Everyone knows this relatively new thing online these days – buying vouchers.
Some of them are crazy cheap; which makes me wonder exactly how much do they earn on a normal retail price basis? O.O Almost scandalous.
My favourite are the travel deals! Bought a couple of them already. *grins*
Even gadgets & accessories!
But the obviously dominant deals are the ones for beauty services.
I mean, you could get all those services at crazy cheap prices!! Usually I’d spend an average of $70-$100 (not proud of it) on my nails, but with the deals I might only have to spend $30!
Woohoo!!
I’ve been quite rampant on these deals because I’m still a slumming-unemployed-being.
So since I’m obviously happy about this blessing-to-mankind, why is my title seemingly negative, you ask?
Ha! Then you obviously haven’t bought enough deals to realise.
…or you’re just really lucky to get those non-pushy places.
I’ve always loathed pushy salespeople. Literally loathe!! Like, if one day they all died out… I wouldn’t even realise!
Then again, I would. I would so friggin’ happy!!
And the stupid thing is, I always seem to be of target! I’m not trying to be proud here or anything… but ask my friends. I always seem to get stopped and asked to buy some shit.
Hello, buddy. I’ve lived my life happily without any of your products, so don’t come and try to suck my moolah, okie dokie?
Here’s my theory – if your product is good, it would speak for itself in time.
So only products which the sellers have absolutely zilch confidence in selling based on it’s “capabilities”… then I guess you have no choice but to shove it into people’s faces.
Contrary to popular belief, insurance agents are not the pushiest salespeople around!
Want to know the real culprits?
Beauty products/services salespeople!!
And don’t think that this means it is solely for the female market…. They linger around the males too. Granted, as of date – men don’t exactly dominate much of the market.
Even without vouchers, these salespeople would sometimes literally make you buy their product – like they were holding a knife at your throat!
When I was still quite a noob years back, this really annoying salesperson approached me while I was walking on the street.
Miss Annoying-Pusher: Hello, miss! My spa is having a promotion today. Here’s a free sample for you!
Me: Oh, thank you!
Miss A.P.: Ah! This is an empty bottle. So sorry! Could you follow me back to my booth, I’ll give you a proper one?
Me: Okay, sure.
I swear, I can’t believe I was that dumb.
When I got in, she started pushing her packages to me.
I have this severe phobia of the word “package” coming from the mouths of salespeople.
I must give credit to myself though! As much as I was a noob, I wasn’t suckered into her trap!
Miss A.P.: You can really use our services! My face was initially very bad, but after going for this facial…
Me: I’m not interested. I thought I’m here for the sample? If you have no more, it is okay. I’m leaving.
Miss A.P.: Wait! Stop! You really should try!! Usually our package is over $2000!! Today we are letting it go for only $800!!
Me: Sorry, I said I’m not interested.
Miss A.P.: But I can’t give you the sample without you buying the package….
Me: Then I don’t want it. Thanks anyway.
Sheesh! To think that puny bottle would make me part with $800!!
Miss A.P.: Do you have financial problems? I understand… I can help you. I can give you a discount till $450? Your skin could really use our services!
Me: *even more pissed off* Listen, I don’t have any financial problems. Thank you for your concern. And I know my skin isn’t perfect, but I have no intention on spending on something like this.
Miss A.P.: Why?? Every woman has to pamper herself!! You only have one face! And it is so pretty!! It is such a pity to waste it to bad skin…
Me: I will pamper myself however I like. Thank you for your compliment, anyhow.
Hello, I felt I was already superbly polite at such an imbecile.
Then she gathered her little jean-gang of pushy salespeople inside the booth.
So there I was; 1 VS 5.
I guess they were expecting me to feel intimidated or pressured into buying this nonsense. Instead I just felt violated and eff-ing pissed off.
5 Miss A.P.s: Miss, look at your skin… You need help.
Me: Uh huh. I’m still not interested.
5 Miss A.P.s: Okay, instead of $450… How about we give it to you for $200? Will you buy it?
Me: No. From $2000 to $200? What’s the catch?
5 Miss A.P.s: We just want you to look beautiful!! And our products will really work for you, like it has worked for so many of us here!
Me: *utterly pissed off* Thank you for wanting me to look beautiful. However I am really uninterested in any of your products, especially since you said that it works for some of you here? I guess it doesn’t work very well now, does it? I hope you ladies realise that there is no way I’m going to part with my money just so that I could go for some low-quality facials and give you ladies some commission. Good luck pushing!
And I walked up and left.
Of course I heard some cursing behind me, but I don’t give a heck.
So lately, when I bought some vouchers for massages and some beauty treatments… Similar things happened.
They are always asking you to sign up for some package, because you somehow always need something.
I have to be slimmer. I have to have better skin. I have to be relaxed. I have to have smoother hair. I have to have healthier nails.
Okay, okay.
I’ve spent before on one of those packages and I felt worse than ever.
Because every single session, they’ll tell me how terrible I am and that I need yet another package.
Oh sheesh!
So I’ve decided that I’m just going to be societal-ugly, but richer and with a less eroded self-esteem. Thank you very much.
Once I buy those vouchers, I have somehow bought a ticket into their lair where they would pounce on me and try to pry my cash away from me!
*sobs*
No, thanks!
I have too many horror stories about these people!! *shivers*
Don’t get me wrong, I still think this whole deals thing is an absolutely brilliant! Though I shall save my money and spend on buffet deals, travel deals…. Etc etc. But I will never want to buy beauty services on voucher-deals ever again! Unless it is those one-off payment things.
Too uncertain, too scary.
And ironically…
Too friggin’ expensive.
X.O.X.O. Love Love.
Gera Shen 