Preventing Buyer's Remorse

Several years ago my family moved into a rental home in the west Houston suburbs. The afternoon after we arrived, two men from a local home security company knocked on our door, wanting to know if we were interested in installing an alarm system. They talked to us for more than half an hour, telling us about a rash of burglaries in the neighborhood (which I'm not certain was a complete fabrication) and extolling the benefits of a perimeter alarm. I'm ashamed to admit my wife and I were putty in their hands by the time they finished their spiel.

We wound up agreeing to install a security system. We signed a contract, did a walk-through of the house to determine vulnerable points of entry, agreed to a ridiculous price. Then, about an hour after they left, my sanity returned.

Fortunately, Texas permits a three-day grace period after purchasing anything from a door-to-door salesperson. I called the security company and cancelled the contract, then sent a letter to provide documentation in writing. But what if that hadn't been the case? And why does buyer's remorse happen in the first place?

Everyone is vulnerable to high-pressure sales tactics

Before that day with the security alarm, I would have said I was immune to the charms of salespeople. I would have said I was too logical, too rational, to be talked into buying something I really don't need (or something I could get much cheaper elsewhere). Obviously I would have been wrong.

It's easy to get swept up in the moment, to listen to the fast talk and the flamboyant hand gestures that don't give you a spare second to consider what you're signing away. It can happen to just about anyone.

What I've discovered is that it's important to have a game plan when I know I'm going to come into contact with salespeople. If I don't think about it beforehand, I'm much more vulnerable to buyer's remorse.

The Three-Day Rule

As I mentioned above, some states provide a grace period for consumers who make impulse purchases outside a retail-store setting. I've instituted my own three-day rule to prevent buyer's remorse.

If I decide I want to buy something, I make myself wait three days before purchasing it. That gives me time to mull the decision over, to compare the pros and cons, to get the sound of the salesperson's voice out of my head. Then, after three days, I decide if I really want or need that item. If I do, I go buy it.

Rudeness is sometimes necessary

I try not to allow anyone to talk me into anything, be it salesperson or mother-in-law. I like to make my own choices based on what I value and how I live, and I can't let other people run my life. Sometimes this means leaving my manners at the door.

If a salesperson gets too aggressive with me, I simply tell him or her to back off. Or I walk out of the store (or shut the door, as the case may be). Most people who work in sales have a thick skin, and I consider aggressive sales tactics rude to begin with. So I don't lose sleep over it.

Buyer's remorse is a terrible thing, often breeding countless sleepless nights. And if it's a large purchase, it can derail your budget for months to come. Better to formulate a plan, think purchases through, and exercise a little hostility if the situation warrants it.