CompGeeks: #1 Choice of Hardware Addicts Everywhere!
Written: Aug 14 '02 (Updated Aug 14 '02)
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I Love CompGeeks but..
Ok, I must confess to you all right from the start that I’ve developed a strong love/hate relationship with Computer Geeks Discount Outlet. I tripped over them accidentally one night while looking for babyAT motherboards for an obsolete Pentium 200MMX processor. Finding old motherboards which are still in decent shape can be quite a challenge to say the least, even impossible. But they had some, plus lots and lots of other great old and technically obsolete stuff (or as I would say, “cool junk”!)
The Merchandise
They have everything: new, used, refurbished, and some rough looking garbage. They have a superb rating system using little colored icons next the items: learn it quickly, it is critical to identifying a good deal from a bad one! They sell it all, from complete brand new systems in manufacturers boxes, all the way down to old used 30pin SIMMS memory and obsolete “token ring” networking cards.
The Web Site
As a former web site designer I must say this is one of my very favorite websites to wander through and look around. Its easy to find everything, the color choices are bright without being “eyeball nuking”, it’s a very clean design and very appealing. It is quite appealing to the Bargain-Hunter in me, or “My Name is Baron and I have a Hardware Addiction”! Yes, I’ve discovered it actually makes me want to spend money (thus the hate part!) I’m sure it’s partly subliminal, but it may just be the bargain hunter in me that can’t resist; "wow, 10/100 NICs for $4.95! Gotta grab some of those. Used CD-RWs for $33.95: they’ll never be that cheap again!" and so forth, until I have to start taking things OUT of my shopping cart. It’s not a matter of not being able to afford it, I simply have far too much junk here already and don’t need any encouragement to buy more!
1st Warning: Always Double-check Prices
Unfortunately I’ve discovered that what sounds like a good deal, isn’t always. CompGeeks was selling used DVDROMs (Compaq pullouts) for $35 when I could have bought a new one at NewEgg, exact same brand but a slightly newer model and with a warranty – for just $3 more. That’s not a good deal. I bought a refurbished HP 940C which I’ve had some minor issues with, and discovered I could have bought it new for the same price! Their refurbished digital camera prices are quite high for example, but I wouldn’t have known that. I didn’t find out until I checked around the web and on Ebay. Lesson learned – never assume it’s a good deal just because it’s at a discount store!
2nd Warning: Limited Stock
If you do see a great deal, and you’ve checked around and you are sure it’s a great price and you really really must have it: grab your card and buy it immediately! They will run out of stock on items while you are still reading the description! It has happened to me several times. So be cautious, but if you’ve been waiting and watching for a particular item at a particular price and it suddenly shows up: I’d buy it right away, because even if they claim to have plenty in stock some of us who build large numbers of computers for clients have been known to buy 10 or more if the price is right and clean them out in a matter of hours.
Pay your money and take your chances
I have bought 2 items that were dead and one other that was mismarked and incorrectly identified by the manufacturer, but in that case it wasn’t their fault. As these were all cheap used parts I did not attempt to get a refund or exchange from CompGeeks, which is my prerogative. To me, it’s simply not worth arguing over $25 or less. I also have a 19” monitor sitting here that was DOA, but I’m unwilling to pay $50 return shipping on it to get another potentially dead replacement. But I continue to order twice a month, nearly every month because I just can’t pass some of their deals up! For the most part all the small items I’ve bought have all worked perfectly and I’ve gotten some amazing and wonderful deals. For example, where else could you buy a brand new, color-matched set containing a 104key PS/2 keyboard, PS/2 mouse, and amplified speaker set for $6.95? I bought a stack of these and use them as backups or loaners; I’ve also given them away to friends in need. No, they aren’t top quality but I’ve paid triple for worse. I finally found a 5 button programmable optical mouse I like and can live with: I bought 5 for what 1 would have cost me at CompUSA and so now I have them on all workstations plus I have 2 spares. I’ve also gotten great deals on motherboards, video cards, power supplies, and old CPU’s.
Customer Service
So far I’ve had good experiences dealing them. They always confirm my order with an email. I can check my order status online - which I love, I wish everyone had this in place! They usually pack and ship out my orders by the next day. They have many shipping options and their shipping fees are quite reasonable. I usually choose UPS ground because my CompGeeks orders tend to be very heavy and bulky. They have shipped huge boxes for $10 - $15 via UPS ground to Texas on more than one occasion. Besides, the whole point of shopping here is to save money. Once they had a problem with a particular part I’d ordered which was apparently factory-recalled: they called me and advised me, and then asked me what I’d like to do. I much prefer this approach over the more typical “well, we shipped everything except that one part you really needed” you usually get at the other companies. In this particular instance it was no big deal, and I asked them to go ahead and ship everything else; but it was very nice to be called and asked what I wanted. Business owners and customer service personnel please take note: this is how to properly treat your regular, paying customers! Nothing less is acceptable.
Conclusion
I’ve discovered that I have to keep an eye on them as their prices aren’t always quite as low as they seem. But I have been very pleased with my purchases, their service is excellent and I simply enjoy wandering around their web site. I don’t know how I ever got along without CompGeeks! I will continue to do business with them regularly and I wish them the best.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
baronw
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Member: Baron Woodward
Location: San Marcos, Texas
Reviews written: 8
Trusted by: 1 member
About Me:
Commercial Internet ventures, background in E-commerce software engineering, Linux systems administration and security.
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