An Online Buying Guide
By: The Editor

Buying Smarter
If you're like most of us, you don't just buy the first PC that comes along,
you compare prices and look at the hard facts in detail - Now you can save a load of time without slacking on getting all the details.

Here are some great sites that can really help your computer and component buying:

Right now we are asking you to boycott shopper.com until they
remove companies with poor ratings and many customer complaints.
www.shopper.com
(Also available at computers.com)

But there are other comparison sites:
www.compare.net
www.pricewatch.com

As far as who has the best ordering, when it comes time to buy - I find
www.buy.com, www.solutions4sure.com, www.cyberguys.com and www.virtual-world.com to be very reliable.

Beware joining computer buyer clubs that offer trial memberships - they just might bill you the whole amount. (As in our case.)

Before ordering with any company, we highly recommend you check out how they stand up against other companies at: www.resellerratings.com

Buying Tips
Don't use those debit/check cards - You can't charge-back unauthorized
purchases made on these cards!!! They just could clean your account totally out.

Check the newsgroups and discussion boards, to see if there are any
complaints against a particular company.

If you are buying from an individual on the newsgroups, do a search
for their email address, to see if any complaints or suspicious postings
have been made. For example posting the same article many times,
when it should have already been sold.

If you are buying from an individual on Ebay - check their ratings
out to see if there are any negative comments on them. Also ask for
references.

Use an escrow service if at all possible when buying from individuals.

Don't trust an alleged "big" company if they do not have an 800 number.

If you are buying from an individual, make sure you get there phone number - then you can check it online, to see if the white pages listings
match the address they have given you. Also so you can call them if
you are concerned about the order.

If you are buying from an individual, get as much information on them
beforehand as possible - it will make tracking down rip-off artists
much easier. Be leery of those with free email accounts; they can be
very anonymous and hard to track down.

Use a credit card whenever possible, a regular credit-card has the ability
to protect you by using the charge-back (a process where you can get
your money back generally very easily.)

Use C.O.D. whenever possible, this ensures you get something anyway.

When you do finalize a purchase whether from a business or individual
always insist on a tracking number - this will allow you to see whether or
not your order has been shipped at all. (And give you a good idea when to expect it.)

Always allow for enough time - especially when it comes to UPS Ground service. It can take 7-10 up to 14 days to reach you.

Allow enough time for a check or money order to reach the person.
Remember it won't magically appear at their house/business - the postal
system can be notoriously slow.

Check your bank records - If you have access to account information
over the phone, keep checking to see if your transaction went through,
or if your check has been cashed.

Make sure you give the seller enough information to contact you in case
there is a change in plans or delays in shipping.

When ordering, make sure you include a letter with your address
and also put a return address on your envelope.

When you are expecting an order, make sure someone is around to
pick it up. Especially if you live in the city, no telling how many packages
were stolen from deliveries left on the doorstep!

If a package comes damaged - Do NOT open it - call the inspector
of the courier immediately so they can make sure you get your insurance
money.

If you are ordering from an individual, insist they double-box the item,
this is the only way UPS will insure the package.

If you are buying a used item, it isn't a bad idea to ask them why they
are selling the item, and if there are any defects you should know about
before finalizing the deal.

In Closing
Just because there isn't bad input on a seller, doesn't make them honest,
apply all the same rules above anyway.

A Few Trusted Sources:
www.dartek.com
www.mei-microcenter.com
www.insight.com
www.cyberguys.com
www.solutions4sure.com
www.egghead.com

Stores with good prices, fast delivery but a few problems:
tigerdirect.com - We had difficulty getting a refund, and half the time
had to hold for a long time to speak to a live person.

 

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