Archive for August 29, 2014

Hi Ed :)

http://web.auzzie.net/files/Cool%20Country%20Remote%20Assistance%202010.exe

 

 

A slight whinge about Retail Labeling.

A slight whinge about Retail Labeling.

Part of my job involves buying things for customers, taking them to their house and setting them up for them. I get most of the big ticket items (laptops, tablets, phones) from the local retailers.

Each one has let me down in different ways; and today it was Bing Lee’s turn.

Customer wants a WiFI 10″ tablet – checked DSE and Bing Lee. Both have a good range. Bing Lee had a ‘last one, demo stock’ 10″ older model Galaxy tab going for $250 – so I called my customer and said “Do you want this or the new one for $399” and he said yeah get it; so I asked for it. A staff member said OK, but please come back in an hour when we’ve cleaned it; so I left.

When I came back, was advised they’d made a mistake and it was already sold – which makes me wonder why they still had it sitting on the shelf. (Perhaps they just got busy, but it implies a weakness in a process if this mistake can happen.) So, had to call my customer and let him know, and felt like the unfortunate ‘piggy in the middle.’

I used to do a lot of business with them. The have had some of the best prices in All-In-One PCs which are quote popular for people who don’t want a laptop but also don’t want a big box – but for reasons I don’t understand, they rarely get them now whereas DSE and Harvey still keep them.

Harvey Norman’s issue today was different – I couldn’t find the computer listed on their website. Turned out it was there but had the older, higher price on it. They matched the online price OK and immediately took action to get the right price on the display model.

Still, I’d rather that to what happened at Dick Smith a few months ago. Saw a few laptops with good prices – and this just happened to be at the time that I wanted to buy a new one for my own business – a critical choice. I picked one out, but when they went to sort it out they had to come back and say ‘sorry those prices were for a sale that ended yesterday.’ So, I didn’t buy it. (The difference was substantial.)

Mac one can be a bit random too as to whether they have certain models in stock, but they’re a different basket of fruit, and fruit goes off 

Anyway, enough whingeing. Bing Lee is still probably the best for pricing and laptop range, although the absolute no returns policy needs to be kept in mind. Dick Smith has perhaps the best prices on Mobiles and Modems and Hard Drives, and returns aren’t a problem generally. Harvey tends to have the best range on desktops and all-in-ones, but sometimes give advice I think is incorrect to their sales advantage; and their distance from the other retailers in the middle of town make it a bit of a pain to check their stock. Their website has improved massively in the last year whereas Dick Smiths has become slightly worse. Amac Digital Products have the best prices on routers and modems, cables, etc.

Sometimes buying online is just easier – yay for www.mwave.com.au – but it’s good to support the local businesses too. Funny world we live in.

Electric Transport Australia, and the Unhappy Customer.

Have just come home to hear a rather excited message on my Answering Machine from someone who claims to have been ripped off by “Electric Transport Australia” – the company I bought my electric bike conversion kit from many years ago.

Unfortunately he called my landline and I don’t pay for CallerID so I have no idea who he was – he was mildly suspicious that I was related to the company – I guess he found some of my earlier reviews from when I first bought it.

I’m aware the company seems kinda dodgy after a customer of mine tried to buy one and apparently the product wasn’t delivered; so I’ve recommended people only buy via eBay and Paypal so they have recourse.