When Return Policy Meets Frugality
When I was setting up my new apartment, I had purchased a toolbox from Walmart specifically to assemble furniture from IKEA. Shortly after, Ravish, a colleague who had recently moved from India with his family and joined my company, called me for help as he started setting up his own apartment.
“Hey buddy, do you have a toolbox by any chance? I need to assemble an IKEA table that came disassembled,” he asked.
“Sure, you can borrow mine,” I offered. But when I checked my toolbox, I realized I had misplaced some essential parts.
“Sorry Ravish, it seems I’ve lost some key pieces. It won’t be much help to you. You might want to buy one from Walmart. They’re pretty cheap. The basic set is only $17,” I suggested.
“$17? I don’t want to spend that much just to assemble a table! Do they have a return policy?” he inquired.
“Come on, it’s not just for one-time use. A toolbox is handy for any furniture assembly. It’s a useful investment, especially since you’re settling in for the long term,” I explained.
“Yeah, but still, what’s their return policy?” he persisted.
“It’s 90 days,” I replied, feeling a bit frustrated that he wasn’t grasping the value of having a toolbox. It seemed he was preoccupied with dollar-rupee currency conversion.
“Okay, perfect! So, I can buy it from Walmart and return it after I’m done assembling all my furniture. I should have it all within 90 days,” he exclaimed.
I was taken aback by surprise when he told me that. I had long grown out of the Indians’ currency conversion mentality, so I was shocked by his approach for a mere $17. Then it dawned on me that I used to think the same way when I first moved. It wasn’t necessarily a personal characteristic but rather a reflection of how our generation was brought up in pre-globalized India with a frugal mindset focused on savings.
