit, I’d be given a further RM200 discount – I was quite firm about not wanting this since I didn’t like the idea of funny fingers typing on MY notebook
3. If I didn’t want the display unit, he would put in an order for a new unit. He noted that I wouldn’t be able to pick up the notebook when I confirmed my purchase
4. A Targus backpack at RM99 or
5. A Creative mouse if I didn’t want the backpack

In the end, I agreed to:

• a RM200 deposit
• a sales order with a) the SS2210 and b) 1 GB RAM indicated. This was system-required information and I could opt for the S7111 if I wanted.

To quell my fears of getting a display unit, B and his colleagues helped me note down the serial numbers for both models.

Yesterday, I went to choose my notebook and make the full payment. This time, the store manager, C, was there and proudly claimed that he would “do his best to make his customers happy“. As a special deal, I was given the option of buying a better Targus backpack (valued at RM150, with a slipcase) for RM99. After a few frazzled phone calls and SMS exchanges with hubby, we decided the backpack isn’t necessary. Hubby kept enquiring about the price.

This is where I wonder if I have been duped or I was plain dumb. Thinking back, I now observe that:

1. The S2210 was still priced at RM3,669 and the S7111 at RM4,399 – aren’t these Hari Raya offer prices?
2. I didn’t get a “make my customers happy” experience – I didn’t need the Targus backpack and C could only offer a cheapo mouse in consolation.
3. C had mentioned that he’d made a customer very happy by offering a RM200 discount on a Mac PC display unit. When I asked, “Will I get a RM200 discount also if I chose the display unit.” He said, “I’m sorry, this is the best price already.“ Isn’t this a contradiction of his point 2 and B’s point 2?
4. I can’t tell if I got the display unit or not – the numbers they jotted down earlier where MODEL numbers, not SERIAL numbers.

Tonight, I lugged the whole box back and presented the situation to C, who was in charge with another salesguy. After a lot of explaining (with the salesguy’s filling in details as he was there earlier.

However, he was hushed by C, preferring instead for me to relate the incident), and arguing, C tried to placate me but was adamant not to budge on the sale price. I was quite mad and told that him because he wasn’t around when B offered the deal, I’m left to deal with him.

Being a non-technical person, I lacked the knowledge of the serial numbers, technical specs etc that they were throwing at me. Also, as he was the boss, I sensed and understand that as helpful as he tried, the salesguy was limited by what he could really do.

In the end, C said, “I feel that I have done my best. I have done everything right in our transaction. You make me feel like I am cheating you. I feel very bad.”

I reponded, “You feel bad? Imagine how I’d feel. I come in here one day shopping for a notebook and am being offered a deal by your staff. I trusted your staff and your established outlet only to end up in such a complex situation. Because of the trust, I have bought a notebook but I do not get a good deal. I AM NOT VERY HAPPY ABOUT IT.“

He then asked, “What do you want?”

I replied,”I want the RM200 discount that was promised to me.”

C responded, “I’m afraid I cannot do that. As at 16 October, the S2210 is RM3,699. This is beyond my control because the retail price is set…” which threatened to to continued into a canned recording. I frankly told him that that is not my concern.

He then offered to have a word with his staff. I told him that he could do whatever he wanted with his staff but, “What’s the benefit to me?”

I ended the argument and told him, “This is what I will do. I will take my notebook but I AM GOING TO OBSERVE THE PRICE IN YOUR SHOP. And if I see that the price for this notebook drops, I am not going to be very happy about it. We’ll see then what I will do.”

This rattled him a bit. He asked, “It’s not very fair if you observe the price for a year because the price will change…”

I said, “It doesn’t make sense for me to observe that long. The IT/electronics sector is very competitive and I know that the prices will fluctuate.

However, I do not accept your answer that you cannot give me a RM200 discount. That’s why if I find out that the price for this notebook drops in the near future, I am not going to be very happy about this.”

I stop at this point, folks, and would seriously like to hear from you. Is this a case where I’ve been a complete idiot? Also, would the price go down? If it does, what should I do? Approach CAP or FOMCA? Can they help? I want a fair deal but I don’t want to be their poster child or next month’s nasi kandar wrapper.

I love the Fujitsu notebook but I sure loathe the way it made its way to me.