Which Vendors Do You Trust For PC Parts? 520
CaryTheSane writes "After six years, it's finally time for my old Pentium 4 to retire to web browsing duties, and I want a new gaming PC. I'd like to build my own this time, and I've scoped out most of the parts I want for a moderately high-end system. Which online vendors have you used before that you trust for parts? I've dealt with NewEgg, and I like them, but I live in Tennessee, a state in which they have a presence. Unfortunately, this means they have to hit me up for 9.5% sales tax. That really eats into my system build budget, so I'm looking for alternatives. I'd like to use the fewest number of vendors (preferably only one), so that all the parts arrive at the same time and I don't have one part's 30-day return policy run out while I'm waiting for parts from another vendor to show up. So, which reliable and economical parts vendors do you recommend?"
Conversely, are there any you'd recommend avoiding?
Multiwave (Score:4, Informative)
Online? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Multiwave (Score:0, Informative)
I don't know how they are for US shipments (as they are based in Canada local to me). They are great. Vendors reps from places like OCZ hang out on their forums.
Local shops. (Score:5, Informative)
Seriously. I know the guys that run the local shops fairly well. The prices are good, and if you have problems and you're not an arse about it, quite often you'll get even better value on the returns. For example, I bought a 200G drive a few years ago, which failed after six months. "Sorry", they said, "We can't replace that. We don't do them any more. You'll have to take this 250G instead." I suppose they have to keep their customers sweet if they want to keep their windows intact.
Just so long as you're not bothered about what else might be getting shipped over from India in big heavy boxes full of little light computers, it's probably the best way to do it.
A few... (Score:5, Informative)
As a fellow Tennessean, I'd first like to point out that Neweeg is still a great choice. I order from them regularly because:
1) They are usually still nearly the cheapest
2) They ship quick
3) If it ships from their TN center, I have it the next day
4) Their customer service ROCKS
5) Their website is the best of any I've used.
If I don't use them, I will use either mwave [mwave.com], ZipZoomFly [zipzoomfly.com], or (if you don't mind open-box items) Tech For Less [techforless.com] (just remember to leave a comment when ordering that you know wtf you are doing, else they will hold your order until they get ahold of you).
I've also used ProVantage [provantage.com] a time or two, but really only when they had a good deal.
Re:Tigerdirect - avoid (Score:5, Informative)
I second this motion. Tiger direct sucks ASS if ever your order gets screwed up. And it will, eventually.
How much is your time worth to you?
Re:Multiwave (Score:5, Informative)
-bc
Re:How about Amazon... (Score:2, Informative)
I know Newegg is popular, but I've always felt their restocking fees [newegg.com] were basically insulting.
Truly spoken like someone that has never run any sort of internet-based business before...there is an obscene amount of fraud when it comes to abuse of the return policy regarding pc parts and other commodity electronics.
Re:How about Amazon... (Score:5, Informative)
We charge this 15% restocking fee for all returns for refund to encourage customers to purchase products they intend to keep. We offer RMA Replacement without any restocking fee to support customers who have received a defective product.
Insulting? More like them keeping their costs down so they can run their business better and provide a better service overall. Think much?
Trading Forums (Score:4, Informative)
The prices offered are almost always below what a store offers. Plus, if you decide to go with people selling used instead of new (both are available), you can get it at only a fraction of the cost.
I've been dealing with people from those forums for a couple years now, and they've saved me hundreds of dollars.
Security is the only real issue, since people can rip each other off... but as long as you trade with people that have a good (high) reputation, then you're normally safe. Moreover, a lot of products are sold with transferable manufacturers warranties on them, so you can buy safely, knowing that you're covered for a bit. I have yet to be ripped off after quite a number of full computer builds.
- John
Re:Another great news item on Slashdot (Score:5, Informative)
Hole in the wall private shops (Score:5, Informative)
Every city has at least one or two. The best are the crack in the wall places with a guy in the back surrounded by parts.
Some of the items you'll buy will be a great deal, others maybe not, and yeah, you'll have to pay tax. --But you won't pay for shipping, (which, if you're buying lots of goodies, will probably cost a fair bit, though probably not 10% of the cost of a well-equipped new machine).
But nothing is nicer than being able to run out on a gut-feeling of inspiration and pick up a stack of parts that same afternoon. Speaking as a geek, I have to say that walking out of a shop with an OEM hard drive packaged in nothing but an anti-static bag is one of the best feelings in the world. --I realized on one of those occasions why my girlfriend loved shopping for clothes so much, and it was with a bit of wistfulness that I recognized I only shopped for computer bits once every few years, whereas for her cruising the used-clothing stores was a weekly fix. Comfort shopping is silly, but it's also human, so when you do end up spending a whack of money, it's nice to jump in and get right into it.
There are other advantages when you buy from a local, private vendor. If you change your mind about a part, or if a stick of memory is faulty or whatever, you can always go back and hash it out with the owner. Either he'll tell you what you did wrong, or replace the part, and he'll nearly always remember you. A human connection is great; you don't have to fill out impersonal forms and take a number or stay on hold or any of that lousy nonsense. You've got a guy right there who wants to help you, partly because he doesn't want to have to give your money back and partly because he's also a geek who instinctively wants stuff to work right. And sometimes you'll meet a really cool person where it's fun just to chat and trade opinions and such; more than once I've gone into a shop with a well-considered shopping list only to have the guy behind the counter say, "Oh, we don't have that mother board, but check it out! We do have this one; it works great and it costs less than the one on your list, plus it has this extra feature which is really cool! The manufacturer just put out the next model, so they're trying to sell off their previous one, which is why it's such a great deal." I've picked up some awesome hardware that way. So I'd say it's well worth the extra expense (if it even adds up to that much when you take shipping into account, and any unexpected in-house deals or whatever), to buy from small vendors.
I will say, however, that buying on-line does generate a sort of Christmas day feeling, where you get to wait in eager anticipation for stuff to arrive, plus you get to build exactly the system you want because you can be really specific about the parts. But I prefer the more adventurous side of going out to find parts yourself. I think it might satisfy some kind of latent hunter/gatherer gene inside us all.
By far, however, the absolute worst way to spend money on computer parts is to go to a big, corporate, well-lit box store where the guys have little name tags and same-color shirts. Ugh! --I mean, that's fine for laptops and big screens and such, but for hard drives and mother boards and video cards and bags of little screws? What a waste of an experience! I'd rather use an abacus than build a computer from parts obtained in a damned box store. Not to mention that it's nearly always a LOT more expensive that way. Nobody can beat them on price for big items which they order by the shipping palate, but for smaller parts. . , there's simply too many to choose from, so they stream-line their stock and charge you up the wazoo for them. And anyway box stores, you know, have no soul.
Anyway, I hope everything works out for. Enjoy!
-FL
Laptops (Score:1, Informative)
I've used Cables for Less several times, and they were prompt, and inexpensive. I was leary, at first, of using an online vendor, but would recommend then unhesitatingly.
Re:Local shops. (Score:5, Informative)
Quite.
I've worked for a local shop on two different occasions, and I can tell you that it would be well worth your while to see if there is one in your area with good prices and knowledgeable employees.
If you live in or even near a large city with a number of wholesalers, then you should be able to get prices that are fairly consistent with what you'd pay on-line, but if the shop is honorable (talk to the employees and this should become obvious before too long if you know what you're about and have already done pricing), then it could save you a lot of effort in ordering errors and the like. They will often have parts or builds they prefer, and may even want to build the system for you for an extra fee, but as the parent said, you'll find the *GOOD* places will work hard for their customers and even fix things long out of warranty. You might pay a little more overall than you would if you ordered parts from wherever the single best deal you can get on any item on-line, but it can really be well worth it.
The trick is, knowing and finding a good, honest and knowledgeable shop to work with. Don't alienate them by trying to get them to match every price on-line, but talking to them will let them know you know what you're looking for, and let you decide if they're the right place to work with.
You can always default to getting it all on-line or a part here or there locally, but if you order from any single place, be it Tiger or NewEgg or Best Buy or the local store, you're going to pay a little more. I'd suggest supporting a local business, if you can. As long as the price is reasonable, I assure you it's worth it in the long run. Hopefully you'll never have problems, but no matter where you buy a computer or parts, odds are you'll eventually have a problem, and chances are your local shop will support and treat you better than anywhere else.
Re:Local Store? (Score:5, Informative)
Of course nobody actually does that and most states don't get any of that use tax because people are effectively cheating on their taxes. Some states are getting more riled up about collecting tax than others, but most just don't care. Personally I think the government gets more than enough of my money anyway.
Re:Local Store? (Score:3, Informative)
Sales tax here ranges from 0% to ~10% (though certain items are subject to higher taxes, like hotels in D.C.), varying based on the location (not only different states, but different cities may have different sales tax rates), and sometimes based on the type of purchase (in some places, things like restaurant meals are taxed at a higher rate than retail/sundry purchases). The burden for collection is on the merchant in states where they have a business presence (office, warehouse, retail location).
Everywhere else, the buyer is legally obligated to report the purchase on their income taxes and to pay the proper amount at that time. Many people don't pay the use tax, and the economic incentive in terms of greater commercial activity generally makes up for that lost tax revenue elsewhere, so the tax code hasn't been changed to eliminate the rampant cheating.
newegg (Score:5, Informative)
... once you know, you newegg.
Start with items with lots of reviews, read the most critical first. 4. profit.
cyberpowerpc.com (Score:3, Informative)
I recently used these guys:
http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/ [cyberpowerpc.com]
I "discovered" the brand when shopping on Newegg, but didn't see the exact config I wanted. So I went directly to the vendor's website and found that their gaming systems were EXTREMELY mod friendly with a wide variety of choices for components. So I mixed and matched and had them test it prior to delivery. The end result was a pretty tricked out quad-core core2duo box with lots of RAM and fast video for WELL under US$1K.
Cheers,
Re:Tigerdirect - avoid (Score:3, Informative)
Though, in the last year I've switched to ZipZoomFly, mostly for the reason that their search engine is the most detailed around. It's much, much easier to find the part you're after. TigerDirect and ZipZoomFly are often neck and neck and rather competitive in regards to pricing.
Of course I can't comment on shadiness as I've never had to return anything to either of them. I took care of a faulty motherboard directly through MSI, but that's irrelevant (but included for your viewing pleasure). I also avoid mail-in-rebates and refurbished parts like the plague.
Australia (Score:3, Informative)
I love UMART - umart.net.au (now ijk.com.au after a recent rebrand).
Their site is a tad ordinary, but they are everything you want in a vendor, they are CHEAP (not necessarily the super cheapest, but close enough to the mark not to matter), they will NEVER fork you over on refunds, go the extra distance to find that weird douverlacky and are prompt with their service.
I've used them extensively (about $100k for heaps of orders) both personally and professionally. They will sell you the bits, make suggestions if they don't quite work (like the mobo or ram is off), make the box for you if you're tight on time/skills - and do tidy work on it too (cables all neat, things tucked away, stickers put on, little touches)......
What I like is that they don't mind overclockers. I've pushed gear a bit too hard occasionally and they don't give you any shit about it.
They do a great job and I recommend them very highly. I'm not an employee or shill if you're thinking that, just a very highly satisfied multi time customer (and work admin/buyer/CTO)
Re:Australia (Score:2, Informative)
anyway, i'm seconding umart for Australia. I've bought from them a few times, and I really appreciate their quick reply to emails, their extremely efficient service, and their speedy (and reasonably cheap) shipping.
Yes they are a little bit more expensive than the cheapest around, but they are still cheap enough that the extra few dollars for the better experience doesn't matter.
Re:Local Store? (Score:3, Informative)
It is plainly an interstate sales tax
It's not, because it's not discriminatory against interstate commerce; it is an equalizer--all purchases are taxed, regardless of origin. It neither favors the home state nor disfavors the foreign state. Simultaneously, failure to do so significantly burdens local producers and merchants, who cannot compete because of the externality of the sales tax. This is of course creates a legitimate state interest in leveling the playing field.
if it were otherwise they'd charge it on sales-taxed items too
They do. It's called the sales tax.
So why do the courts let them get away with it?
Because it violates neither the law nor the spirit of the Commerce Clause, and more specifically, the Dormant Commerce Clause.
Kingston for memory (Score:4, Informative)
As far as I know, the memory business is a giant scam. The high priced stuff like Kingston and some others have the least defects- thus are prime binned for a higher price, and the cheap stuff causes problems as soon as it is installed as it was sorted into bins that were under-spec. Memtest86 has consistently proven this to me.
You have to pay tax anyway (Score:4, Informative)
You still have to pay Use Tax even if you buy something out of state.
http://www.tennessee.gov/revenue/tntaxes/usetax.htm [tennessee.gov]
So, just buy from Newegg and make your life easier..
Re:Looking for the right parts is important (Score:4, Informative)
You left out the single most important component of all: the PSU.
I saw a video once of two PSU's, one generic and one a reputable brand. Both were rated 500 watts. When the current was raised to 300, the generic burst into flames. They cut off the test at around 650: the brand name PSU was still plugging away.
You'll note I didn't specify the brand, and that's because it doesn't really matter. Any PSU whose manufacturer is willing to physically put their name on is going to be worlds better than the chinsy shit most people buy without thinking.
It's not even really about the flame-bursting, although that's always a concern. Shitty PSU's tend to skimp on the little expensive internal bits that cut down on AC oscillations and line noise. Very bad for components.
If that doesn't convince you, then consider that the extra heat the generic, shitty, half-pound ones generate has to come from somewhere: wasted electricity. A decent PSU runs cooler because it's more efficient. A good, high quality PSU will generally be above 80% efficient; generic ones are usually around 60%. Excess heat in the case aside, that's a big chunk off your power bill.
Get a sixty dollar power supply; my last power supply lasted me seven years without a hiccup, and I only replaced it because I wanted SATA and PCI-E hookups.
You'll save fifty bucks in electricity in that time quite easily, and it's a lot less likely to fry your components with excess heat or line noise.
Finding good vendors..... (Score:2, Informative)
http://www.pricewatch.com and http://www.resellerratings.com are your friends.
The first one to find the best price, the second to make sure that the guy with the best price isn't a crook.
Hope that helps,
-Mark
Central Computers in Santa Clara CA USA (Score:1, Informative)
When I lived in Silicon Valley, I found that Central Computers was very good: integrity and prices.
In 2007 I retired a 1997 vintage P3/500 machine. I shopped the local build-to-order shops and could NOT find one that seemed to know what they were doing at a "reasonable" price. So, I bought a new built-to-order Q6600 based machine from Centra Computers (http://www.centralcomputers.com). The transaction was conducted almost entirely via email with payment data exchanged via telephone. I am very happy with the outcome.
I have no interest in Central Computers other than as a satisfied customer.
Re:Summer Tax Holiday (Score:2, Informative)
Re:A kinda-related question (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Hole in the wall private shops (Score:5, Informative)
Have you ever been to Microcenter? They're the only box store I'll buy parts from because their prices are reasonable and their return policies aren't barbaric. I'd never buy a pre-built system from them because their prices (for the pre-built systems, mind) are outrageous but they do have an excellent selection of parts (and books, and networking accessories), including slightly used hard drives and RAM. The staff is usually very knowledgeable (in comparison to say, Best Buy *shudders*) and they seem to actually enjoy working there. They also sell flash drives cheap as dirt. As for having no soul, hey even the little guy is in it for the money, or they'd do it for free. It's just business, you know?
The Microcenter I go to has a hole-in-the-wall parts place literally right next door, which is convenient because I'll usually go there if I can't find something at Microcenter, or I have a suspicious that the price is too high. The hole-in-the-wall place doesn't always have what I'm looking for and a lot of the time their stock is a mishmash of used and outdated parts, but it is fun to go bargain hunting there every now and then. Their pre-built systems are usually cheaper too, and they don't come laden with all kinds of crapware. I'm always surprised that the place manages to stay in business but they've apparently found a way to make a buck.
Don't get me wrong, it's obvious that you enjoy the experience of parts shopping, and I can completely relate to that. I think both the hole-in-the-wall parts shops and (some of) the big box places have their benefits and detriments, and a lot of it is personal preference.
Your post also reminded me that I've been meaning to pick up another hard drive, I might have to make a trip today :-D
Re:Local Store? (Score:5, Informative)
But no doubt you HAVE heard of it, when ordering a product from another country.
Indeed I have. However, in Sweden, when I order things from "overseas", I still have to pay the Swedish sales tax on the imported goods. A lot of people forget this when they order things from the US. Everything looks much cheaper when you browse an american webstore, because we have a whooping 25% sales tax added to everything. There are of course a few nice companies that will write "gift" with a value of $0 on the customs declaration, but that's not really how it's supposed to work.
The fact that you are supposed to pay your own state sales tax even in the US make everything make sense to me though, and I completely understand that people are cheating with this and doesn't pay. Personally I'm a socialist and support our high taxes in Sweden, but I make sure to never miss out an opportunity to withhold as much taxes I can get away with.. Has more to do with personal greed than with any political ideology. :)
Re:Multiwave (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Local Store? (Score:3, Informative)
1) When the package travels to you, it is still using the state roads and other things to get to you. This needs to be paid for.
2) The use tax is the same as the state sales tax. At least, everywhere I've been it has. If it were more, then there would be a problem.
I also live in TN... (Score:3, Informative)
...and I feel your pain when it comes to paying tax on items ordered online. I have built several systems through the years, and I, like you, am building another one now to replace my old P4. After you have done your research and decided what you want, here are some places to compare prices which will not charge you tax when shipped to TN:
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Home.jsp [zipzoomfly.com]
http://www.directron.com/ [directron.com]
http://www.ewiz.com/index.php [ewiz.com]
For specialty items, like heat sinks, I sometimes buy here:
http://www.frozencpu.com/index.html?id=wdw9Exum [frozencpu.com]
Above all though, compare prices using these useful sites, for you may find the same part elsewhere even cheaper:
http://www.pricewatch.com/ [pricewatch.com]
http://www.google.com/products [google.com]
Newegg is great for comparing parts and reading detailed specs/reviews, but the tax and shipping generally lead to the parts being more expensive than if they were ordered elsewhere.
Re:Multiwave (Score:4, Informative)
Locally I go to Micro Center (http://www.microcenter.com) but they have a very limited brick and mortar presence. Their prices are close to newegg's, but you can just take stuff back to the store if you have a problem. Returns are a big issue with me - I preferentially buy from newegg specifically because returns have never been an issue.
Re:Multiwave (Score:3, Informative)
I'm lucky enough to have a MicroCenter just a short bike ride from my home. It's as big as a wal-mart and the prices are right. Plus, it's nice when, in the few times I get a defective product, to be able to go right back to the store and get a new one in exchange.
I've been getting some good deals at Frys as well. Online, it's newegg or mwave.
Re:Multiwave (Score:5, Informative)
Mwave has been good to me, the few times I ordered from them.
I purchase probably ~$3k a month in 'normal' stuff for a medium-sized business, and up to $10k for special projects. And I use this for purchsing for myself, which is quite a bit too, hehe.
If I am ordering a bunch of lower cost items ($100 or so), I immediately go to Newegg.com. Their search functionality is more robust than anywhere else, and their selection and prices are some of the best. And of course they actually treat their customers properly after the sale.
If it's a higher priced item, I hit up pricegrabber.com and see which of my 'preferred vendors' is the cheapest. That list mostly consists of:
PCNation.com
theNerds.net
techonweb.com
PCConnection.com
Two sites I usually hit up also are Provantage.com and ZipZoomFly.com...they don't usually appear in the Pricegrabber results, but often have some things cheap (Provantage is good specifically with laptop hard drives and printer maintenance kits for some reason I have not figured out.)
lagoom.com is worth checking out too, my Intel Q6600 for my gaming PC was purchased there...at that time, Newegg was $530, they were $485. (Yeah, those prices suck now, early adopter penalty). It arrived very fast and their site and service was quite professional.
My favorite place for ethernet cables is: www.deepsurplus.com (free Skittles with every order...how can you lose?)
A/V Cables: monoprice.com
Also, Amazon.com is usually good for a lot of things.
Newegg.com (Score:5, Informative)
I really cannot say enough good things about newegg.com.
I have been using them since 2001; my order history with newegg.com is over 20 pages long (at least) and I have ordered well over 200k worth of items from them. In all that time I have never had a problem. We're talking hundreds of orders. I have been through every conceivable situation - I have had to return things for refund or exchange, I have had to call them once and that call was handled very well.
Here are the general reasons why i think newegg.com is awesome:
1. Price (their prices will be as good or better than most other vendors, online or brick and mortar).
2. Shipping cost and shipping time: They have a lot of free shipping, and even when you are paying the prices are excellent - they generally ship things the same day you order, if not then then by the next days, always.
3. Stock, selection, and the technology behind their store and website - They have their own super high tech system for processing orders. I have seen video of how it works and it is very impressive - THey generally never make errors, their website is always up to date with what is and isn't in stock. I have never ordered something from them only to get a notice that it isn't in stock. It just doesn't happen becuse their site seems to be updated in real time.
4. Customer product reviews - you can get a great idea about particular products you may not know anything about by reading the customer reviews.
All in all I just can't think of any other retailer which I have dealt with that has their act more together than newegg and that has consistently flawless. I order personal stuff, I order stuff for the IT dept that I run, I order gifts and things for family and friends.
Don't just take my word for it - check out www.resellerratings.com for unbiased ratings of newegg.com and most other online stores. You will find that newegg consistently is on the top of their list of tens of thousands of stores. Generally with a score just below a perfect 10.
Non-US Recommendations: Germany (Score:3, Informative)
First the good ones:
Alternate (alternate.de) is a nice vendor. Not the cheapest, but they're trustworthy and I haven't yet had any support issues with them. They also have a nice, if limited, PC builder.
DSP Memory Distribution (dsp-memory.de) is a good source for memory, FireWire HDDs and similar things. Somewhat cheap, but they sell quality stuff. No problems so far. Definite recommendation if you're looking for MacBook (Pro) memory.
If you're a student you might find a good deal at Unimall (unimall.de). Nice prices and they partner with Apple so you can even get BTO Macs with a big rebate. Only for students, teachers and the like.
Now for a problem case:
Norsk IT (norskit.com) is usually one of the cheaper vendors, but their support is abysmal. I had lots of "fun" returning an ASUS mainboard that came DOA. Avoid.
Re:Multiwave (Score:4, Informative)
Yeah, I picked up my last cpu/mobo combo for home at MicroCenter. It wasn't be best deal I ever got, but they did have nice things like OCZ ram in stock and a good selection of popular motherboards for sale.
I was impressed with their sales people. The lady didn't really have a whole lot to say about my selection except to show me where things were and mention ways to get discounts. It was a lot better than the pseudo-geek babble one has come to expect from places like CompUSA, where I'd be getting a PCI video card to go with my dual core gaming rig if I listen to them, along with $100 worth of extended protection plans if gullible enough to fall for it.
It was just a single experience, so I don't know if they are trained to spot geeks and not annoy them, or just have good hiring standards. Still, though, it was nice not to be told three-four times about the protection plans.
On the other hand, I do purchase those extended protection plans on things like laser mice where I know for a fact the contacts on the charger base, and built-in batteries will be hosed long before the plan is up. I'm on my third $70 mouse for the price of one, plus 10 bucks. The lesson there is to make sure any time you get one, you'll have a net gain from it. But I'd recommend steering clear of them on anything like monitors or components. Especially things like hard drives which already have very long manufacturer warranties.
Mwave, tigerdirect,monarch, but nogeeks (Score:3, Informative)
In the past week I've had to deal with items that I had to return to both Tiger direct and Geeks.com and found a big difference.
Geeks and a bunch of nincompoops whos story changes when you get different people on the phone. When my new hard drive failed after 3 days I requested a new case and a new drive. They sent me an IDE drive with a sata case. Then when I complained they said I could either pay to return the case or purchase a new case. Could not convince them that it was their responsibility to make sure the case and the drive were compatible! They take days to respond to e-mail. Sometimes not at all.
Tiger direct, had ahuman answer the phone quickly. Help me pick the right part. Volunteered free shipping both to return and send out the new part. Very positive experience. THeir site however is weirdly indexed so when searching for things, not all the items seem to be in logical categories. SOmehow the best deals tend to be slightly hidden and actually easier to find on google than their own site.
Monarch has very low prices. Never had to deal with customer service so can't rate them.
I've bought a number of computers and parts from Mwave over the years. I've never had a single problem or defective item. Their prices are not always the absolute lowest but generally are close to the lowest.
If you want to buy from just one vendor and you are averse to the massive hassles that can occur when you get bad or wrong parts then Mwave might be the best overall place to shop.
Re:Tigerdirect - avoid (Score:3, Informative)
Now that you mention spamming, that reminds me of another anti-customer move on their part. As part of my realization of how sucktastic Tigerdirect actually is, I did do business with them. But I own my own domain, so I used a personalized email address, like tceridregit@example.com, just for them. I too checked the no spam choice and was spammed anyway.
But I also found that they were 'renting' their spam list out because I got spam from a bank sent to the tceridregit address and I wrote back to the bank to tell them that spamming was terrible for their image, and especially unbecoming of a bank. The CIO of the bank actually wrote back and said that they were "testing the waters" of direct email marketing and that tigerdirect had assured him that the only people on the list had opted in for 3rd party spam. Since that was clearly not the case he had decided that he would not be making use of Tigerdirect's mail list.
I think that is the only time I've ever actually had a spammer apologize and then actually stop spamming. Of course Tigerdirect kept at it for a few more years, they may even still be doing it today since I eventually just gave up and routed tceridregit directly to null.
Re:Multiwave (Score:2, Informative)
I got shafted by MWave (Score:3, Informative)
I used to buy from MWave a lot until I bought one of their supposedly pre-assembled and tested mobo/cpu/memory bundles and was shipped only the mobo and processor with no memory. They refused to make it right and accused me of trying to scam them for the memory. It didn't matter that I had bought over $3000 worth of stuff from them in the prior few weeks. I paid them the extra $10 fee for the "assembly and testing" as hope of some kind of insurance against getting shipped a DOA mobo but it would seem from my experience that is only a scam too since the cpu was still sealed in its original Intel retail box and had never been opened.
No more MWave for me. I'm done with them.
Re:ComputerGiants.com - avoid (Score:3, Informative)
I was a long time computergiants.com customer. They have really great prices on high-end hard drives and storage equipment, but their service has quite a few problems. I ordered two WD HDD's and paid for 2-day shipping. The items were in stock, but it took two weeks for me to get the drives. Then I found out that my credit card had not been charged for the purchase. I waited a week, and after not being charged or sent an invoice, I called the RMA department to return the unopened drives I had.
They sent me a DHL box to send them back with, and I put the drives in the drop box, happy that I had done the Right Thing(TM). Well the day after, I was billed for my order, fully a month after I had originally authorized the credit card transaction, and two weeks after I received the products. Over the next few months I went between various customer support agents trying to get my money back that had been improperly charged. I had all the paperwork to file a dispute on my CC ready. I called a manager there, and he gave me the name of an owner.
After telling that owner about my situation, the next day, I received my money back minus the shipping costs. This started in May and ended in September. I still had to pay for their shipping mistake, though, and I will never shop there again.
Re:Multiwave (Score:3, Informative)
So yes, it is illegal in this context.
The more pertinent questions: Are avoiding taxes in this fashion (a) practical and (b) moral?
The answer is probably yes, to both.
Re:Local shops. (Score:3, Informative)
You should have called the HDD warranty people. It would have taken probably five minutes to get an RMA number and box it up to mail off for a replacement.
Or I could drop it into the shop on my way home from work and ask for a replacement.
Re:To Clarify (Score:3, Informative)
In English English, fag means cigarette. The previous poster is probably not involved in human trafficking.
Except when it means spicy pork meatballs [wikipedia.org]. One time in Leeds I came across a wonderful advertisement depicting a family of four in bright 1950s-era style -- the stern father in the back, with smiling mother and a bright-eyed boy and girl arrayed in front of him, all standing in front of table with a plate of meatballs on it. The caption read:
"There's no family like a faggot family!"
I had to laugh at that. I wish I'd had a camera to take a picture, though.
Re:Tigerdirect - avoid (Score:2, Informative)
Bought from Tigerdirect a 52" Samsung LCD TV for $2200 (that includes shipping). TV arrived quickly, but it had one of those vertical blue lines on it. I called and arranged to have it returned (this arrangement cost about four and a half hours of business hour phone time). They scheduled a pickup with their freighting company, YellowTruck. Because I live downtown in a major city, Yellowtruck sent a 'small' truck to pick it up. When it arrived, it turned out to be a run-down and unmarked pickup truck. I requested the driver's license and called the local depot to verify the truck was legit. I also recorded every aspect of the exchange, just in case. I've never done anything like that before - this truck (and driver) made me that uncomfortable.
TV arrived at TigerDirects warehouse a week later, but with a 'warning' on it. The new TV couldn't ship until this 'warning' was resolved, however TigerDirect refused to elaborate on the situation. I was also not permitted to cancel my order, and the 30-day warranty, I later found out, was reset to the return receipt date and could not be extended from that point under any circumstances. In other words, I was to get one return and tough luck if it wasn't a good one.
After two weeks of daily phone calls and emails, I finally found out that the 'warning' was the result of the box having arrived back at TigerDirect empty (no TV). I was disconnected shortly thereafter, and when I called back the next representative I reached refused to verify what the 'warning' was and assured me that they would contact me once everything was resolved.
At that point, I switched from cell to Skype and began recording all my conversations with TigerDirect.
Fortunately, everything worked out in the end. After asserting some pressure on YellowTruck ("look guys, we've already determined that the driver was one of your guys, and I have video of your unmarked truck taking my EXTREMELY heavy box away"), I heard from TigerDirect that my new TV had shipped, and it arrived four days later fully functional. However it took a solid four weeks of anxiety and annoyance to get there, and I suspect I only found out the true meaning of 'warning' because a rep had screwed up by reading a portion of my file that wasn't supposed to be provided to the customer (and what the heck would have happened if he hadn't?). No two representatives ever told me the same thing about anything, and it was impossible to get back to previous reps even with extension numbers. Finally, TigerDirect absolutely refuses to correspond via email.
I won't be dealing with them any more.
Nathan
Re:Local Store? (Score:4, Informative)
Discrimination hasn't got a thing to do with it.
Please read up on the Dormant Commerce Clause. Burdening interstate commerce unfairly has everything to do with it.
based on a purchase I made in another state.
But you didn't make the purchase in another state. You made it right from home. Had you actually made the purchase out of state, you would have been obligated to pay that state's sales tax and would owe nothing to your home state. But you didn't pay tax in either state with your online purchase, when your purchase, had it been made in person in either state, would have been taxable.
Either is quite obviously illegal on the face of it.
Then you should have no trouble finding a case agreeing with you. Since, however, there is no such case, you're quite obviously incorrect.