The Case Against Bargains

The title of this post may shock you. The Vogue City is, after all, a site about bargains. We fill you in on every sample sale and we were here before the Groupons of the world. And yet I am here today to tell you to think twice before you buy your next bargain. Why? Because after a year of buying hundreds of things on Gilt, RueLaLa ideeli, Groupon, DealOn, LivingSocial, and the rest of their ilk, I can tell you one thing: bargains are bargains only if you end up using them.

Don’t get me wrong, it hasn’t been all bad. I made some really good purchases and some unexpected ones (foie gras and the best duck breast ever). I also made some stupid purchases (ballet classes for me. And my husband. Before the Black Swan madness.) and some that just made me really sad: a non-returnable stained dress I bought from Gilt. Yes, it was a Marc Jacobs, but the dry cleaning along was $45, with no guaranteed results. Then there were the six coupons I bought at LivingSocial for tan spraying sessions, although only one could be redeemed. I lost over $100 dollars in unused coupons. Last, but definitely not least, I paid $140 on DealsOn for a meal at a Faustian restaurant that closed before the coupons expired. Sure, DealOn called me and eventually refunded my money, but only after I posted an angry message on their Facebook page.

What is the moral of this story? Think twice about whether you’re going to use what you buy. Don’t get coupons to a gym downtown if you know you never used your old membership to a gym across the street. Items aren’t supposed to be damaged, so don’t accept them. Even better, make sure your purchase is returnable. When all else fails, call the company to refund you the money. Don’t buy bargains that make you feel cheap or not worth it. Buy the things that make you feel fabulous and smart.

Mirela Gluck

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Posted by Mirela Gluck at 03:32 AM
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