Beware of Comp USA

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by Ogre

Having your grandmother argue for you also helps. Managers are suckers for old ladies.

I went into an electronic store to purchase a flat screen tv. It was a nice size, a nice purchase - I was at the counter for well over an hour, no one could seem to work out all the paperwork for me. By the time the purchase was concluded -
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.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

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.

[Bill Moore]

Originally Posted by Al Skierkiewicz

The fact that they are still around is a tribute to the uninformed computer public allowing a store to take advantage of them.

Actually, CompUSA isn't alone in this statement, I have had significantly bad dealings with Best Buy and Circuit City as well. It seems to be more of who you are dealing with on that particular day, and whether they get a commission for their sales. Bottom line is that in chain stores, you won't find too much technical advice walking the floor; you need to get into the back room repair shop to discuss the nerdy stuff.

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.

[Kristian Calhoun]

Originally Posted by Bharat Nain

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.

Originally Posted by Bill Moore

Actually, CompUSA isn't alone in this statement, I have had significantly bad dealings with Best Buy and Circuit City as well. It seems to be more of who you are dealing with on that particular day, and whether they get a commission for their sales. Bottom line is that in chain stores, you won't find too much technical advice walking the floor; you need to get into the back room repair shop to discuss the nerdy stuff.

Personally, I make my purchases at Best Buy rather then Circuit City [Which is in a shopping center right across the highway from Bestbuy] or CompUSA, mainly because their prices are lower, and they always have what I want in stock. But I always research exactly what I want before I buy it so that when you do walk into the store, and the salesman approaches you, you do not get hassled into purchasing something that you do not actually need just because they're trying to persuade you to do so.

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.

[Beth Sweet]

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).

[Jeff Rodriguez]

Originally Posted by Beth Sweet

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).

Paying for a "rewards" program is not right. I work at Staples as a Sales Associate and Resident Tech (PC repairs, etc). Our rewards card is free to sign up for and will payout for the purchase of a laptop. (I've had customers come back and show me the check)
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.

[sanddrag]

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.

[Bharat Nain]

Originally Posted by Ogre

Paying for a "rewards" program is not right. I work at Staples as a Sales Associate and Resident Tech (PC repairs, etc). Our rewards card is free to sign up for and will payout for the purchase of a laptop. (I've had customers come back and show me the check)
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.

Moral of the story: Let's all go to the Staples where Jeff works.

[Kyle Love]

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.

[GaryVoshol]

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.)

[Beth Sweet]

Originally Posted by GaryV1188

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.)

Annnnd the saga continues. My father and I went into Comp USA to deal with it on Saturday and after a bit of conversing, they agreed to refund the money to the card. They did so, but when we went to use the card next, we found out that they hadn't given it back to us, so had to cancel the card. Yay Comp USA :rolls eyes:

[Tytus Gerrish]

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

[Madison]

Originally Posted by Beth Sweet

Annnnd the saga continues. My father and I went into Comp USA to deal with it on Saturday and after a bit of conversing, they agreed to refund the money to the card. They did so, but when we went to use the card next, we found out that they hadn't given it back to us, so had to cancel the card. Yay Comp USA :rolls eyes:

Couldn't you simply have gone back to the store to pick up the card? Cancelling it and all sure seems like a lot of work when you just forgot it there.

[Beth Sweet]

Originally Posted by M. Krass

Couldn't you simply have gone back to the store to pick up the card? Cancelling it and all sure seems like a lot of work when you just forgot it there.

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!

[KarenH]

Originally Posted by Beth Sweet

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.

Well, you were going to end up with a gift card anyway, even if they hadn't canceled the program!

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!