Game theory probably has some input on this
Here's a question that came to me after running errands today:
Suppose you purchase product A at one store, to solve some need you have. When you're at another store, you see product B, which you realize might actually be the right product, and that A might be the wrong product.
Do you:
1) Wait until you get home, and then find out either that A was right all along, or that B was actually the right one, which means you're going to have to go return A at the first store and buy B at the second store, or
2) Buy B, so that in case A was wrong, you'll only have to go back to one store -- either to the first store, to return A, or the second store, to return B?
This obviously changes depending on your confidence level -- if you're pretty sure A is right, but have a minor suspicion that B might be, then you'll probably go with #1, above. But if on seeing B, you suddenly have low confidence that A is right, then you'll probably go with #2. Or will you?
It also seems like it changes based on how binary the a/b split is, and whether you have someone at home you can call and ask them to check.
What do you think?
Laura Z, on Thursday, December 14, 2006 at 8:07 AM:
Which choice I make largely depends on a number of factors above and beyond my confidence level - namely, how tired and/or busy am I now (i.e. do I really want to take time to go to the second store now) or how busy am I going to be during the time period in which I would have to do the two visits later (i.e. option #1). Calling someone at home to check on the item would probably happen if they were there, but again, also depend on my tired/busyness level/time of day (i.e. end of day on my way home from hell-day at work versus middle of afternoon on the weekend).
Laura Z, on Thursday, December 14, 2006 at 8:31 AM:
Oh, and the urgency of my need for the thing would factor into this as well and I would have to weigh that against how tired/busy I was now and in the near future. For instance, if my electrician told me our house would set on fire if we didn't change from Outlet-of-Doom to Outlet-of-Goodness, it wouldn't matter how tired or busy I was at the time - the urgency of the situation would override both those things and I'd probably get versions A through Z just to make sure when I got home I had the right one. Then I would return all the ones I didn't need later with the satisfaction that I had saved my house (or other dramatic thing here).
rfkj, on Thursday, December 14, 2006 at 11:29 AM:
Depends on what the items are, how expensive they are, and what stores they're at. If it doesn't cost too much, and the stores are ones that I visit regularly anyway, then buying both and returning one seems to be more efficient. After all, I'll be going back to the stores at some point, so whichever one needs returning will be returned.
That's the theory, anyway. In real life, when this happened to me recently, what I did was: check out store A, then store B, then return to A to buy item A, take A home only to find out that it sucks, return item A, go back to store B to buy item B.
Yikes.
heather, on Thursday, December 14, 2006 at 1:23 PM:
Depends on how much time I have, how crowded the stores are, how high the annoyance factor would be in doing another transaction in either establishment, and how much energy I have. Also depends on which is cheaper. And I've generally done my research online in advance so as not to run into this dilemma and avoid the wastage of time and brain power in the first place :-)
Uncle Vinny, on Thursday, December 14, 2006 at 1:59 PM:
For me, there are no other factors that influence my decision. I would always choose option B. In fact, given any choices where I get to choose an 'A' or a 'B', I always choose 'B', because the word 'because' starts with a 'B', and 'agony' starts with an 'A'. Several prominent game theorists that I've met at parties have changed careers after discussions with me on this point.
Cesar, on Friday, December 15, 2006 at 6:03 AM:
If I'm positive that B is the perfect item, I'd have to go with #3... immediately return A (to see if the store returns the stuff at all...) then buy B after that.