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Beware of Comp USA
I just wanted to put out a warning (mods, feel free to delete this if you think it doesn't belong here).
After purchasing a rather expensive laptop at Comp USA, I was encouraged to join their "Network" program. The participation fee for this program was $30. This was supposed to be the "one and only fee." Within 2-3 months, I have received a letter stating that the program is cancelled and that my original fee will be refunded, in the terms of a Comp USA gift certificate. When I called customer service to ask for it in terms of cash (there is nothing in that store for less than $30), the operator basically told me "that's how it is" and hung up. So the moral of the story, be careful of transactions with this store, their policies may not be beneficial to your intentions. |
Re: Beware of Comp USA
I've never really heard of a store giving cash for a return of any kind, nor have I ever gotten anything other than a gift card. When it comes to compUSA I could name a few things that are under thirty dollars:
I guess what I'm trying to say is, you've got to look past the big "expensive" items that they're trying to promote and look for the little things that you may need one day. I personally, out of that list have 2 Flash drives and countless CD-R's as for the crossover cable, I can make my own. |
Re: Beware of Comp USA
And here is something that should not be $30, yet I needed. Huzzah ebay ($.99!)
![]() Belkin Pro Series DVI to VGA Adapter, DVI-I Male to HD15 pin Female http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?pfp=SEARCH&Ntt=Dvi+to+vga&N=0&Dx= mode+matchall&Nty=1&D=Dvi+to+vga&Ntk=All&product_c ode=294667&Pn=Pro_Series_DVI_to_VGA_Adapter Very useful if you have a graphics card that has a VGA port and a DVI port and want to use two monitors. My recommendations, after going to several stores the cheapest I found it was $20 in store. Thus I recommend going with ebay, yet I mean if I had to pick a $30 item... a while ago for me that would have been it. Most graphic cards that have a DVI and VGA port include that adapter... yet all do not... How do I know if my card is like this. ![]() |
Re: Beware of Comp USA
Maybe I didn't make myself clear. They made me pay $30 to join their "rewards" program then canceled it 2 months later and offered me nothing but a gift card in return. I thought that I would warn people who would be making technical purchases of this store's policy and lack of response to unsatisfied customers.
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Re: Beware of Comp USA
We understood that yet we were all remarking on the fact you complained nothing in CompUSA is under $30 when in fact there is a large amount of useful products under $30. Also Michelle stated that giving only *store credit* or a gift card, very very few give cash returns in situations like that. I have had this happen to me many of times, very standard. Think about it from their prospective, why would they want to give you money back when you would obviously spend it at another store being dissatisfied with their products. By giving you store credit they force you to either accept your loss or buy something else.
Not a major loss, yet what was this whole Network Program thing? |
Re: Beware of Comp USA
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This is actually a pretty standard purchase for refunds/cancellations/etc. You decided to purchase it, and since it wasn't a physical item within 2 weeks or a month, you get the next best thing for cash. These gift cards don't have to only be used as a form of purchase, as they can use multiple forms of payment for one purchase ($100 in cash, $1500 on a credit card, then redeeming a $300 gift card, etc.). I work for Circuit City, and while we don't charge for a rewards program (we prefer our Rewards credit card instead :) ), we can sometimes give gift cards in return for certain items we can't return or certain unrepairable warrantied items (non-iPod mp3 players). This is pretty standard procedure for any electronics store. |
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The swindling that computer stores tend to do annoys me that's why I always buy my computers online. (I've ordered 5 online in the past 2 years). And normally, I can out talk the people at computer stores and they give up. Could you tell us what the program entailed? Cash with stores normally isn't a good thing when you look at it from their perspective. If they gave you cash, they would be giving you the opportunity to take the money someplace else and now they're out 30 dollars. When they give you a gift card, they're making sure that 30 dollars stays in their company. |
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Not trying to be a donkey here but i have found many great things at compusa for 10$ on there weekly sales...Bluetooth headset, 80gb Harddrive, and those are only things that i have gotten so im sure there are many good things there that you might have use for there....
I understand you reason for posting and thank you for the warning |
Re: Beware of Comp USA
Pretty much the point of this thread was not for people with nothing better to do than to dissect my posts word by word, but rather to warn people that Comp USA's customer service policies are sketchy. I hope that those of you who read this will take it as such.
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Why is everybody jumping on Beth's back? She is saying that they had dis-satisfactory costumer service, and that they did not deliver the product that they said they would. Both are true. How would you feel if an ISP said that you would get unlimited Internet for a simple $30 fee and then canceled it; then told you that you could only spend the refund money in their store? By doing this, they have simply made themselves $30. As for "just remarking on the nothing under $30 dollar statement"... Why? There are obviously things under $30 in the store... but if she doesn't need them, then why should she be forced buy them? Her saying that was kind of like anybody else saying that there is nothing to watch on T.V. This is her opinion, and she is entitled to it. "Encouraged purchasing" is just a fancy way of saying that the store Made her think it was a necessary purchase. Take it from a guy with telemarketing background... You can MAKE anyone do anything you want them too, if you say the right things. Also, many stores give cash refunds. look at walmart, or K-mart, or Target, or any number of other larger chains... The only thing they won't give a refund for is a CD or DVD... and that is only to prevent piracy. Just saying that there is no reason to get uppety, -Cody |
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Beth, I am with you on this one. If you returned something then I can accept the store credit thing. In this case however the company withdrew services and I would be on their case to refund my money. I would try the failure to provide line, keep calling higher and higher in the company and there is always small claims court.
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Re: Beware of Comp USA
Personally, I'd go to Best Buy or Circuit City to purchase higher priced items because my personal friends and I have never had a good experience with their customer or tech support. Most of the stores don't have experienced reps either. But that is my conclusion from visiting two different stores at a regular basis and your experience might differ.
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A tad off topic, but dealing with these stores.
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What service were you supposed to be getting with this "Network program"? What were the terms of service for this program?
I would try and argue that what ever the $30 was for is now defective and try to return it. Also, argue with people in the store, not over the phone. It's much harder to walk away from a person than to hang up on them. If you're polite enough and have a valid argument you might get your money back from the store. Having your grandmother argue for you also helps. Managers are suckers for old ladies. :) |
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I was much older than when I went in. Much much older. And I had to go back a second time with that long a wait again. I don't watch that tv (it is in our office) and I won't go back to the store. I don't like aging there. :] |
Re: Beware of Comp USA
Beth,
I agree with you that CompUSA is one of the worst retailers on the planet. I have a long list of abuses that chain has heaped on myself and a few friends. I will only go in when forced to do so by friends or work. I will not spend any of my money in one of their stores ever again. The fact that they are still around is a tribute to the uninformed computer public allowing a store to take advantage of them. |
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TRUE STORY: In 1971 my parents moved and purchased their house from a real estate agent. Many years later I took my mother to a dealer to purchase a new car. The same person who sold her the house was now selling cars. Just like an electronics floor walker, he knew all the options and amenities, but as soon as you asked a question about something under the hood he was lost. Moral of the story: a salesman is a salesman is a salesman. Beth, it is fairly common that if you make a formal complaint to the store manager about such return policies that they have the discretion to make a cash exchange. The reason they make it dificult is so folks give up. Or, you could always use it alternatively as a birthday gift for someone. |
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For example, when I was buying my computer from Best Buy [which runs the Geek Squad service, which IMHO is wayyy over priced], before the salesman would ring up my purchase at the register, he brings out his little paper with all of the Geek Squad services on it, and attempts to get you to purchase at least two of them [because then you'll save X amount of dollars and be prepared when you get a virus!...not really, because they try to get you to purchase Norton...] Anyways, they also wanted to burn me a recovery disc, because they claimed, "That most people don't know how to do it themselves." I replied with, "I am not most people." And that pretty much shut him up. Then when he was ringing up my printer, he reaches under the counter and conveniently pulls out a Geek Squad brand printer-usb cable, and says that I will be needing that to set up my printer because this particular model didn't come with one. And boy did he feel stupid when I pointed to the list of box contents on the package and showed him that it already came with a 6' printer-usb cable. Bottom Line: Research what (additional) services/purchases you absolutely need before you actually buy something so that you aren't fooled by the sales rep and "special" store offers. Oh, and you never actually said what this "Network" program entailed either. |
Re: Beware of Comp USA
Sorry, I ended up off of CD for a bit last night, got dad to take me shopping and out to dinner.
The "Network" was a program where everytime you purchased something from the store, you got points and eventually your points added up to money on a gift certificate. You paid $30 to begin and then as long as you made 1 purchase each year your account stayed open. I was told that because of the expensive laptop that I had purchased, I would get lots of points so I should join. And I didn't mind that because, over a year or two, I could rack up enough points to be able to buy something nice that I would want (MP3, scanner/copier etc). |
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I don't like shopping at electronic centers like CompUSA, Best Buy, or Circuit City. Mostly because I can find 75% of what they sell much cheaper at Walmart, Target, or K-Mart. I bought my laptop from Staples and it was approximately $800 compared to the $1000 at Best Buy. This was a while ago though and it was a shelf model.
Moral of the post: Department stores carry most of what those stores generally sell, with a nice price cut. Also, if you're going to buy a computer, ask if you can get the instore display one. They usually knock a bunch of money off of it. Just make sure it's in good condition and if it was behind glass liek the ones they have at Walmart now then it would be better. |
Re: Beware of Comp USA
The following is one reason why I've learned to just say no. Not just to CompUSA, but to all of those stores with their shystering come-ons.
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Unfortuneatly, its sounds like you got sucked into the corporate trap. AS far as salesmanship goes, I'll admit I'm not a very good one. I'm very honest with my customers, and will help them with smaller problems and questions. While my sales figures aren't great, I've had many customers give positive feeback to the managers. |
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It comes from the top IMHO. Companies who push their managers to push their employees to make the sales often have terrible customer service. Making the sales and helping the customer are two distinct things if you ask me. Very rarely to they join into a package everyone is comfortable with.
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I have noticed that nearly all the computer centers/places to buy computers cameras and stuff like that normally try to persuade you into buying a whole lot of stuff you don't really need but they make it sound like you absolutely would be stupid not to get. I ran into this with Best Buy. We bought a new computer a couple years ago. We went in just wanting to get the computer package. Well, as we were getting "rang up" the associate was like "Well you will need monitor wipes, spare ink cartridges, canned air, a wireless router and a whole bunch of other stuff that we truly did not need. They wanted us to buy like 5 monitor wipe containers when we are STILL using the original one that came free with the package. We still do not need the wireless router yet. We already had canned air, that we got at wal*mart for a fraction of their cost, and we have only went through 2 ink cartridges since we have owned the computer. In closing, I think that all the computer stores are full of loop holes and try to urge you to buy more, but in the end I still won't want to get most of the stuff they offer, even the "Rewards" cards that are supposedly so great, I've never heard a good thing about them.
This is ALL just my $0.02. |
Re: Beware of Comp USA
Beth, did you purchase your membership in the Network program using a credit card? If so, you may be able to dispute the charge as you are no longer getting something that you paid for.
Although all that gobbledy-gook language where they reserve the right to do just about anything they please may limit your options. Kinda like the referendum question now being addressed by the courts in Michigan - you gotta read what you are signing. (No digressions on the merits of the referendum, please.) |
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Being prety computer savy myself. the only item i get at comp USA is Bawls. for all my computer hardware needs i do it through Newegg (www.newegg.com) being based in california i don't pay sales tax. there shiping is super cheap and they always have what im looking for. Also similarly, when they ask for my phone number at radio shack i give them 867-5309. its real hard to say without singing it though
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The store is over a half hour away, and when we called them, we couldn't get through. So, we had the card cancelled and a new one issued. It's more of a hassle to the card company than to us! |
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There are many stores with "rewards" programs; airline "frequent flyer" programs are a similar game. Examples: department store underwear (buy 10, get the 11th item free); all three major southern California grocery chains; Target; toy stores; Borders; even a major chain of "Christian" bookstores. What the store programs all have in common: They collect data on your purchasing habits so they can hone their skills in getting you to buy more stuff. They usually advertise their cards as free. You sacrifice your privacy (which is probably already gone if you use anything but cash to make your purchases) in exchange for "benefits" that may or may not interest you. I've never before heard of any stores making you pay money to get the rewards card; that's poor business sense on their part, and maybe CompUSA realized this shortly into their program and canceled it. Maybe they'll come out with a FREE program, like other stores. Why I sacrificed my privacy to get rewards cards from all three grocery chains (Albertson's, Ralphs, and Vons/Safeway): Team 330 arranged for our school to be part of their community outreach programs. Every time I use my card at one of these stores, a small percentage of my purchase gets credited to our school, which directs the funds to our team. Our team gets hundreds of dollars a year in this manner, and our supporters don't have to do anything except register their cards and shop at their favorite store. The other reason is that a shopper has to have the cards to get the discount prices. :( Another disadvantage of rewards cards: Carrying all of them around in my wallet! |
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This has only been getting worse, Circuit City is ripping off people according to a post on osnn.net (http://forum.osnn.net/showthread.php...=Circuit+City). Like you, I always buy my computers online unless buying it in the store is a whole lot cheaper. I always shut the sales people off when they try to sell me warranty and whatnot. "If I wanted warranty I would have asked for it. So no!" |
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My dad paid $145 for his Costco membership, and he saves a total of almost $10,000 a year on all the purchases made. (6 people in the family). |
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