Caveat Emptor: Let the Buyer Beware!!

Websites that offer huge discounts on products and services in your area/locality/city are burgeoning like mushrooms these days. Mostly the products or services on offer are not the everyday necessities but in general cater to giving you a slice of that lavish lifestyle you always dream of. 

Courtesy : americanbedu.com

The general idea is to get many buyers for the seller and thus create a win-win-win situation for all. The seller is happy as the sales reach the peaks. The buyer is happy to get hold of a good bargain and the service provider is happy to make a commission out if and create its loyalists.

SoSasta was a start up which became an instant hit when Groupon a World Giant in this field decided to enter India and bought the start up.  Having subscribed for the Kolkata deals and regularly getting tempting offers, I decided to buy a watch given the huge discount on offer. The process to buy the voucher was streamlined but the customer would always keep wondering about the delivery and purchase options as full details were missing.

The contact number provided keeps ringing and no one picks the same. I was lucky to reach them on my tenth try and spoke to lady who was very helpful to stating that apparently there is no voucher required for the sale whereas the email I received stated that voucher will be sent soon. Next I was asked to send a mail with all details but no response from the service providers till today. Every business organization must understand that this is the era of customer satisfaction. While a prompt service might not have forced me to blog about it but poor service will always do…

One search on twitter and I learnt I was not alone:

‎	PurpleMossE‎ Hello someone from @SoSasta pls write back...one of ur offers bought has incomplete details... Twitter - 700032 16 May 2011

‎	sum1‎ @SoSasta Sent 2 emails to contact@sosasta.com. Last one was 10 days ago. Still no reply. Call that customer service bcoz I don't

While the online shopping scenario is picking up speedily in India with international service providers heading to the country like Amazon which now provides free shipping and sites like Flipkart are creating benchmarks in customer delight, such bad experiences will leave people with a bitter taste in mouth. 

Update: 
People from SoSasta have explained about the issue with their vendor for the deal and have also mentioned to take steps towards informing the customers about such situations in future. Its good when companies take the extra pain to reach out to all their customers big and small.


This episode also explains how internet and social media interaction is changing the dynamics between Businesses and consumers.

"Change" the Mantra of Bengal!

Bengal today witnessed a revolution of sorts when a Lady took the chair of the Chief Minister for the first time. Yes there are women Ministers, Chief Ministers aplenty but Bengal is different.

Well post election week has been utilized by almost all and sundry to emphasize on the fact that how people of Bengal were depressed, oppressed and hopeless due to the left rule of 34 years. “Paribartan” or change had been the mantra of the lady and she brought the change and how. But Mamata Banerjee is not going to sit on a chair of roses instead she is going to sit on a chair of thorns. There are huge expectations from the lady; people from all strata of economies have their own agenda and priorities to be sorted out. Common things coming out from the last weeks press research are the immediate financial crisis, education and the civic rights of the people.

image from jan-pahal.blogspot.com 

However, What I feel is in order to succeed Didi alone toiling hard will not serve the purpose. Infact, the opposition will play a very major role to whatever shape Bengal turns five years from now. Also the people at the ground level in the respective parties. Merely changing the color of the flag under which the system of Loot and oppression is carried out by the able is not going to change the fate of the state. Mamata has a huge responsibility to change the people from becoming what their predecessors were. For example, the taxi unions, the auto unions etc have already become the flag bearers of the Green Brigade. This is nothing but power changing power, if they continue to do what they did under the red flag then God help the government. Political appointments are common in this state and in the past week many of such appointments have tendered resignations. If these vacancies are filled in by the same process the resultant system of work will be rather similar because of the dynamics of power.

Exemplary and extraordinary changes will not happen. But there is hope, hope that some financial support will come from the centre as the Lady has the ability to bring in the Mullah as also the participation of the party in the government. But to the common Man if they want to understand and face reality they should look at Kolkata Municipal Area. It’s been a year or so that the Changed Govt has took the leadership. Beautification programmes are aplenty but sewage and rain water disposal has not been touched yet.

We can but only hope that Change brings the smiles on the face of the common Man, just as it came on the Lady’s face.

Movie review: Chalo Dilli

This blog has not yet published any movie review. Actually I had a notion that reviews especially the ones by regulars/experts/journos are highly biased.

I may be wrong but given the past experience of watching a movie post research of the reviews has not yielded great results. Instead a movie that creates a buzz in the ears and looks promising has been worth the time and money most of the time. Anyways that’s not the point to make in this post. 

There are movies that are labeled as comedies right at the beginning of the film making process. Some actors are labeled as comedians and the mere presence of them in scene creates expectation among the viewers about a comic scene. Chalo Dilli fits no where in these descriptions and definitions of a comedy movie. Instead this movie leaves you lighter and entertained and thinking at the end. 

Image courtesy www.cinegoer.com

Ok this movie has Vinay Pathak playing a character which may be highly influenced by his Bheja Fry character, but it does have its own radiance and shine to it. Lara dutta does “acting” after a long time and succeeds very well. The banter between both them holds the key to the movie and for every problem faced by lara’s character Vinay Pathak has only one answer -  Kaun si Badi Baat ho gayi; and by the end of the movie you understand the real meaning of the phrase “ kaun si badi baat ho gayi”. The movie is filled with some clichés though like the farts, burps etc. but overall the time spent is never regretted as also the money.