Your Internet shopping nightmares

[WhoseNext]

With internet shopping gaining popularity among computer consumers because of its competitive pricing and in many cases free shipping, many consumers are opting for online ordering rather then the traditional method. Is it worth the hassle?
Last year I bought a defective Abit bh6 motherboard from motherboard solutions. I returned it with a RMA# and they never responded with a credit. After many efforts of contacting them, they told me they had never received the motherboard and told me to get a postal receipt and call them back. The problem was I could never get through to them after that for weeks. So I then wrote a letter to my Visa bank explaining to them the criminal act of this reseller and they issued me a credit.

 

[Vegito]

I bought several things from Atacom but when they're out of stock, they don't tell you and they can't confirm a cancel so you're stuck wondering if you should wait for buy from else where.

BUY.COM - decent experience, no problem RMAing.. but hate paying rma shipping back to them when its their problem.

EGGHEAD - DONT bother, crap, restocking fees, awful customer support

 

[Eug]

www.stupidcomputers.com

Went bankrupt and took my US$200 prepaid order with them. $#@%$#@!^

 

[WhoseNext]

Credit cards should protect you from resellers out there who are in the buisiness of screwing customers

 

[slpaulson]

I remember paying $20 to ship a cpu ups ground. I ordered a canopus spectra tnt1 when it said there were 100 in stock at insight. There weren't any in stock and they kept on telling me that they are getting a shipment every week. One month later I canceled the ordered and just got an STB tnt1 at bestbuy.

 

[Henry Kuo]

Onvia is the best so far, and Best buy is the second. Frankly, I don't trust other that much at all

 

[Silencer]

I usually try to pricematch an online retailler at a B&M store (Like outpost.com at compUSA). That was I have no problems with returns or customer service.

I have yet to have a bad online experience. I've bought from amazon.com, onvia.com, and valueamerica.com and all went flawlessly!

 

[Lore]

I agree with rominl - I have great respect for Onvia.com for they have jumped many hoops to ensure that I receive working equipment and have never hassled me when I had to request an RMA.

 

[damocles]

www.specificsystems.com (no longer a PC site) ripped me off for $260.
I ordered a cpu, but it never showerd and they gave me 500 BS excuses.

VISA stepped in and paid me the money

 

[jose]

Well atacom has a shi&&y rma policy, first send your defective product
back then after testing ($18 fee), they will send you a replacement
at ups ground. Also have an 18% restocking fee.

But what really makes me mad is that I just bought $5000 of video & photography equipment and got the worst service possible.

cci camera world sent me the wrong stuff & charged me $250 more than
the price agreed. They later sent more stuff to make up for the difference. If I didn't want the DV cam really bad , I would have sent
it back. They also said they would apply a 15% restocking fee for returning the wrong order....

marine park charged me for 2 day express shipping & sent it ups ground.

The main reason I bought thru the mail was because of most of the
products were not avaiable locally & price.

But sometimes it not worth the hassle to buy mailorder. At least if
you buy local, you can always yell at the sale person in person.