I have bought many motherboard-cpu combinations from Fry's and, upon reflection, I realize I have had problems with *every* one of them. Sometimes I have to return them, but if the problem is not too serious I just live with it. I wonder if I am the only one who has such problems. Most recent example is a MB whose sound level was way too low. I just stuck in a pci card.
What is your experience?
On Sep 13, 11:43=A0am, root wrote: > I have bought many motherboard-cpu combinations from > Fry's and, upon reflection, I realize I have had problems > with *every* one of them. Sometimes I have to return > them, but if the problem is not too serious I just live > with it. I wonder if I am the only one who has such > problems. Most recent example is a MB whose sound level > was way too low. I just stuck in a pci card. >
I've bought at least 6 board / processor sets and have had problems with one of them and looking back on the one, it's entirely possible I was doing something dumb and the board itself was fine. I'm not going to buy another Maxtor drive though. Gee, I should go over today as they have a 1500 gig Segate drive for $105.
Keep in mind the only questions you should ever ask a Fry's guy is "what aisle is ??? on? " or "do you have more of these?".
G=B2
Are you implying that they maybe sending you returned garbage?
No, can it be?
Do you honestly believe that a merchant would do that to you?
Ha , Ha.
You must remember, he comments on the onboard sound being low, I hope he does realize that most integrated MB sound, requires amplified speakers.
Fry's was selling ECS motherboards up until about Feb 2009. They've switched to Biostar, which I guess is an improvement if you like bottom of the line motheboards. I have various friends, and friends of friends, who buy these kits at Fry's, and then come to me asking for help with various issues. Oddly, it's not the same problem every time. The usual are blown ports, broken connectrs, bogus drivers, slow performance, and static damaged processors. I've seen several boards that were not identified on the manufacturer's site because they were surplus from OEM system builders. I haven't seen any of the Biostar motherboards. My guess is that Fry's hasn't had enough time to recycle the returns back onto the shelves.
I guess you've seen this:
It's no coincidence that Fry's switched from ECS to Biostar. This person also had setup a shell company, that acted as a middle man on wholesale motherboard purchases. They marked up ECS board prices and pocketed the difference. He may have possibly recycled returns but that's not certain. Since he also authorized the purchases for Fry's, it was easy to do.
Find a better source for your boards.
-- Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com 150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
Or, at least, be reasonably cautious about what brand and model you are buying.
My guess is that Frys (like most mass-market merchants) puts together "deal" combo packages to hit specific low-price points, knowing that consumers are often very price-sensitive. As a result of this approach, the components in these "deal" packages tend to be cheaply built, and not terribly robust. Even if Fry's weren't recycling consumer-returned components (which they do - they're usually marked as such with a small discount, but I imagine that some aren't properly marked) the reliability of the combo packages isn't great.
Cheap is often very expensive.
I think you're better off selecting specific models and components from the higher-tier manufacturers *before* you go into the store... build your own system design rather than depending on whatever package Fry's is tossing together this week. If Fry's happens to have them (and I wouldn't bet on it) and you're willing to trust that the specific one you pick off the shelf is actually new and not a return, it's probably OK to buy from them... you know you can return 'em if you aren't happy.
I tend to prefer to mail-order the components I want (I've used NewEgg.com several times with good results) - the chances seem better that I can actually find what I want in-stock, rather than having to call around to six different Fry's stores and get put on hold for eons before being allowed to talk to a salesdroid to find out whether their computer says it's in-stock and whether there's actually one on the shelf.
--
Dave Platt AE6EO
Friends of Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior
I do _not_ wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will
boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads!
I'm lucky. There's a "computer row" not far from Microsoft. I can go to Northwest Hard Drives and know that I'll get knowledgable service at a reasonable price. My current machine was purchased over eight years ago from them, and it's still perking along fine.
Try to find a speciality shop. Fry's is nice for parts, and for components if you know what you want, but I wouldn't depend on them for any "real" assistance. (The other day I asked for wire-wrap wire, and the guy wanted to sell me connectors.)
| >
| > What is your experience? | Are you implying that they maybe sending you returned garbage? | | No, can it be? | | Do you honestly believe that a merchant would do that to you? | | Ha , Ha.
Well, with Fry's, whenever I've returned something, even unopened, they open it, check that all the stuff is there and then slap a returned sticker on it and that generally winds up back on the shelf at a discounted price. At least you can tell if it's been returned. I recently returned a set of noise cancelling earphones that were defective - they accepted what I said and put a return to vendor sticker on the package.
-- 1PW
I once bought a rather pricey video card that had been returned. I had no way to inspect the contents at the store. When I arrived home, instead of the expensive video card, a cheap junk commodity video card had been substituted. The previous buyer of the card had done the swap, and the expert Fry's staff could not recognize the difference between the pricey card and the cheap junk commodity card when it was returned. Caveat Emptor.
I've also bought returns where something important was missing. For example, an ATI All-in-Wonder card, that included a fancy cable the connector box. The card was present and accounted for, but not the cable. The Fry's employee that accepted the return could have looked at the contents listed on the outside of the box, but I suspect that would have been asking to much.
In both cases, complaining to Fry's produced sympathy, and nothing else.
I have other Fry's horror stories, both first and 2nd hand, but you can find those all over the web. The above are simply two problems I've experienced with repackaged merchandise.
Most large electronics stores and online vendors have enough clout to force the manufacturer to accept all returns. Costco and Best Buy both do that. When something is returned by the customer, it goes back to the manufacturer or distributor. However, this is only functional with high priced hardware, where the exercise is financially worth the effort. You can usually find the returns marked as "remanufactured", "reconditioned", or "refurbished". Dealing with and reselling the returns has turned into a rather substantial industry. It's a large enough business that most computah manufactories have their own online outlet stores:
etc.
-- Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com 150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
Wasn't he one of the worst Roman tyrants?
Had it been marked as returned?
I appreciate the warning. I generally buy only DVDs/BDs and parts at Fry's. I'll keep this in mind if and when I buy anything "nice". Thanks.
Kind of reminds me of when my son bought a wireless dual logitech keyboard and mouse for $99 from Best Buy.
Got it home and open it..
There laid the contents.
Standard Key board with it's cord ripped out.
Standard Mouse (ball type), with it's cord ripped out.
On top of that, both these items looked brand new, as if some one may have just bought a new computer and switched them. This store does on sight upgrades so something tells me a salesman give some one a nice mouse and keyboard for their cheap desktop they just purchased..
Taking it back was a horror show.. It was going to turn into a legal battle because I was not going to allow Best Buy to take my kid's $99 from them. They tried like hell to just push me away after they already told my kid to get lost when he present the package with the contents as he received it.
I guess the call my wife made and me taking down names of the managers of the store plus calling head quarters from that store kind of told them I wasn't going to stop.
I was in the right, I knew it, I had them. I was going for it and smelling as I was writing managers name down. She finally made a phone call and then they decided it was in their best interest to give me a new package. And I did open it at the store to make sure the contents was there. Strange thing about this though, I made a suggestion that I thought this took place in the store since they do upgrades there. I notice one employee was staying clear of this little gathering at the service desk.. All the others were looking at the contents and could not believe what they saw how ever, the manager did notice this one employ kind of high tailed it to the back of the store just as I said that as I look rite at him!.
Before I left to go to the store, I had already Email head quarters of the even because of what they did to my son, I was going to take care of it, even if it meant legal battles.
I didn't get a response until I got back home, when I read it, all it said was about this rock hard policy about customer returns.. Essentially, the way it was worded, its your tough shit if you get screwed!
I replied back indicating that their store manager did the right thing by replacing the items and to never call me or reply back to me any more and I was going do my shopping else where, where they took better care of their customers and were a little more responsible for their own dirty laundry with in instead of making the customers pay for it.
Well, that's your first mistake isn't it? I never buy returned stuff from Fry's unless it's all that's available and I'm desperate. The one time I can recall doing that, I opened it up in the store to make sure the right items were all there. I | had no way to inspect the contents at the store.
Sorry, I'd insist on doing it at the cash register on such an item.
When I arrived home, | instead of the expensive video card, a cheap junk commodity video card | had been substituted. The previous buyer of the card had done the | swap, and the expert Fry's staff could not recognize the difference | between the pricey card and the cheap junk commodity card when it was | returned. Caveat Emptor. | | I've also bought returns where something important was missing. For | example, an ATI All-in-Wonder card, that included a fancy cable the | connector box. The card was present and accounted for, but not the | cable. The Fry's employee that accepted the return could have looked | at the contents listed on the outside of the box, but I suspect that | would have been asking to much. | | In both cases, complaining to Fry's produced sympathy, and nothing | else.
So they claim you made the switch when you returned it?
| I have other Fry's horror stories, both first and 2nd hand, but you | can find those all over the web. The above are simply two problems | I've experienced with repackaged merchandise.
That's why you should avoid returned stuff. BTW, I've never had a problem returning stuff to Fry's and I do it fairly frequently. | | >At | >least you can tell if it's been returned. I recently returned a set of noise | >cancelling earphones that were defective - they accepted what I said and put | >a return to vendor sticker on the package. | | Most large electronics stores and online vendors have enough clout to | force the manufacturer to accept all returns. Costco and Best Buy | both do that. When something is returned by the customer, it goes | back to the manufacturer or distributor. However, this is only | functional with high priced hardware, where the exercise is | financially worth the effort. You can usually find the returns marked | as "remanufactured", "reconditioned", or "refurbished". Dealing with | and reselling the returns has turned into a rather substantial | industry. It's a large enough business that most computah | manufactories have their own online outlet stores: | | | |
| etc. | | -- | Jeff Liebermann snipped-for-privacy@cruzio.com | 150 Felker St #D
That's one of the nice things about Fry's - you can tell that something's been returned because it has a sticker showing that and usually a discounted price.
| | I appreciate the warning. I generally buy only DVDs/BDs and parts at Fry's. | I'll keep this in mind if and when I buy anything "nice". Thanks. | I know it's fashionable to dump on Fry's but their sale prices are usually pretty good and their personnel are no more clueless than what you'll find at the competition (Best Buy, etc.) I bought my 61" TV there at a price unmatched even online. Delivery and setup went without a hitch. Their price match works too although I've only ever used it for stuff I've bought at Fry's that subsequently went on sale. And their ads along with those of the grocery chains, the daily crossword, and sodoku are the only reasons I continue to get a daily newspaper!
| >
| > What is your experience? | | | Great but it's not a B&M store. Sometimes it's nice to be able to actually go into a store and check things out in real life. | 1PW
There's a little more to Caveat Emptor than the usual "Let the Sucker Beware". RTFP (read the fine print):
Yep. Marked and sealed, so I couldn't look inside. I was tempted to rip it open when I got to the cashier, but didn't.
Unfortunately, that's the risk one takes when buying something that's obviously been resealed and inspected by the dealer, rather than having the same thing done by the manufacturer, who presumably will retest the product and make sure the nothing is missing. Also, I can't realy blame Fry's for the board swap, as they were as much the victim as I was.
-- Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com 150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
If Fry's was a victim, it was its own victim. Any business that doesn't carefully check returned items deserves what it gets. Unfortunately, what they got was passed on to you.
Did you ask? (a manager). I always do so, have not bee refused by any store yet. It is both a reasonable and prudent thing to do.
Nope.
I probably could have asked. I could also have opened the box at the cashier. I might even have opened it after I passed the door guard in the parking lot. Plenty of lost oportunities to prevent a problem. However, I didn't and I don't recall why. Somehow, I think it a bit odd that I would be expected to do so. I can see that it would be my responsibility that something would be suitable for a purpose, but it's Fry's responsibility that it be complete, intact, and correct.
-- Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com 150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
Being right is great, but bottom line if you are the one who looses out, then right or not it isn't a good idea! Just yesterday I opened a box at Home Depot to ensure that it was the right product. No where on the box did they have specifications! Amazing, a manufacturer who puts all kinds of advertising on the box, but forgets to put basic specifications (such as pipe size) on the box!
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