Purchasing a case: Amazon > Newegg

[Termie]

I recently had the experience of purchasing two cases, one at Newegg, one at Amazon, both defective. The experience couldn't have been more different.

From Newegg, I purchased a Fractal Design Core 3000. I had to pay shipping, as you do for most cases at Newegg. In this situation it was $10. The case came missing the PSU fan filter, and with paint chipped off where the side panel met the case. Newegg was incredibly difficult, first saying they weren't responsible, then saying they'd look in the warehouse for the filter, then saying they didn't have one and would credit me $5. I demanded a refund. After about a dozen emails, they said they'd give me one, but then when the refund came through, not only was my original shipping deducted (which I expected) , but they also deducted a pro rata share of the $60 coupon I used to buy the Samsung 830 drive I placed in the same order. By the way, I had already had to beg to have them pay return shipping, so the incomplete refund was the last straw.

At this point I was really ticked, and so I canceled my pending orders with Newegg (I'm building a new system), and emailed them to tell them. They finally gave in and gave me the pro rata share of the SSD coupon back.

Contrast with Amazon. Bought a Silverstone Temjin, case came dented in, filed a website claim and had a return label and a new case on the way. All in minutes, without having to argue.

Thoughts?

At this point, I will always use Amazon for anything remotely fragile or potentially requiring return.

 

[rickon66]

I try to use Amazon as much as possible, due to their great customer service, mostly free shipping and lack of sales tax collection here in TN. I used to buy from Newegg quite a bit, but they built a warehouse(Fry's also) in Tennesse and now charge sales tax. I never did think Newegg had great customer service and always had to pay return shipping on defective parts and lately I don't think Newegg's prices are that great either. I recently built a new computer and had the opportunity to get most of my parts at a Mirco Center in the St. Louis area. I saved about $200 compared to buying from Newegg with most of my savings being on the CPU and mobo, but the other parts were just as cheap as Newegg's.

 

[Termie]

I try to use Amazon as much as possible, due to their great customer service, mostly free shipping and lack of sales tax collection here in TN. I used to buy from Newegg quite a bit, but they built a warehouse(Fry's also) in Tennesse and now charge sales tax. I never did think Newegg had great customer service and always had to pay return shipping on defective parts and lately I don't think Newegg's prices are that great either. I recently built a new computer and had the opportunity to get most of my parts at a Mirco Center in the St. Louis area. I saved about $200 compared to buying from Newegg with most of my savings being on the CPU and mobo, but the other parts were just as cheap as Newegg's.

Yes, MicroCenter is awesome if you have one around. That's where I picked up the CPU for my new build. They have a handy feature on their website allowing you to pre-order items and have them waiting for you when you arrive, and their return policy is also fantastic. Too bad they don't have a bundle deal going for the 3770k...I would have purchased my MB there too...

Newegg only gets my business now if they can win on price, because I know they'll never win on service.

 

[lehtv]

I think newegg's forte is the best selection and the best promos apart from microcenter's cpu/mobo combos. It has plenty of components you can't find on Amazon or other shops, and usually there's nothing other shops that you can't find on newegg

 

[pauldun170]

Yes, MicroCenter is awesome if you have one around. That's where I picked up the CPU for my new build. They have a handy feature on their website allowing you to pre-order items and have them waiting for you when you arrive, and their return policy is also fantastic. Too bad they don't have a bundle deal going for the 3770k...I would have purchased my MB there too...

Newegg only gets my business now if they can win on price, because I know they'll never win on service.

I was there last weekend and they had discounts on mobo's with purchase of procs.
Tempted to buy a 3770k but already decided to wait until haswell.

 

[Kenmitch]

I think newegg's forte is the best selection and the best promos apart from microcenter's cpu/mobo combos. It has plenty of components you can't find on Amazon or other shops, and usually there's nothing other shops that you can't find on newegg

Seeing how I'm in CA newegg would be the best place for me to order a case online I guess. Sucks paying tax but shipping can kill a case. If newegg ships from CA I'll get it next day pretty much. If I'm worried about it I could always pick it up.

Microcenter has some competetive prices on cases for the most part. Just not the greatest selection but they do seem to have alot of the more popular cases. They also tend to send coupons thru email when you do a online order for in store pickup. Best to order a couple days early as they hold the items for 3 days only.

Neweggs exception is water cooling related items otherwise they pretty much got things covered it looks like.

 

[Hugo Drax]

Stupid on Newegg's part. Losing a customer over an insignificant sum of money. When it costs more to acquire a new customer than keep a good customer who provides constant business.

I never had to deal with Newegg customer service. but I have spent quite a bit of money with them (Amazon,Directron as well)

But if they gave me that level of pain they did to you I would drop them and let them know.

 

[Gigantopithecus]

Thoughts?

Newegg is now mostly just a 'showroom' for Amazon to me. As far as components go, Newegg's site is easier to navigate and the product information is more detailed. Amazon's prices are almost always the same or better. I have both Prime and Shoprunner, but Amazon's totally hassle-free returns are the reason I (usually) buy from them and not Newegg.

Edit: Prime covers cases, Shoprunner does not. For that reason alone I no longer buy cases from Newegg. When I need Fractals, I get them from NCIX.

 

[Termie]

Newegg is now mostly just a 'showroom' for Amazon to me. As far as components go, Newegg's site is easier to navigate and the product information is more detailed. Amazon's prices are almost always the same or better. I have both Prime and Shoprunner, but Amazon's totally hassle-free returns are the reason I (usually) buy from them and not Newegg.

Edit: Prime covers cases, Shoprunner does not. For that reason alone I no longer buy cases from Newegg. When I need Fractals, I get them from NCIX.

Newegg built its reputation on enthusiast-level information and tremendous user-generated content. It took a little bit of luck and skill to make Newegg.com the default place to look for user reviews, but for cases, at least, you can get some even better reviews, with pictures, on Amazon.

I think Newegg has to start innovating a bit more, or as you say, it will end up being a showroom for other stores, like Best Buy before it. Their customer service is certainly not what it should be, so that's a good place to start.

Reminds me of a fantastic cycling website that was the first out of the gate during the dawn of the internet with incredibly extensive information on all things cycling related, but just couldn't generate the sales. They bit the bullet only a few years later, but the website still exists as it did during the last century, serving as a ghostly testament to the power and the pitfalls of doing business on the internet: http://www.bikepro.com/

 

[Piano Man]

Newegg was awesome when I didn't live in Cali

 

[Agent-A01]

i live in TN and newegg has always shipped my cases in good nic and pretty fast. i ordered a cosmos 2 wednesday and got it today around 12pm..

 

[Vinwiesel]

Odd. When my case arrived dented Newegg gave me the option to exchange it for free, or refund the shipping cost for my entire order. It was a cheap case and still usable, so I took the shipping money, about $16.

 

[Icecold]

I have spent several thousand dollars with newegg over the years with no issues, including a couple of incidences when I've had to RMA items. I have never once received a damaged case and have ordered at least a solid 20-30 from them.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Amazon>Newegg 99.9% of the time on anything.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

And yes I've noticed the subpar customer service as well.
Not that Newegg has ever been rude. It's that it's so much more hassle to get anything done compared to Amazon. I also dislike paying return shipping which i dont have to on amazon. If the price is within $10 I'm going Amazon.

 

[sygyzy]

With Amazon you expect great customer service and you're surprised when something doesn't go your way.

With Newegg you expect poor customer service and you're surprised when something goes your way.

 

[hans007]

yeah cases are a tough one. i generally try to buy those in a local store. last weekend i picked up a fractal core 1000 at microcenter. 45 mile drive 1 way, but i didnt have to pay shipping and it was worth the hour to drive there just to make sure it didnt get dented and such.

i agree though, amazon service is really really good.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

I've always had good experiences with NewEgg and the few times I've had to return something, they've refunded my shipping without my asking. The only minor gripe I have with them is whenever something comes from their warehouse in Texas, it gets shipped through Tucson (where I am) to Phoenix (110 miles away) and back to Tucson.

 

[Binky]

Amazon's customer service has been phenomenal for me, so much so that it's really unfair to expect that level of service from other retailers. I feel like they throw money at me every time I'm unhappy.

In my experience, Newegg has good to very good customer service, as measured against other normal retailers. Its just less than amazon's over-the-top level.

 

[Arcadio]

Amazon charges tax in NY, so no thanks.

 

[Carson Dyle]

No question, customer service at Newegg has fallen off dramatically lately. I've read a bunch of stories lately of them fighting with customers over issuing RMAs. And with defective motherboards they've been claiming that the pins are damaged when the item comes back to them.

If you ever get a chance, try using Provantage. Not always the best pricing, but they're often very close. My customer service experiences with them have been on par with that of Amazon. I ordered a SuperMicro drive cage last year that came with one corner dinged and they sent met out a replacement no questions asked and included a prepaid return shipping label.

 

[Kanalua]

Amazon all the way. Here in Hawaii shipping kills Newegg.

 

[E N A D]

I generally comparison shop and choose the place that where I will get the best deal. It's true that Amazon's return policy is much easier than Neweggs and that should weigh into your decision.

I generally use Neweggs website to narrow the search for an item amongst many and take a quick look at reviews (if any). If a product has an overwhelming number of reviews that are bad and I have several choices I will make a note of that. I will also do a Google search to see if the product shows up for less money elsewhere. In a recent search, I found a place called CostCaptain.com that proved very cost effective for me (saved $39 over Neweggs low price). It took a while (about 3 weeks) to get the first case (Fractal Design Define R3), and their customer service process leaves a lot to be desired, but their pricing saved me $78 on two cases (almost the price of a 3rd case). The case was on back order. At Newegg the case was deactivated for a while, then only recently made available for $39 more than I paid with shipping.

I had to return several items (much smaller in size) to Newegg and one time they provided a free return label and a full refund. Other times it was cheaper to use USPS in-lieu of UPS. Another time they deducted a pro-rated amount for a coupon that I used on the order that had nothing to do with the item I returned. A call to their Customer Service took care of it. I "save" (not print) the web page for each item that I buy, so that I can view it at a later date if I need to. When the rep was on the phone I was able to tell him exactly which items I used a coupon (and the coupon that went with it) and which had no coupon. The rep verified the coupons and noted that the returned item indeed did not have a coupon offer, apologized and issued a prompt refund for the additional amount. It's an extra step & I should not have to do it, but it makes it a whole lot easier if there is every any problems.

When I lived in Southern California, I was fortunate enough to have have from 3-5 nearby Computer Shows every month, and was able to develop a rapport with several dealers whom over time one learned to trust and purchase from outside of shows. That's another place that you can check in your area.

 

[philipma1957]

I have been running my mac mods and now pc mods since 2006.

I use amazon, newegg, superbiiz, micro center, buy.com, ebay , provantage even a forum sale here and there.
forgot to mention I buy direct from seagate's site.

thermaltake's site .

wd's site had a great cutomer loyalty program that has been suspended since the flood. wd also had a great rma program compared to many sellers. but they have been tougher since the flood.

I prefer amazon due to the exchange-refund policy. Every place I mentioned can be good or bad. I would mention the two sites I never use due to insane f'd up bs but that may not be allowed.

 

[dfanatic86]

If you cant wait like me, just goto a CompUSA. A lil more expensive but worth it IMO. And you can physically take it back if it's damaged. Just my 2 cents