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Testing products before purchase brings peace of mind

Tamotsu Saito (The Japan News/Asia News Network)
Tue, November 22, 2016

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Testing products before purchase brings peace of mind Mariko Watanabe tests three pillows in Abiko, Chiba Prefecture. (The Yomiuri Shimbun/File)

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aunched as a bid to satisfy consumers who want to make informed purchases, “trial services” are increasingly popular as a means of testing products at a low cost or free of charge before buying them.

Chiba Prefecture-based Makura Co., which sells beds and bedding online, ships out a selection of its pillows and allows users to test them when they sleep. A user can select up to three pillows from among more than 50 types and try them for up to 21 days.

The price for the service is ¥1,000 (US$9), plus tax and shipping costs. If the user decides to purchase a new product, costing from about ¥4,000 to ¥20,000, they receive a ¥500 discount.

Since launching in 2013, the service has enjoyed a surge of interest, so much so it had to be temporarily stopped. Currently the company has about 1,000 pillows out on loan per month.

“If you don’t actually test a pillow with your bedding, you won’t know if it’s suitable for you. We want customers to make purchases with peace of mind,” said company president Tomoyuki Kawamoto.

Mariko Watanabe, 35, a homemaker in Abiko, Chiba Prefecture, recently bought a new bed and found her pillow did not quite match, so she tried the service.

“Rather than buying the cheapest pillow I could find, I wanted to find a truly good product, even if it cost more,” Watanabe said.

(Read also: Online shopping now the habit for Indonesians)

Tokyo-based Rebita Inc., a company that refurbishes and sells condominiums, started the “Torasumu” (trial living) service from November last year. Some of its units are available for rental by prospective tenants, and they can purchase them if they like the property. A third of the rent expenses are deducted from the final purchase price.

Berna Noto, 38, a company employee living with her family in a Rebita rental in Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture, decided to purchase a property.

“Initially purchasing wasn’t on our minds, but we liked how quiet the place was,” Noto said. Next spring, renovations to the adjoining building will be complete, and they plan to move in.

A company spokesperson said: “We found it strange that something as expensive as housing couldn’t be tried before you buy, like you would with a car or clothing. Although we had some concerns this could cannibalize our condominium sales, it has actually produced a new customer segment.”

Buyer beware

Free or discounted trial services are becoming more widespread, from music lessons to pet shops. Many are not intended to be rentals, and they are therefore inexpensive or offer further discounts upon full purchase.

“People have experienced a slow economy and uncertain wages, so now they are very sensitive to a failure in their purchases,” said Motoko Matsushita, a senior consultant at the Nomura Research Institute. “Shopping on the internet is growing, but there are many cases where you can’t make a decision based on this information alone. In this way, trial services compensate for the weakness of online purchases.”

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Yasushi Yamamoto, who analyzes consumer behavior at Hakuhodo Institute of Shopper Insight based in Tokyo, said: “A fair number of consumers find it exhausting to have to wade through all of the information on products and find useful data. With a trial service, they can find products that meet their needs.”

“While this poses a new cost for companies providing the service, it can produce added motivation for consumers who are positive about a purchase,” he added.

However, there can be problems. The National Consumer Affairs Center is calling on people to be cautious when purchasing health food and diet supplements that promote trial periods.

Consumers can be drawn in with catchy words such as “free” and “major discount” and order the service online or by other means. However, they can be led to believe they are buying a one-time product, but later find on the websites or in contracts that they have to buy the products on a regular basis, conclude a contract that does not allow an early cancellation, or have to purchase the products at the regular price.

Shoppers should carefully check the contracts and terms of cancellation before they purchase products. If they run into trouble, they can contact local consumer affairs centers.


This article appeared on The Japan News newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
 

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