Deals..

If you have stayed in the US for a long time, you are tuned to looking out for 'deals'. Deal is any offer which is unusual, obviously gives a big discount and is an event where you look back and feel satisfied that you didn't have to shell out as much money as your friend or neighbour. Thanksgiving sale, X-mas sale or that super saving JC penny sale are examples of these.

The other type of deal is when you get a great price, but you get locked in a contract for an extended period of time - but then you console yourself saying that you got a great 'deal' upfront. For example, we buy that cool phone for 80% off retail (but we are locked in a 2-year contract with that data plan which we don't use). Or we have that Comcast deal where you get 30$ off on your monthly bill, but then need to have subscription for more than a year. Or you can get a Dish installed for free if you have yearly subscription.

The reason I have been mentioning this is that pricing I have seen in India seem to be lot less complex. If you feel like getting rid of your cable connection, you can do that after a month. If you don't like getting tied with a cell phone provider, you can buy pre-paid cards and change when you wish too. If you don't feel good with your broadband connection, just switch without being worried about anything else.

The other thing is buying a car is stress-free as far as price is concerned. The base price for the car is the same everywhere (across all show-rooms). So you don;t the have stress of dealing with a pushy car-salesman, comparing the prices across different show-rooms and then being worried if you are really getting that 'good deal'. You can safely sign that cheque for the car knowing that everyone else is paying the same amount of money.

Of course, the Indian model will change in the long term - but for now, I don't have to worry about those 'deals' :-)