E - Commerce: What's the limit?

Looking at the way e-commerce has invaded our lives, you often sit back and wonder what the limit is? Is it all a short lived boom, the peak before a threatening low? Or is it just the tip of the iceberg? A small step towards a world of endless possibilities?

I still remember placing my first order online. It was the year 2010 and the order was for a non expensive book (prior to that I was the beneficiary of a free copy of Chetan Bhagat's Revolution 2020 - but that shouldn't count). Since then, the trust has grown and till now I've bought pen drives, shoes, t shirts, travel bags and what not. I went the extra mile two years back when I "tried" a website for the first time by ordering a Nexus 4 (and trusting them to deliver it all the way to Delhi from Dayton, Ohio) in March 2013. 

Yes, it took me few more months to convince my father that these e-commerce websites are not planning to run away with money paid in advance and by now I think he is also fairly convinced about them being genuine. 

Having influenced the way we buy books, headphones, pen drives, cameras, television sets, accessories, clothing, insurance, clothing, food, etc, e-commerce has found a way to break the real estate entry barrier too. In the past decade I've stayed in 5 different cities and it has involved considerable online search for accommodation. A number of sites started offering real estate search as an "add on" but housing.com seems to be the first one determined to make real estate search its core competency. For someone like me, accommodation is more than just a place to sleep. Hence, having a look at the place I am going to consider living at is of utmost importance. This is where housing website comes in handy, as you get to have a look at the pictures of the room along with other details. Nothing like going all the way to see a flat based on a post on some website - only to find it nothing more than a dustbin. 

If I give out the impression of being too choosy, picture this:

I moved into a flat one fine Sunday evening and left it voluntarily by Wednesday. The reason: filth! It's perfectly OK to move into your room and find stuff lying here and there - left behind by the previous occupant. As I would anyways have done, I decided to clean it up myself and that is when the decision to move out asap was rooted. There was no broom in the house! I went the extra mile (literally, as the nearest shop selling broom was a km away) to get a broom and clean up the room. Next day, I came to know that contrary to what I was told (maid is on leave), there was no maid! Apparently, the maid who "used to come once" had taken a break a month back (I totally understood why) and never returned. And, not surprisingly, none of the inmates considered talking to another one. The knowledge that one person couldn't recall the other person's name (and that the latch to the main door had been broken ages ago without being considered worth getting repaired) shut off whatever room I had for adjustment and here I am - in a hygienic flat with a maid, kitchen and a door knob that works!