Ever have customers like this?

[VirtualLarry]

About a week ago, I tell a friend that is supposedly looking for a new computer (according to another friend), that I had some quad-cores for sale for $300. But I tell him he has to go out and purchase win7 for it. I mentioned getting the win7 family pack for $150, and that would allow all of the computers in his family to be upgraded.

So I call him recently, and ask if he was interested, and he says that he has the most recent Staples flyer, and they are selling a Athlon II X4 635 quad-core, 4GB RAM, 750GB HD, Windows 7, for $329.

I think, damn, that's cheap, especially for a retail store. So I tell him I'll match the price.

I go online and check Staples, both where I am currently, and his area of the country, and all of them list $449 for the quad-core in question. (It's on the front page of the ad.)

Gotta love it when they exaggerate. :/

 

[muskie32]

Did he get it for the $329? =P

 

[ScorcherDarkly]

You told him you'd match the store's price, right? Sounds like $449 to me. Now if you told him specifically you'd do it for $329, then you may have a problem, but if he's being dishonest with you I see no reason to honor the agreement.

 

[Blain]

Never price match!

 

[VirtualLarry]

He said he has a paper flyer. So if he wants the $329 price, he'd better show me the flyer. Otherwise my original price still stands.
He won't be buying it for another month anyways though.

 

[WT]

Hey, even if it SAYS $329, grab the flyer from his hands and scream 'PHOTOCHOP !!!!'

 

[Blain]

Are you going to build this price matched system with the same econo components as the Staples box?
If so, why would you want to risk your reputation on cheap parts just to make a sale?

 

[crucibelle]

Are you going to build this price matched system with the same econo components as the Staples box?
If so, why would you want to risk your reputation on cheap parts just to make a sale?

Just curious.. what's wrong with the components? Bad brands (with the exception of the processor, I mean)?

 

[Blain]

They don't use high quality components in mass produced econo-boxes.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Are you going to build this price matched system with the same econo components as the Staples box?
If so, why would you want to risk your reputation on cheap parts just to make a sale?

The systems were already built and just sitting there. I daresay that even cheap enthusiast parts are better-specified than most OEM econoboxes though.

I mean, Biostar boards, AMD CPUs, Seagate HDs, there's nothing that screams "inferior" in that, is there?

The only reason I could build them so cheap is I got in on some Microcenter CPU+mobo bundle deals.