Buying a laptop on line

[Bear Cub]

There was a thread recently asking about buying a laptop on line - then taking it abroad - was suggested it was a bad idea.

seems, however, that the really bad idea would be to buy the laptop on line in the first place.

I placed an order with Gateway. 500MHz chip, 64Mb ram, 6gb hard drive with windows millenium, DVD drive, blah blah blah....internal 10/100 network drive for my home/office network.

Computer arrived in just a few days. Windows 98 - and a PCMCIA network card...which ate up both of the expansion slots so no opportunity to insert a video out card to get the DVD and/or powerpoint out to a projector.

I complained. They sent me a new hard drive. Another 6gb disk with windows 98 PLUS a copy of windows millenium upgrade. They demanded that I now return the original "restore" disks and use the new one.

I pointed out that I would need the originals because the scabby upgrade disk would not allow me to restore the system without a W98 platform to upgrade from.

Oh yeah - they said. Why did I have to tell them?

I eventually reminded them that the new hard drive hadn't solved the video out problem...I wanted (and had ordered) an internal network card. They took two weeks to send me another chassis - no battery, no hard drive, no DVD drive....no internal network card. "Just transfer all the stuff from your original one" they said.

"Will that help? Don't I end up with the same configuration?", I said. "Oh yeah", they said...."we'll send you another one". Four weeks later - a new chassis arived. Exactly the same as the other two - no network card.

Eight weeks, four orders - four failed attempts to make me a suitable computer.

All has been returned, order cancelled as unfulfilled.

I gave them one more chance to rectify....they said that they don't want to try anymore but they are soory to lose me as a customer.

If you want a worthwhile service in exchange for your hard earned...could I suggest elsewhere - other than Gateway.

[BurningKeroNow]

Sounds like you found out the hard way. Having several years of IT experience (ranging from the days of DOS to WIN2000) I have learnt that there is no substitute for rapport, customer history, loyalty, whatever you want to call it. You find a good supplier (easier said than done I know) then stick with them. I also would not order anything of this nature online - particularly if I did not have a relationship with this supplier (but I guess I am telling you how to suck eggs).

BKN.

[BillMartin]

I recently bought a Sony Vaio SR-5K New, in the box, sony-sealed, with warranty on EBAY for$1325.00, selling retail at $2099. I think it's a good deal. There's lots of the new-in box Sony's there. Anything wrong with purchasing them, if they're brand new?

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[Bear Cub]

My laptop order was for a brand new - custom build to my specification - which was only limited by the bank manager.

Gateway just didn't have the competence to service the order - nor the customer quality care to support it afterwards.

[OneWorld22]

You should maybe try Dell the next time, they consistently best Gateway in customer polls in terms of product support and customer service.

And any IT professional I've ever talked to has always strongly advised going with them. Get on line to their factory outlet and you'll see some fantastic offers with returned unused systems.

[This message has been edited by OneWorld22 (edited 28 December 2000).]

[400 Hertz]

Dell are ace. But watch out for the small print. Their Desktops have a 3 year warrantee, their Laptops only get a 1 year. (This is UK versions).

A good trick is to get onto their website and buy one of their 'refurbished' jobbies. A lot cheaper than the latest thing, same warrantee and they are as good as new.

www.euro.dell.com (http://www.euro.dell.com) will do it.

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400 Hertz but DC is easy

[Dr Treacle]

Further to your note on computer nightmares, can I suggest NOT using Evesham Micros. It is now 10 months since my laptop went pear shaped and I am still wrestling with them.
From frineds in the biz go for Dell or Toshiba
Good luck

[OneWorld22]

If you're heading to the US or you know someone who's going over you should try and buy your computer, or computer parts, over there.
The savings are enormous, go to,
www.cnet.com (http://www.cnet.com)
www.zdnet.com (http://www.zdnet.com)

These two sites are excellent, giving invaluable info and reviews on everything to do with computers and will provide links to a massive catalogue of on-line stores all competing with each other on price. Quality doesn't seems to be an issue as a look at their systems shows only top quality parts.

Don't think of getting them to ship over to you though, the cost to ship over a base unit alone is $259.00. And of course if anything goes wrong you're a long way from them. Best thing to do would be to order on line only if you're heading Stateside and then collect it yourself from them.

Some people are going in for auctions in a big way,

www.qxl.com (http://www.qxl.com)
www.amazon.co.uk (http://www.amazon.co.uk)
www.ebay.co.uk (http://www.ebay.co.uk)

And they're not dodgy Arfur Daly's, they're computer stores flooging off their excess stock so bargains can be had, the amount of computer parts for auction is enormous.

[This message has been edited by OneWorld22 (edited 29 December 2000).]

[SevenFiftySeven]

Would agree with previous posts and use Dell.
We buy all our computers and IT equipment from them and we hardly ever have a problem.
Last year we bought over $250,000 worth of equipment from them, including several notebooks.