You Get What You Pay For

Some months ago I was very excited about buying a universal adaptor el cheapo. Well, it seems that I was due for the harsh lesson that we all know but choose to ignore when someone tells us we can get what we want as a bargain: you get what you pay for.

The short story being, about two months after I bought the adaptor, it's not working. I took it to the computer place, wanting a replacement. But it only had a month's guarantee :-(. So he's taking it in to be fixed and says I'll get it back Wednesday next week.

I do have a PC to work on, but I have no access to most of the files I was working on ( as mine is a small business, I don't have a serverand I back up weekly). And that is affecting ongoing projects, especially the ones where I'd already drafted the article and just needed to finish. In some case, it means a complete rewrite. So glad I use gmail as my default address, as it allows me to access my emails seamlessly.

I think I should also keep this lesson in mind when I'm dealing with potential clients who try to negotiate my prices down to ridiculous levels, especially the ones who mention ( oh so in passing) that some other company they got a quote from charges a fraction of what I'm quoting: you get what you pay for. That service provider you think is cheap - is he operating on a shoestring budget to try to keep to the prices you demand? And how long do you think he/she will be able to stay in business, if his/her revenues are cut to the bone?

Your thoughts on the issue of price? Are you wary of vendors who sell you stuff are very low/ridiculous prices? Do you wonder if they'll be there tomorrow to provide aftercare service if your gadget broke?