The malicious marketer

Faces can be deceptive. I say this because I was deceived. A year ago, my wife and I bought two Samsung J7 phone covers for ourselves from a man selling phone covers by the Jaigaon road. There was a teenager boy nearby, who had a similar stall, looking at us when we were buying the covers. After paying the man we walked forth. The boy stopped us when we reached before his stall.

“How much did you pay for the cover?”

“Nu 100.”

“You should have bought from me, I would have given it at Nu 50. I made faces to you, to signal not to buy from him. Didn’t you smell of alcohol from him? His price cannot be trusted.”

I was happy that that teenager boy for being good to us. “Thank you for your kindness. If you had intervened earlier, we would have bought from you. But now that we have already bought, we have no alternatives. Thank you,” I said and moved away.

On the evening of 29^th October 2018, I was once again at Phuntsholing. My wife called me:

“Get a phone cover for me, like the one we bought before. But this time, get it for Nu 50. And colour - blue”.

It is awkward to disregard inflation and think a price would remain constant. I went to Jaigaon to try my bad bargain skill but with certainty that price would be higher. It is the necessary skill because you are almost quoted more than double the actual prize.

After walking a good length along the street, I found a young boy, quite like that teenager who was kind to us before. I asked if he had blue metallic phone cover for J7.

“Yeah, I have. Can you please show me your phone?”

“It’s just like this. But I want the cover for my wife.” I gave him my phone for reference.

He saw that my phone has cracked tampered glass.

“Oh, your tampered glass is broken.” He removed my tampered glass despite my objection and brought out the blue J7 phone cover. I wasn’t offended that my tampered glass was removed.

“How much is the cost for the cover?”

“Rs. 350. It comes with tempered glass as well.” He showed me the tempered glass from the blue cover set he took out for me. Then he cleaned my phone screen.

“You do not need to attach the tampered glass for me. I don’t need it.”

He wouldn’t listen. “Sir, it protects your phone and it looks great. Just wait and see.” As I tried persuading him not to, he has done.

Then his fierce marketing began. “Sir, it’s done. It’s Nu. 350”

I maintained a degree of sensibility and told, “You forcefully put the glass on my phone and now you are forcing me to buy the set. What is the cost of the tempered glass?”

“Sir, the cover comes as a set. We can negotiate on price.”

I insisted I will pay for the glass only because it is totally reasonable when he did what I didn’t ask for and even when he is forcefully selling his good. Rs 350 is, as well, costly.

At one point, I felt exasperated. “What about Rs 250.” However, I returned back to my stance to buy only the glass. He wouldn’t listen then because I misfired a negotiated price.

“You just said you can pay me Rs 250. You will have to buy whole set, else the remaining parts won’t sell.” He began to make me feel responsible for his forced service.

“I will pay you Nu 100 for the glass.” I took out the money but he wouldn’t listen.

It pissed me off. I removed the tampered glass in front of him and said “I don’t want this”. Then he angrily snatched away the Nu 100 note I had in my hand saying, “If it is so, then give me the money”. I saw fire of anger raging evident in his eyes. Frustrated that one would be so inhuman to get money, I said, “Fine, you keep it.” Then I walked away in both frustration and pathetic surprise.

Walking about 100 steps, a boy stops me. “Sir, would you like a phone cover?” Looking at the top of his stall, I see a similar blue J7 phone cover. “Is that J7 phone cover?” I enquired.

He asked for my phone to verify. When I showed him, “Yes. Shall I give you? It’s Rs 350”

He found that my phone had no tempered glass. “Sir you should have a tampered glass to protect your phone.”

“I don’t want. It’s completely ok. I just had a rough moment with a boy over there who forcefully put up the glass and demanded I buy the cover set.”

He sympathetically asked me who he was. “Was he a boy, thin and tall?” I didn’t want to broach further on it, so I said yes. He seemed to talk with a man behind him about what I said. They seemed shocked as well. It was good to see good people as well.

“The cover set, can I get it at Nu 200?” I asked. He said, “It’s a loss for me. 220?”

“Fine. 220 then”. He handed over the cover set to me.

“Sir, I am not forcing you but it’s better you have glass on your phone screen. It’s Rs 150 but I can do it at 100. Shall I?”

I push aside the irking emotions and took a good breath. Looking at him, “Yes. You are good person” He didn’t respond to me but carefully and with dexterity put the glass on. “Here you are, sir.”

I paid him Nu 320. He took it and turned to the train of would-be-customers walking by. I grabbed his right hand and shook it. “Thank you” I acknowledged him for wiping out that nasty feelings to the earlier forceful marketer.

It is always good to close the bumpy journey with a serene and peaceful halt. Economic greed should not ever displace the glue-like human social values.

ILiveLove