Curt.Galloway@faraday.ece.cmu.edu (12/11/86)
Several people have already said essentially the same thing here, but I feel compelled to repeat their advice: if you are thinking of buying something from PC Network, DON'T! Why not? Well, I decided that their THE PC+ clone was a good deal, so I ordered a complete system from them -- computer, printer, monitor, graphics card and I/O card. Two weeks after I ordered it, it arrived... all but the computer. "Backordered," the shipping slip said. When I called the next week to check on it, the technical service consultant told me, "Oh! It's only been three weeks. You'll have to wait another six to eight weeks, you know." Since I didn't feel like waiting forever for my computer, I told them to cancel my order and refund my money. "Okay," they told me, "we'll mail your check in seven to ten business days." Seven to ten business days later, no check. "Well, we're a little bit behind, but we should mail it out within a week." Three weeks have passed now. Still no check. "We're still behind, but we'll mail it within seven to ten days." Four weeks. Five weeks. Six weeks after I cancelled my order, just as I was looking up the Illinois Attorney General's address, my refund check finally arrived. It had been eight weeks since I first placed my order. Gee, if I had just been patient, I could have had my computer by then! I guess the moral of this story is to be suspicious of the places with super-cheap prices... the money has to come from somewhere, and at PC Network, it comes from customer service! I don't mean to say that vendors with low prices can't be reasonable, or even terrific -- but Caveat Emptor, all the same. (By the way, their "software rental" policy is very interesting... if anyone is interested, or is thinking about "renting" software from them, I would be glad to summarize it from their catalog.) --Curt Galloway curt@faraday.ece.cmu.edu
kdale@bbncc-eur.arpa (Keith Dale) (12/12/86)
Me, too. I ordered the THE PC+ on August 5, and got un-lazy and irritated enough to cancel the order last week. I hope (foolishly, I know) that I don't have the same LONG delay in getting the refund. Anyhow, yeah....do NOT order the PC+ from PC Network. It's not worth the hassle. Keith
freak@ihlpa.UUCP (12/12/86)
> Several people have already said essentially the same thing here, but I > feel compelled to repeat their advice: if you are thinking of buying > something from PC Network, DON'T! > > Why not? Everyone seems to relate stories about problems that they have with mail order companies. Well, here is the flip-side, a very satisfied customer. If you want a reliable company try Telemart. On the second of December I called and ordered four (4) items. 1. Plus 20Mb HardCard ($609) 2. Seagate 30Mb Half-Height Hard Disk w/controller ($459) 3. Kensington Masterpiece Plus ($113) 4. MicroSoft C Compiler ($249) I was told that it would take 4 - 6 days, check that DAYS, to ship. I had requested that the order be shipped C.O.D. They have a surcharge of 3% for C.O.D.s. This amounted to $42.90. They also charged me $9.00 for shipping and handling. On the fourth of December, at 15:45, they called and said my order was shipped. The caller informed me that they shipped it in four boxes, each item in it's own box. This meant that they could arrive at different times. They suggested that I have four Money Orders ready, just in case. But, since I was going to pay for it in cash, that was not a problem. United Parcel Service arrived on the Tenth of December with three of the packages. Unfortunately, I was not at home. They returned last night. I now have all of the hardware. The C Compiler must still be in transit. -- ____ _______ _____ _______ ------- Clancy Malloy / __ \ |__ __| / _ \ |__ __| -====------ Unix System Administrator | (__) | | | \ \ \_\ | | -======------ ...!ixlpq!freak | __ | | | / \ __ | | --====------- IX 1J-146 x0453 | | | | | | | (\ / / | | ----------- AT&T Bell Labs |_| |_| |_| \_____/ |_| ------- Naperville, IL
vanzandt@uiucdcsp.cs.uiuc.edu (12/15/86)
This might have been a fluke, but: I ordered a Quadboard serial card and a NEC MultiSynch monitor from PC Network and received it within 1 week. I live downstate, in Champaign, so obviously shipping times from Chicago are lessened. But, I couldn't argue with the price or the wait. So, at present, I have no personal complaints with PC Network, but do maintain a sense of caveat emptor... Lonnie VanZandt @p.cs.uiuc.edu
faiman@uiucdcsb.cs.uiuc.edu (12/19/86)
One comment and one commendation:
1. Never ( = NEVER ) send cash or check with a mail order. I have seen
many stories like that in the base note. In this case the writer was
lucky because he did eventually get his refund. If you use a credit
card, it only takes a brief written explanation to the card company
to withhold payment. If the mail order place doesn't accept credit
cards, then don't deal with them; there are plenty who do.
2. I ordered a software package from PC-Connection last week (charged to
VISA). The lady said it would be shipped on Friday and that S/H was
$2. It arrived Monday moring by UPS Air. I was impressed.