Originally posted on: 12-June-2011

30-Sep-2010, Entire India was waiting for one of the crucial court decision in independant India’s history – Ayodhya Verdict. Here in pune, most of the corporate organizations asked their employees to leave early from office and reach home before afternoon for sake of safety. First time in our newly shifted house, me, Saurabh(pittu) and Sujay(sujya), three roomies, were gonna be online at the same time. Problem was we had internet connection modem with only ethernet port and no wireless router. So, I decided to buy wireless router on the way to home.

Dipak is my team lead with whom I discussed about wireless router – prices, brands, models. We narrowed it down to D-link DIR-300 and D-link DIR-600. We checked e-bay India price for D-link DIR-300, it was around 1700 bucks. In the afternoon at 245pm, me n pittu reached one shop called Data Care Corporation (DCC), famous in pune for computer peripherals.

(one of the sellers, after all of them ignoring us for 5 mins)

seller : yes sir, how can I help you?

me : we want to buy wireless router

seller : buy one from Belkin sir, its very good

me : do you have D-Link DIR-300/600?

seller : wait sir, let me hadle this another customer..

(after ingoring us for another 3 mins)

seller : yes sir, DIR-300 is for 1850 bucks.

(I thought, ya supply chain n retail sell may cost me 150 extra, fair enough)

me : and DIR-600?

seller : 2600 bucks

(I started getting skeptical about this number.. 2600? after all there isn’t huge difference technical between DIR-300 and DIR-600 )

me : pittu, what to do? which one? n do you think 2600 is fair?

pittu : we need one, we dont know much about prices, … lets go for DIR-300

(now I remembered that I had checked e-bay price 1700 for DIR-300.. but unfortunately hadnt checked DIR-600, I called Dipak)

me : Dipak, please check DIR-600 price on e-bay India

Dipak : ya its 1745 bucks

me : ok thanks !!

me : pittu this is pathetic, DIR-600 is for 1750 on e-bay and this guys is $^%%^, lets drop the deal, go home

(I prepared myself to spend evening without internet, turned around from counter, started walking towards door… suddely I dont know what happend n I felt urge to talk to seller, I turned towards counter again..)

seller : what happened sir?

me : do you know DIR-600 price on e-bay India?

seller : …..

me : do you know a site called e-bay India, where they sell products online??

(by the time seller was ready with another piece of crap)

seller : yes sir, I know everything (n his expressions said – who are you to teach me !!), I am selling these things for last 5 years.. e-bay goes through bidding, re-sell goods, bla bla bla…

me : I know that, Do you know the price?

seller : no, you tell me..

me : 1750 bucks

(seller again doing the same bla bla…)

seller : sir it takes 2 weeks to deliver, taxes extra, shipping extra… bla bla

me : wait, this 1750 is including everything, even shipping and doorstep delivery within 4 days.

seller : …………

(seller dead silent, jaws falling down.. !!)

seller : let me check what can I do for you…

(after pretending to calculate somethin for 30 seconds)

seller : sir, I will give it to you for 2000 bucks

(now suddenly, I irritation which had slowly started building on my face was taken over by smile ;), I almost stared laughing )

me : dude, tell me one thing, if you are at my place and you had two options which one would you have chosen?

(I just wanted to ask question and wasnt seeking answer, I stared turning around )

seller : wait..

(again, second round of pretending calculations)

seller : I will give it to you for 1750, with bill n everything.. but are you sure its 1750??

(I called Dipak again to check exact price, by that time seller had started preparing a bill receipts, his face pale yellow )

me : 1745 , if you want exact number..

seller : now, I cant go to that number sir

me : no worries 1750 bucks is fine with me.

after two mins I walked out of the store with receipt and DIR-600 (bought at 1750 bucks) in my hand and loads of pseudo random thoughts in my mind.. What I could arrive, say close to conclusion, was –

“Most probably, you may get what you want, but for that you need make at least one genuine effort to go for it !!”