While I purpose to keep the focus of this blog on positive, savorful things about Albania, certainly there are realities of living in Albania that I don’t always savor.
For those traveling to Albania for any length of time, it may be helpful to understand some of these not-to-be-savored situations.
One aspect is buying products in Albania– a good motto for businesses here would be: “Once you pay for it, it’s yours for keeps.” (ie. No refunds allowed!).
While a few stores have begun to implement an ‘exchange policy’, (within 3-14 days) the incredible return policies where you actually get your money back are almost non-existent here. (One of the things I love about the U.S.– great customer service!)
This means you have to make up your mind completely before you make the purchase, because after you pass the cash register threshold, there’s no turning back. (A challenge for those of us who are indecisive).
Just the other day TCLH and I bought a mattress for our guest bedroom. There were two stores in the mall right next to each other that sold mattresses. At both stores the sales ladies spewed off a bunch of mattress vocabulary terms in Albanian about the types of materials used to make these ‘very comfortable’ and hygiene-friendly mattresses. After viewing the possibilities, we went back to the first store where we ultimately made our purchase. The mattress came the next day– upon first glance it seemed fine, but upon scrutinizing it more closely, we saw that there were many places where the stitching was poorly done and that with some use, the cover could easily tear apart. TCLH called the store and they said they would send another one the next morning. 
When the 2nd one arrived, my husband inspected it at the delivery van and saw that it had the same problem, so he refused to take it. The salesperson reassured us on the phone that they would send another one over the next couple of days– “not to worry, you will be completely satisfied with this mattress“. Though I secretly hoped they might give us our money back because I was torn between the first and second store mattress options and was feeling the onset of buyer’s remorse, my Albanian friends all heartily agreed– “They will never give you your money back.”
Thus, in order to have successful shopping experiences and avoid buyer’s remorse in Albania, here are a few tips:
- Check out as many options as possible (this will require time to investigate all the options– be patient with the process)
- Ask friends for their recommendations about similar products they’ve purchased that they have been pleased with. (Word of mouth is probably the best way of advertising in Albania)
- Ask if there is a warranty, and have it spelled out what it really means. (Most likely there won’t be any possibility of getting your money back, though you may be able to exchange for a different product within their store).
- Sleep on your decision overnight
- Go to the store and make your purchase in faith
One of the reasons TCLH and I are pursuing ‘business as mission’ in Albania through our engraving business is that we want to do business differently– to show that our faith is interconnected to the way we relate to customers and handle business decisions and transactions. We want customers to be so delighted with their experience at our store that they will spread the word about our business. Thus, there have been times when we’ve either re-done a product or given a full refund if a customer wasn’t fully satisfied. (Definitely “going against the flow” in the Albanian business culture!)
**On a positive note, the mattress store did bring a 3rd mattress yesterday and it seems to be better quality than the first two (no obvious defects). We will see how well our guests sleep on it– my mom gets to try it for the first time tonight! Sweet Dreams Mom!
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