7 Zakupy i usługi

Rodzaje sklepów, towary, sprzedawanie i kupowanie

Ćwiczenie 1.

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Shops and shopping in Britain

Department stores are found in all big cities. They are big shops where you can find almost everything you want and which offer a wide choice of goods. The most famous British department store, Harrods, started as a small grocery shop in 1849. The present store has more than 300 departments and a staff of over 4,000 people. The display in the food hall is amazing. For example, there is a choice of over 500 types of cheese.

Street markets are both fun and cheap. Most markets sell fruit and vegetables, clothes, cooking utensils, records and jewellery. In London, there are about 40 or 50 markets. Some specialise in flowers, pets or second-hand books.

Some towns are called market towns: a market is held there, usually once a week. People come from the surrounding villages to do their shopping there.

In the centre of most towns and villages there is a main street with lots of different shops. This street is usually called the High Street. The high streets of Britain are beginning to look more and more the same. This is because they are full of branches ofbig chain-stores. One of the best-known chain-stores is Mark's & Spencer, which sells clothes and food. The company has over 700 stores world-wide and has a reputation for good quality. In most high streets there is a charity shop. All the profits from the things sold go to charity. Oxfam is the best-known chain of charity shops and it sells second-hand clothes and books.

Eighty-seven per cent of British people live less than a mile from their local corner shop. A corner shop is a small shop on, or near, a street corner. Many are run by Indian or Pakistani families. Most corner shops sell food and newspapers. They are open until late in the evening, as well as on Sundays.

Many small high street and corner shops are closing because people prefer to drive to a shopping complex outside town. There tliey can park their cars without any problems and do all their shopping in one place.

In a British shopping complex, you usually find a supermarket, a branch of most of the chain-stores, some smaller shops, a few cafćs and sometimes a multi-screen cinema. Most of the new shopping complexes are built near big roads, outside town. Here you also find 'superstores'. These enormous shops sell their products much cheaper than the high-street shops.

Hempstead Valley offers a fine selection of shops to the Medway Towns*.

There are a number of large stores as well as craft stalls. There is also a recently refurbished

food hall with a variety of fast food outlets.

Accessibility: The Centre makes shopping easy for the less mobile, with ground level shops

and wide entrances, also special facilities & toilets for the disabled.

Facilities: There are 2,200 free car parking spaces, with designated motorcycle and bicycle

parking in the underground car park. Parent and baby rooms are available, as well as baby

bottle warming facilities. There is also a food court, for those who build up an appetite while

shopping.

Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 9am - 8pm; Saturday 9am - 7pm; Sunday 10am - 4pm.

*the Medway Towns -towns on the river Medway: Rochester, Gillingham and Chatham.

ASK THE DOCTOR

Q: Shopping cures my depression

I just can't control my shopping habits, and as each week goes by I find I am

buying more and more things we don't really need or can't afford. When I get

home I hide things and feel guilty for a while (and even sometimes quite sick

with fear, but funnily enough not more depressed) about what I might do, but it

doesn't stop me going out again the next day. How can I stop spending money?

Lizzie

A: Dr Trisha Macnair responds

This isn't just a pleasant habit run wild - you are describing a well-recognised

response to depression. A considerable number of people, often but not always

women, become shopaholics as a way of coping with their low moods. The

condition was first recognised over a century ago and is known as oniomania. In

fact the American Psychological Association have estimated that in the US alone

there are now as many as 15 million compulsive shoppers.

1. What kind of shops do you visit with pleasure? Why do you enjoy shopping there? What makes your favourite shops special? Is it location, quality of service, variety of goods, reasonable prices or something else?

1. Where do you never shop? Why not?

2. In the developed countries more and more people turn to shopping as a way of coping with depression. Do you think that shopping may help improve one's mood? If yes, how? If not, why not? Justify your opinion.

Reklama

Ćwiczenie 2.

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Advertising is a huge global business. Each year billions of pounds are spent in an attempt to influence our decisions and to persuade us to spend more.

Think of the number of messages that are aimed at each one of us on an average day. On the high street, on public transport, in newspapers and magazines and on television we are bombarded with images and slogans designed to make us part with our cash. Because of the enormous amount of advertising there is around, the advertising industry is constantly trying to come up with new ways of getting our attention.

The advertising industry classifies each person according to earnings, education, social habits and gender, then it uses these classifications to target advertising at the relevant audience. Obviously the most expensive items are aimed at those most likely to afford them.

All forms of advertising are effective, otherwise nobody would bother spending the colossal amounts of money they do each year on promoting their products. The methods used and their effectiveness depend on a number of factors which include the actual product, the target audience and the size of the advertising budget.

Most effective are the forms of advertising which reach a very large audience very quickly. In the past, TV was probably the best method, but this has been overshadowed by Internet advertising which can reach millions of people through bulk e-mails*, although it has become somewhat of a nuisance recently (my inbox regularly gets inundated with* unwanted advertising junk mail). Newspapers carry a lot of adverts, because they are read daily, so new products can be readily advertised. Magazines (especially magazines targeted at specific audiences such as teenagers) are also good advertising vehicles.

*bulk - things in large amounts (ogrom)

*inundate with - give somebody so many things they cannot deal with them all (zasypać czymś)

1. Advertising appears in more and more forms, for example, TV ads, billboard posters, leaflets, bulk e-mails, etc. Do you think that some forms of advertising are more effective than others? Why? Why not?

2. What makes an advertisement appealing to young audiences? Is it the witty language, visual effects or something else? Give reasons for your opinion.

Sprzedawanie i kupowanie, reklamacja, korzystanie / usług

Ćwiczenie 3.

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PURCHASES

The main statutes that cover your rights when shopping or buying a service are The Sale of Goods Act 1979 and the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982.

• The law says that goods must be of 'satisfactory quality' - goods must be free from defects.

• They must be 'fit for their purpose' - this includes if the seller assures you they are capable of performing the way you describe you want them to.

• They must be 'as described' - if you buy a product that has a label stating the product is 100% fat free, then that is what you should get.

• These are your statutory rights which are contained in Acts of Parliament. All goods bought or hired from shops, street markets, mail order or door-to-door sellers are covered by these rights. They include goods bought in sales.

• You have NO rights if you simply change your mind about something you have bought, made a mistake, or were told about the fault before you bought it. The shop may exchange or give you a refund as a gesture of its goodwill.

SERVICES

The law covering services is the Supply of Goods & Services Act.

When you pay for a service for example from a hairdresser, plumber or garage, you are entitled to certain standard's. A service must be carried out:

• "with reasonable care and skill'

• 'at a reasonable charge, if no price has been fixed in advance', and

• "within a reasonable time'

It you are buying a service such as building work, it is a good idea to get several estimates. Check whether the person or company providing the service is a member of a trade association.

The only way to be reasonably sure a service is reliable and good, is to talk to past customers. Or, you could choose a service on the recommendation of someone else you trust.

There is a saying in English: The customer is always right. How do you understand it? Do you agree or disagree with it? Are there any limits to customers' rights? Justify your opinion.

Środki płatnicze, banki, ubezpieczenia

Ćwiczenie 4.

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Ways to open an account

There are several ways to open an account now.

• Over the phone: According to the bigger chain banks, people are increasingly picking up the phone to open a bank account. The process will take longer because you'll have to mail in your signature, but it is a fairly simple way to go.

• On the Internet Many banks - especially the online banks - offer applications over the Internet. Simply call the bank to ask for their website, or look it up here.

• In person: One of the advantages of opening a bank account in person is that you can ask the teller all of your questions and get immediate answers (as opposed to waiting two business days to get an e-mail response). Because you can sign all the papers on the spot, the process of opening an account is also speedier in person.

Questions to ask

The following questions MUST be answered before you give your money away What if you forget to ask about time deadlines, and suddenly realize that you can't touch your money for three years? So always get the answers to the following:

1. Is there a monthly fee for maintaining this account? If so, what is it?

2.1s there a minimum balance that I must keep within this account? If so, what is it? And what sorts of fees apply if I go under that limit?

3. What is the interest rate of my savings account?

4. Is the account for which I'm applying FDIC insured? (You definitely want your account to be insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. If your bank ever goes bankrupt and loses all your money, the FDIC's will pay you back down to the very last cent.)

5. Is there a limit to the amount of transactions (deposits/withdrawals, check writing, ATM [Automated Teller Machine] uses) I have per month? If so, how many do I get of each? What sorts of fees apply if I go over my limit?

6. Where can I withdraw cash without paying any fees? What is the fee for using an ATM machine that doesn't belong to this bank?

One final tip: find a nice person at the bank, get his/her name, and always ask for that person.

Taking responsibility

When the credit card bill arrives, it is important to check it for errors and then pay the whole balance if you possibly can. Don't be tempted to only pay the minimum amount, as this is often only 3% of the total debt. Look at how much interest you have paid in the last year - think what else you could have done with that money. Remember that if your store card has an interest rate of 28.5%, over two and half years you will end up paying twice the original cost of the item.

Insurance

When you send your claim to the insurance company make sure that you keep copies of your claim form, receipts and reports. Because if the insurance company says they didn't receive your letter, there is nothing you can do. In future, if ever you are required to submit receipts and/or reports in support of a claim, only ever send copies; keep the originals. Also get proof of receipt by sending the correspondence either by recorded or special delivery (the latter is considerably more expensive). At least this way the recipient cannot deny receipt, and in any event you can always resubmit copies.

Pytania do dyskusji

1. Some people claim that credit cards are traps that make you spend more. Do you agree? Why? Why not?

2. Some banks have special offers to encourage teenagers as young as 13 to open bank accounts. To what extent does having a bank account encourage saving? What may be some of the advantages of keeping your pocket money in a bank account as opposed to a piggy bank?

Dodatkowe zagadnienia do dyskusji

1. Shopping centres and big supermarkets are places where more and more families not only shop but also spend their free time, especially at the weekends. Do you agree with those who claim that this behaviour poses a threat to family life? Why? Why not? Justify your opinion.

2. In Poland there are still many small grocery shops. Would you miss them if they were to close down? Why? Why not? Justify your opinion.

3. In Britain there is an organisation which controls the content of advertisements and may ban unsuitable advertisements (for example advertisements which attack the products of other companies). What kind of advertising should be banned in your opinion? Why? Justify your opinion.

4. Some people claim that advertising is a great waste of time and genius, that human effort and artistic talent should be spent on something better than designing a Coke bottle. To what extent would you agree with this statement? Justify your opinion.

5. Services are a growing industry. A few years ago pizza delivery was a novelty in Poland, today you can have your dog walked by a professional dog-walker. Think of one particular type of service that makes your life easier and explain why you couldn't live without it.

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