GPS Smart Bag Offers Hope for Shopaholics
18 Feb 2014Shopaholics get help curbing their spending with a new GPS-tracking handbag.
Whether a shopper is suffering from an actual addiction to shopping or simply can’t pass up a good deal, there’s a new “smart bag” that stands to offer benefits to anyone with a shopping problem.
On the outside, the new bag looks just like a regular handbag. But on the inside, modern technology takes over by using a GPS tracker.
Using global positioning software (GPS) for more than just navigational purposes isn’t new, but this is the first of its kind using GPS to thwart excessive spending. Not only does the hi-tech bag have tracking capabilities, but it also includes a radio sensor and has the ability to “lock down,” which prevents the owner of the bag opening it to retrieve money or credit cards.
The creator of the iBag is an Australian credit card service, called Credit Card Finder (creditcardfinder.com.au). As a company providing credit card comparison services to its visitors, it knows a lot about credit card spending. Their primary goal is to help people put a stop to excessive spending, particularly with credit cards.
Several important types of data are capable of being tracked by the bag and the wallet. For example, an RFID tag is used in the bag which keeps a total count of when the wallet is removed and replaced in the bag, or when the bag is opened.
GPS tracking is used for multiple purposes as well, including tracking the location of where the individual is, such as a “high-danger zone area” like a high-end shopping center or mall.
By gathering this type of data, a “digital red flag alert” can be sent to friends or relatives of the shopper to let others know they have been or about to go shopping.
The handbag could be helpful for people who have a serious addiction to shopping and spend unnecessary money uncontrollably. Or, it could be beneficial for the person who has credit card debt and is trying to pay it off.
The most extreme function is the locking down of the handbag after the shopper has spent too much, during times of the day when the shopper are at most risk for shopping, or when the shopper is at a location where she is known to overspend. There are also built-in LED lights that light up if the person is nearing a store they tend to frequent.
Even the creator’s spokeswoman, Michelle Hutchinson, agrees it is a highly extreme option for individuals. She says it cannot stop people from overspending once they access their credit card or keep a budget, but it does alert them and their relatives if they have been in a risky shopping location or have been removing their wallet from the handbag excessively.
The iBag is currently available as a pre-order product for $199. If the company sees enough interest based on pre-orders, it will continue going into production and make it available to a wider audience.
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