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Topic starter
I bought a network cable on-island for $25. I needed another, they were out. I went to another place, and they wanted $60, arghhh, too much! So I went to yet another store, and they quoted me $81!!!
Found a brand new one online for $8.
This is just one example of how we get ripped off. #neededtovent#
Posted : May 31, 2013 12:41 pm
lots more where that comes from. office depot had a router for one price ( can't remember the price ) home depot had one for about half that cost. did not even look online as it was needed right away.
Posted : May 31, 2013 12:49 pm
That's hilarious, a 1000' spool of cat5 runs a little over $100. If you have any friends in IT, I guarantee you they have a spool and they would probably make you a cable for free.
Posted : May 31, 2013 12:50 pm
Topic starter
yeah...ridiculous! The one I bought online for $8 included shipping!
Posted : May 31, 2013 12:52 pm
That's hilarious, a 1000' spool of cat5 runs a little over $100. If you have any friends in IT, I guarantee you they have a spool and they would probably make you a cable for free.
Hey, it's kind of a pain to make those cables... takes like a solid 10-15 min!
(haha)
don't forget the tips cost about $.15 each!
Posted : May 31, 2013 12:55 pm
That's hilarious, a 1000' spool of cat5 runs a little over $100. If you have any friends in IT, I guarantee you they have a spool and they would probably make you a cable for free.
Hey, it's kind of a pain to make those cables... takes like a solid 10-15 min!
(haha)
don't forget the tips cost about $.15 each!
I think that's a great example of how much better it is to make some things yourself and how resiliency really is important when living here.
Posted : May 31, 2013 1:01 pm
don't forget the tips cost about $.15 each!
Unless you are shopping at radio shack where they go for about $1-2 a piece
Posted : May 31, 2013 1:04 pm
Whenever I need something (and don't need it on an absolute immediate basis) I'm diligent about price-checking both on island and online. It's actually surprising how very little some items differ in price. It's easy to sometimes just assume that island prices are going to be higher on everything but that's simply not the case all the time. There are some pretty ridiculous anomalies in on-island pricing - just the other day I saw an item on my "wish list" priced $15 higher in CULess than at Home Depot. It's a pain to shop around but you just have to do it! Statesiders used to the convenience of "one stop shopping" have a huge adjustment to make moving here!
Posted : May 31, 2013 1:07 pm
Topic starter
I also needed some pastry bags...I had them in my hand, they were $12 each. I knew it was a tad high...so I checked online through the manufacturers website, and I got 12 bags for $30, with shipping!
Shame on the businesses jacking up the prices by unreasonable percentages!
Posted : May 31, 2013 1:26 pm
I could see if we were talking about the only place to get food and water from, but we're talking widgets. A business has the right to charge anything they want and you have the right to buy it there or not. In these two cases, you saw what they charged, found it cheaper and bought it there instead. It's basic business. If you're consistently finding things cheaper at HD than OM, you'll start going to HD first, they'll make your money and OM will not, forcing them to lower their price. It's why there is a Walmart every 10 miles in the states.
Posted : May 31, 2013 1:48 pm
Cheers everyone,
Consider trying out some cost comparison APPs (for smart phone, iPad, computers, etc.) I just did a quick test using the first APP that showed up in a search (called Milo). There are likely better APPs with stronger search functions to scan inventory ... and I readily found some helpful cost comparisons for "Christiansted, St. Croix 00820, USVI".
Many of these APPs have bar code scanners, so it's super easy to compare local store prices and prices with online vendors (Amazon, eBay, etc.) for an exact item. Of course, one can type in a description too.
Bet any semi-alert store owner seeing more and more people comparing prices "on the floor" may either get responsive or loose profits. I've done similar things here in Wash DC and some store managers will actually lower the charge - on the spot - just to make a sale!
This includes Anything from vitamins to electronics to items for my professional office. I've even had stores order online (for me) from their invntory, get a sales discount and receive free shipping. Heck, if this type of transaction "shows up" as a sale for the store / sales associate, one can find many ways to encourage fair trade, motivate stores to offer comparable prices and invest in the local economy at the same time.
Just a thought! Happy shopping 😉
Posted : May 31, 2013 6:17 pm
I wish you would have posted it, I have like 4 I dont need. Actually have a linksys router and modem too lol.
Posted : June 1, 2013 4:45 pm
