Much better in recent history than the past; overall a good site!
Written: Jan 11 '04
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I felt compelled to write a review on this site based on my experiences. I see several older reviews which are hacking and slashing CompUSA.com based on performance. I did agree with these opinions in the past, but feel that the site has done much in the past year to become competitive. I hope you weigh the date of this review against the others and give them a try, if you find something that you would like at their site!
Overall
CompUSA.com is a good website designed for online shopping. It is nicely laid out with great search features and good checkout system. The site is comparable with my favorites, Bestbuy.com and Newegg.com, but their shipping options and deliver time are a little less desirable than the other two.
Why do I utilize CompUSA.com?
I utilize CompUSA.com to buy computer parts at good prices. I usually stop by CompUSA.com, BestBuy.com, and Circuitcity.com early Sunday morning and check out their weekly ads. Since I live in rural Montana, I do not have a Bricks and Mortar store nearby, so this is the only way I have to get cheap parts with rebates. I have bought 8 items from CompUSA.com in the past year in this fashion, and every order has been at least acceptable as far as performance by the site.
Site Layout, 5 of 5
The CompUSA.com site is very similar in layout to most other electronic superstores online sites. The front page gives you access to a good search engine, tabs to go directly to categories, and miscellaneous things such as My Cart, My Account, and the Weekly Ad.(this is where I go each Sunday). Also on the front page you will find an assortment of special deals that the site is running for that day or that week. This can range from computer components, laptops, computer systems, and software.
Overall I like the layout of this site, and really enjoy the search engine. You can search for your item by clicking on the department down the left side of the screen and then narrowing your search by manufacturer, price range, or capacity, in the case of the hard drives. You can also simply type in what you are looking for in the search entry line at the top of the page and have it pop up by itself. Today, I plugged in Seagate 200GB, as I had received an email that stated that they had it on sale after rebate for $99. With just this amount of data, the search engine returned the proper item, and I reviewed the pricing to ensure it was correct. It was, so I clicked on ‘add to my cart’.
Ordering page
I then went through the weekly ad and ensured myself that there was nothing else that I wanted to buy today, and then proceeded to my cart for checkout. The site gives you two options, either to create/use an account to checkout or check out without creating an account. As I have ordered from here before, I plugged in my account name (email address in most cases) and password, and I was in my cart ready to check out.
Although I did not have to setup my account this time, I do remember that this process is easy. You plug in your personal information, such as address, payment method, and email, and then you will receive an email to confirm your identity. Once you have the account, it is easy to bring back up, as long as you remember your password and account name!
I proceeded to checkout after ensuring that the item was charged correctly, again. The checkout screen will automatically bring up your address and credit card information, if you have entered it in the past and asked the site to remember it. However, you cannot simply proceed from this point to pay for the item, as there is the potential for someone to steal your password to the site. Therefore, the site uses the CID number on the back of the credit cards to ensure that you are the proper person to use the method of payment. Many sites are going to this, and I really think it is a good thing!
After you enter all information and press Yes to confirm the order, it brings up a page with your order confirmation number attached. The site asks you to print the page, which I always do. It also tells you that a confirmation email will be sent shortly to your account. I timed it today, as I was preparing to write this review. It took 4 and a half minutes to generate the email and fly through the internet to my account. Not too shabby, although this is slower than other sites including Newegg.com. After about a half of an hour I received another email, this one letting me know that my card had been charged. You see, the site will not charge your card until it has verified your address and ensured that the item is truly in stock. The site will send you one more email, which I expect to receive tomorrow stating that the package has been sent.
Shipping(and Handling)
Shipping at this site is average at best. The site has recently started to compete with sites such as Bestbuy.com and Newegg.com which offer free shipping. However, the best they have right now is penny shipping on any order over $150. Since the hard drive I am ordering is $169 with a $70 rebate, I received the penny shipping. However, if you order something that was $149.99 or less, you would have to pay full shipping. This is not bad, but it does not compete with the likes of Bestbuy.com and Newegg.com.
Once you get over the shipping and handling charges, the site is very good in my estimation for shipping options. You can choose from ground delivery, 2 day air, and overnight. If you absolutely need it tomorrow, you can get it here.
You receive the email telling you that your item has been shipped and this has a link to your account and your order. Right on the page for your order you can see the tracking, which is nice in comparison to the other sites where you have to open another webpage to see the tracking information. It has typically taken approximately 3-4 days to get my orders to Montana. Not bad, but once again not as good as from Bestbuy.com and Newegg.com.
All of my packages have been shipped securely and safely. The packages always have several air packs in them to keep the sensitive electronics from bouncing around and breaking. The boxes are taped together well and have never come apart.
The Final Word
CompUSA.com is a very good site with average shipping options and charges and a tad slower delivery. If you find a good price on the site and want to get it, I would not feel apprehensive at all in doing so. They have added features such as tracking ability to their site and worked on their customer service in the past year, thus making it competitive(but not better!) than Bestbuy.com and Newegg.com.
I hope this review helps you, and please leave me feedback ratings or comments!
Other reviews of interest
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My best friend, Newegg.com:
http://www.epinions.com/content_124769439364
Recommended:
Yes
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? 8 items in the past year!
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About the Author
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