Not about sales but about shopping



What to look for when buying a mobile phone

One of the hardest things to buy in my book, is a mobile phone. The reason being that the selection out there is so vast and varied that you would do to be boggled by the choices available to you. However, in my recent phone buying experience, I drew up a little checklist anyone might find useful, when buying a mobile phone.

This checklist wouldn’t be applicable for anyone who already has their heart set on a particular brand or model though. It is for people like me who suddenly find a need for a new mobile phone (in my case due to theft) and don’t have a particular brand or model in mind.

  • Budget - I set myself a budget and tried to work within my budget. Many good phones can be bought for under RM1,000 as I found out.
  • Specifications - Work out what you want in a mobile phone and then work within budget. I wanted a phone that could make and receive calls, send and receive SMS, have a decent camera, have bluetooth, and is slim. Others might place emphasis on a good  radio or on a good camera. I was less fussy about those bells and whistles.
  • Original sets - I always believe in getting an original set i.e. one with an original warranty because if a problem arises with the phone you can always take it to the original manufacturer to be repaired or replaced if needs be. I am aware of sets known as AP sets which are cheaper but these sets aren’t covered by a manufacturer’s warranty and are thus at risk.
  • Know your retail price - Always know the original retail price before you start your shopping. A friend got conned by a vendor who tried to sell him a phone at higher than retail. I too was quoted higher than retail rates before, so always check the retail prices before starting
  • Shop around - From experience, I’ve found that shopping around a few different mobile phone vendors will give you a good idea of what a fair price should be before you start bargaining.
  • Bargain - If you buy from a reseller in Sungei Wang Plaza or Low Yat Plaza, then you can bargain with them for a good price, or have them throw in some freebies. Some are willing to oblige if they want to close a sale. I ended up buying from one of the vendors because he gave me a good price without too much haggling, and was honest and pleasant which plays a big part  my decision to buy from any particular vendor.
  • Check the phone before accepting it -  A friend found that a phone he bought was filled with unknown numbers. It turned out it was a phone that had been used before that by persons unknown. Once it was pointed out to the vendors they were quick to replace it with another new set.

This list is by no means exhaustive and if you have any further tips to add, feel free to leave a comment. I’m sure it’ll help someone out there who might be shopping for a mobile phone too! Incidentally, I ended up with a Samsung D900i for RM880. It fulfilled most of my requirements so I was happy.

Picture credit of Hachimaki

December 14, 2007 | Filed Under My Buys, Shopping hazards, Warnings 

comments

One Response to “What to look for when buying a mobile phone”

  1. Giddy Tiger on December 14th, 2007

    A good list, definitely! But I always will fall back on a Nokia :)

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