hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (Jerry Hollombe) (11/07/84)
A few days ago I posted to net.consumers and to our local bulletin board a
request for information about DAK Industries, Inc. Following are the
messages I received in reply. Names have been deleted to protect anyone
who may need protecting (and confuse everyone else).
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From the L.A. Better Business Bureau:
They report they have had some complaints about DAK and that DAK has
responded to them in what they consider a reasonable manner.
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Please post a summary of any results you get. Thanks.
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Looking through a friend's DAK catalog, I noticed that the quality
of the merchandise varies widely. Some are respectable names like
Sony, others are brands like Yorx, which is (I think) a K-Mart house
label. I wouldn't buy something from them unless I knew the manufacturer.
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I ordered some of their audio cassettes. They seem to be okay but I prefer
the Maxell UDII's that I had been using.
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D____, R______ and I went to DAK today. B___ bought a telephone, R____
bought a cassette player (Walkman type) and I ordered a printer after
seeing a demo. They were out of stock on the printer. There was a
moderately long wait for a salesman to help if you didn't know what you
wanted (about 20 minutes) but there is also a bargain "as-is" room to
rummage through while waiting. (Oh, yea, they're in Canoga Park.) What I
have heard from others is that DAK buys closeout stuff or discontinued
things and sells them at a discount. I don't have a serious problem with
this but some people might. The prices are good and from what we saw and
ordered, the ads aren't deliberately misleading. They do allow returns and
exchanges; I didn't pay super close attention to the posted signs about
these so I'm not sure what conditions mandate an exchange rather than a
return. It's not a ripoff mail order place. On the other hand, it's not a
designer discount place either...
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Went to the showroom in the valley today with a couple of other folks and
found things pretty much to my liking. The phone I bought was actually
cheaper there as was a personal stereo which was bought on the same trip.
Both of the items were on an 'as-is' table. 'As-is' simply meant no money
refund but exchange was o.k. if the product didn't work. I have never
purchased from them mail-order but all seemed fine at the showroom.
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Yup -- I didn't get the DAK catalog. Nevertheless, I have bought from them
in the past. Like Pic 'N Save, they buy up discontinued items or items
which are just about to be superceeded by newer (read: more advanced)
models. Also, things which didn't sell, and things which are either
mislabeled or mismanufactured (and are being dumped by the manufacturer).
If you bypass their hype, they seem OK. I've even had to return (or
exchange) a telephone, and they were very good about doing it at their
showroom...
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The bottom line so far:
After checking all this out, and making inquiries about the item I wanted
(an Olivetti Praxis 39 typewriter with computer interface) I went out to
DAK's showroom myself. Things there were pretty much as described. They
were out of stock on the Olivettis so I ordered one for delivery. They
waive the shipping charges if you order at the showroom which saved me $13.
They told me to expect delivery in 3 - 4 weeks and said they wouldn't
charge my MasterCard until the day they shipped. So far, so good.
About the Olivetti (as an example of their merchandise):
Suggested list price: $645
Price at Fedco (membership discount chain): $349.95
Price at DAK: $249
The Praxis 39 is functionally the same machine as the Praxis 41 but
in a different case (white instead of black). According to DAK,
Olivetti planned to sell them to hospitals and doctor's offices but
found no market. Hence the large discount.
At $349.95 I was considering the Praxis 41 for a future purchase,
along with the Brother, Silver-Reed, and several others in the same
price range. For $249 it seems like a reasonable bargain. Spec
sheets available from Olivetti. Consumer Reports reviewed it last
month along with a number of other portable typewriters.
The computer interface lists for $215 and DAK sells it for $119.
I also overheard this incident in the showroom:
DAK advertised a dot matrix printer for sale, describing it as
having a parallel interface. A man arrived to purchase one and I
heard him complaining that all the ones they had in stock had
serial interfaces. This was news to the salesperson who thought
they were all Centronics compatible. No sale.
All this sums up my experiences to date. I await delivery (via UPS) for
further developments.
-- Polymath
--
Jerry Hollombe (The Polymath)
Transaction Technology, Inc.
3100 Ocean Park Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(213) 450-9111, ext. 2483
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