so i was at best buy today...

[SilentZero]

I sold computers at Compusa until i quit in the beginning of the year. It was entertaining for the first month or two, then it just felt wrong. I don't have the heart to sell people all that crap, and then those stupid warranties that are half the price of the computer. Im not gonna lie, I did sell my share of $400 warranties on $749 computers, but it didn't take long before I was fed up. Those stores over charge so bad its not even funny (ie: $5999 plasma tv for $2600 at cost). Ill continue with newegg, where at least I know im getting a good price (most of the time).

 

[Luthien]

IMO unless your willing to give a lot of your time and effort to convincing the buyer your right and willing to take the heat after and willing to make the store angry with you etc, all for free. etc. etc. You probably shouldnt interfere. Keep your knowledge to yourself since interfering like that from past experience can end up taking up way to much of your time and open you up to a whole can of worms. I no longer bother and will only give advice casually and if they disagree then that is the end of that. I will never waste my time like that anymore unless it is a close family member or a LOT of money can be made.

 

[JohnPaul]

I usually DO buy from BB, CUSA, CC etc, but I will only buy an item if it is on sale and is cheaper(or at the very least the same price)than what I could get online. I do this because I do not have a credit card and do not feel like getting one. Maybe one day, but for now, this works for me.

As for trying to screw the salespeople, that is rude!! They are just doing their job, and trying to put food on their table. Doing this is childish at best.

 

[magratton]

Originally posted by: wetcat007
You know what's fun is to walk up and ruin the sale 😉

AMEN To that!.. My favorite past-time actually. MUAHAHAH!!

 

[n0cmonkey]

I don't see the problem. A celeron will be fine for most non-power users. I'd personally recommend something else, and would never buy one myself, but I don't think most people need more than a celeron.

 

[arod]

Originally posted by: beverage

Originally posted by: nick1985

Originally posted by: kalster
not everyone is a gamer

when they were selling machines for a few hundred bucks less that had an athlon? 😕

I work in a retail store selling computers (not BB) and no matter what you try to tell some people, they just won't buy anything other than Intel, if they're willing to spend 200-300 more because of that, who am I to stop them?

Ive converted more than a few people over to AMD who would never thought there was anything but intel on the market, they all tell me how much better their AMD's are than their friends dells and such. But really the biggest thing that makes homebrews as good as the big comanies is the software.... It amazing to see how much crap they hide on computers these days.

 

[SneakyStuff]

Originally posted by: stickybytes
You cannot compare the prices of online products to the prices you find in retail shops. Stores like best buy, circuit city have to pay rent for the store space. They have to at the very least make enough profit to cover the cost of rent. Online shops can have their inventory lying anywhere. Far as you know, it could be lying on a sidewalk and you wouldn't know it. Though that wouldn't be likely :beer:

lol "COME ON DOWN TO SIDEWALK SURPLUS!" For all your computer needs 🙂

 

[nitromullet]

Originally posted by: SilentZero
I sold computers at Compusa until i quit in the beginning of the year. It was entertaining for the first month or two, then it just felt wrong. I don't have the heart to sell people all that crap, and then those stupid warranties that are half the price of the computer. Im not gonna lie, I did sell my share of $400 warranties on $749 computers, but it didn't take long before I was fed up. Those stores over charge so bad its not even funny (ie: $5999 plasma tv for $2600 at cost). Ill continue with newegg, where at least I know im getting a good price (most of the time).

Don't feel so bad. A while back I bought a RADEON DDR 64MB with the guaranteed replacement from Comp-Usa for an addtional $20. This investment resulted in a GeForce3 Ti a year later, and then a refund for $200 another year later, which I turned around and spent on a video card at newegg. So basically, because of their warrantee mixed with one incompetent employee, they loaned me two high end (at the time) video cards, which I used unitl they were obsolete. If you buy a video card at Comp-Usa always get the guaranteed replacement plan and keep the receipt. They will be forced to upgrade or refund you as long as you refuse to accept a card "comparable" to what you previously bought as opposed to one that is comparably priced. Don't knock the "stupid warrantees" until you've tried them. I get warrantees for a number of things: routers and modems (things that can get fried by lightening) and video cards (things that are expensive to replace if they die). You do pay more at a place like CompUsa, but you can get stuff replaced and you don't have to pay shipping.

Note: I really didn't plan to rip off Comp-Usa with the aforementioned video card story, the Radeon did have compatabilty issues, so I returned it for a nVidia card. The nVidia had a resistor fall off (it still worked fine, but I don't want broken parts), the person working the return counter didn't know how to process an exchange, so gave me a refund. They didn't have anything in stock that I wanted to replace the GeForce3 Ti with, so I used the cash at newegg.

Edit: wrong video card listed originally.

 

[Gagabiji]

Figures BB would do that.

 

[PizzaDude]

Originally posted by: SneakyStuff
And we aren't ignorant people, knowledge is power, if you aren't in the know, you get taken advantage of, it's called life in general 😉 Not business.

word.

 

[exar333]

I only shop at Michael's Computers!!!! LOL where else can u get 15,000 3D marks?

*wink*

 

[Dug]

Originally posted by: nick1985
strolling the computer aisle looking at what awful deals they were offering for the day. i walked past a salesman selling a family a computer for $899. i took a quick glance at the specs as i walked past and it said 2.8Ghz celeron processor. 🙁🙁🙁🙁🙁


**edit** it had intel extreme graphics 🙁🙁🙁🙁*10

And you bought it!! 😛

 

[Cerb]

Originally posted by: batmanuel

Originally posted by: mechBgon
I bet he sold them a $25 USB cable for their printer too.

Oh yes, the Gold Belkin USB Snake Oil Edition cable. Gotta love the fact that the only part it that has extra gold plating is the outer casing of the connector which doesn't actually make any electrical contact with the perphiperal or the PC, while the part that actually does is pretty much the same as any other cable.

But you pay for packaging and selling 🙂. I can get that same cable (gold plated Belkins they have right next to the door for $30), 3/$10 at Sam's. And I know that's not as cheap as it gets, but it is convinient.

You know, I've actually heard salespeople tell people that the Belkin gold cables will make their printer print faster and better, and since a lot of potential computer buyers are more accustomed to the home theater scene where good cables DO make a significant difference, a lot of otherwise intelligent people eat that crap right up.

...yes, but it's the exact same thing: a good cable can be had for 1/10 the price of Monsters, easily.

 

[Cerb]

Originally posted by: stickybytes
You cannot compare the prices of online products to the prices you find in retail shops. Stores like best buy, circuit city have to pay rent for the store space. They have to at the very least make enough profit to cover the cost of rent. Online shops can have their inventory lying anywhere. Far as you know, it could be lying on a sidewalk and you wouldn't know it. Though that wouldn't be likely :beer:

...and if they have good service, I'll pay them more, regardless of retail or online.
I've paid 20% more than I could buy buying at Newegg and Mwave before: I know what I'm paying for. Sure, it's $50 for a $35 PSU, and $100 for a $80 sound card...but it will be here soon, and in good condition. If not, I can RMA easily and get one that is. I eat at good local restaurants. I despise most chains w/ poor service. And I get asked what and where to buy things for PCs. If there's a good place around that's B&M, I'll tell them.
Right now the online shops like Newegg, Mwave, Case-mod.com, etc. offer better service than most B&M.

 

[NYSTrooper]

I made a lot of money in college helping people purchase computers. A lot of times I'd rollerblade around in the parking lot of a CompUSA and when someone came out with a new computer I'd pass them a business card. Once they found out they overpaid by 30% about 2/3 of the 'customers' would have me purchase a system for them and return theirs to the store. $75 finders fee and it was easy to rack up 3-4 of them on a weekend.

 

[Special1Sauce]

Best Buy likes to throw their "OH your stupid I'll install the card for you but at a expensive price. I absolutely Dislike Best buy I'd never buy a PC there But then Again I'm not 90% of the population who has a computer.

 

[EeyoreX]

I don't see the problem. A celeron will be fine for most non-power users. I'd personally recommend something else, and would never buy one myself, but I don't think most people need more than a celeron.

Right.

Furthermore, the business of business is making money. Period. If you want to open a store to compete with Best Buy, et al, and offer the best service, convenience, and on top of that rock bottom prices go right ahead. Oh. And make money in the process. I used to work at Best Buy. Computers don't make all that much money for the company. it's the accessories and cables and ink etc. I don't see a problem with this at all. That is how the stores pay the bills, their employees, their shareholders and profit. If you want a better deal, it is not Best Buy's job to do that. Research it yourself, and get yourself the best deal. Be lazy and/or refuse to research, pay more for less.

\Dan