when buying parts...is it better to buy over the phone? or through a company's website?

[eLiu]

(title)

 

[sohcrates]

i've never once in the last four years had to deal with a company over the phone. in fact, if a company insists i call for a price or to order, i actually move on till i find a company that works completely off the 'net.

 

[NelsonMuntz]

I like working through the net too. Nobody on the other end waiting for you to make a decision, just a stupid computer. You can browse as much as you like too before you make a decision. I usually go somewhere where I can place the whole order online too.

 

[sohcrates]

i belive what we like to do is called "being anti-social"

but it has it's benefits!

 

[eLiu]

LoL hehe

ok...slight change of question: when/IF i have problems...RMA, DOA, etc etc, is it better to reconcile this over the phone? or is going through website/email more efficient?

 

[sohcrates]

phone! definitely. in that case, having a human (i.e. someone with emotions) helps a LOT! IMHO

 

[eLiu]

$&%)$*&%$ DOH! i cant live in my bubble w/o the rest of the world?! DOH

Just kidding

yea...i figured having a real live person on the other end would be better...and better yet, i could get my parents to talk to them...somehow, a teenager w/o a credit card doesnt seem too important to me lol

-eric

 

[Lalakai]

I'll do the legwork on the net but when it gets time to buy, 90% is over the phone. Gives me a chance to gauge the company's knowledge/service. If the phone call doesn't go smoothly I'll try another place. Also, still don't like transmitting my cc info via the net.

 

[Ciber]

what makes you think that the clown you're talking to on the phone wont take your cc# and go order stuff over the phone or online or the guy at the restaurant wont do the same?? hehe i much rather send my cc# over the net than give it to some moron at a store or over the phone.

 

[Lalakai]

there's nothing from stopping any store employee from doing that; but the paper trail is much more evident and easier to follow, versus loosing your cc numbers via a net transaction. Most stores have fairly stringent procedures for processing phone orders involving cc's, making it easy to identify a starting point if you do find some additional charges being made to your card.

 

[Ciber]

i dont know, i still rather take my chances online than also having to talk to those clueless fools on the phone that are trying to sell you 10 different things while you're trying to order something. besides you can always call up your cc company if you see a charge thats not supposed to be there.

 

[BillClo]

I have to agree with you. If you send the CC# over the Net, there is a chance, albiet a small one, that it COULD be hacked. That is what makes me nervous. I NEVER put any personal financial or info that might enable someone to assume my identity on the Net. Nowhere secure enough.

Sure, a clerk could take your CC# and misuse it, but there's a better chance of catching him/her than catching some anonymous hacker.

 

[tefunk]

just use american express blue for online purchases and you can get a different # for each order

 

[LuNoTiCK]

I remember my moms cc being stolen after I ordered something from amazon the next day there was a 500 dollar bill for a 2 way pager. I never hear amazon being hacked though.

 

[bhess]

I usually do all my ordering through the net. But I like to see a toll free number at the business that I'm ordering from. Just in case.

 

[compuwiz1]

Have you guys called many of these places? With many, it is so difficult to understand the person on the other end, either because of heavy accent or broken English. I prefer to order on the net, as I trust it more than phone communication and my chances are better of getting the proper item(s)/quantity. :Q