September 23, 2004

Buying computer hardware and software from online vendors, is it safe, and is it cheaper? What do I need to know to make sure my purchase will get the items I want?

I personally prefer to purchase online since the prices are usually much better and most times you can find someone who is offering free shipping.  Shipping is a big issue here in Hawaii since most vendors who offer free shipping fail to make it very clear the free shipping only applies to UPS ground shipping, which is not available for Hawaii.  You will find that by the time you pay for second day air, the shipping can be more than the item you are purchasing.  It is almost impossible to find a vendor who will ship via the post office (USPS), but there is a way around this.  If you have a friend or relative on the mainland, have the item shipped to them, then have them take it to the post office and mail it to you.  Sometimes it pays to be creative!  By the way, don't ship FedEx unless there is no choice.  With them, second day service for Hawaii is automatically three days. The items you ordered will be here the second day but is their policy to only deliver it on the third day. 

Also, rebates are good, but be aware, sometimes it can be very difficult to get them. There have been a lot of discussions about rebates in the computer magazines.  Even the large reputable companies are a pain. You have to wait long periods of time for the rebates, and if you don't follow the requirements to the letter, they will either return the stuff to you, or just not send it.  Sometimes, even when you follow the directions, you will still not get the rebate.  The vendors offer rebates knowing most people won't take the time to collect all the necessary stuff or spend the time to send it in.  Many of the large retailers have come close to prosecution for not following through with the rebates.

Personally, I stay away from online auctions.  I prefer to stick with vendors with track records of selling to large numbers of people.  Most of the price comparison sites will give a reliability rating for the retailers.  Prices will vary widely from vendor to vendor, and over time, the lowest price will not necessarily be at the same vendor. Let's address the theory of online purchasing.  Most online vendors do not have retail stores and pay high rents in order to have their goods available for customers to purchase.  They usually just have a warehouse where they ship the items from. This makes it a whole lot cheaper for them since they aren't located in a high priced shopping mall with high rents and the cosmetics necessary to make the shopping experience pleasant.  Instead, they stock the same items you find in any retail store, usually at a much lower price.  The only thing I recommend is to make sure you know what you are buying BEFORE you place your order.  For instance, let's say you are interested in purchasing a DVD burner for your computer. Once you have decided what brand you want, you do a search for the lowest price.  As you start comparing prices, you notice that one vendor has a price much lower than the other vendors. Read the FINE PRINT. For instance, is their unit an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) unit, or a retail unit?  What's the difference?  The OEM unit is the same identical drive with the exception that it is probably boxed in a plain box.  That alone doesn't matter.  Check the manufacturers web site or call them about the differences.  Usually the OEM unit is made for a company who builds computers and they don't need the software, so the OEM unit may not have software with the drive.  OEM software is yet another issue.  Most times you will want to get the full version, rather than OEM.  OEM software sometimes can't be updated and usually doesn't have the full functionality of the retail version.  Ask a professional BEFORE you buy OEM. 

Many manufacturers have updates available on their web sites, like firmware updates (the way a drive is updated to use a new operating system or to make the drive able to be used with more brands of discs, fix bugs, etc.).  Most OEM updates have to be obtained from the supplier, and in the case of a reseller, they probably won't have any updates available.  This is not a big issue with some items, but with something like a DVD burner, you want to be able to check the manufacturers web site and download the latest updates.  You usually need to have the retail version of the drive in order to do this.  My advice is to research the item thoroughly and ask a professional BEFORE you purchase it.

Checking out reviews on specialty web sites and computer magazines and chat groups is also a good idea.  You can find some really good buys on software.  To give an example, lets say your antivirus definitions need to be updated and you've been using Norton Antivirus.  Another year of updates is now up to $25. If you do a search, you may find last year's SystemWorks for as cheap as $5.00.  You have the advantage of getting the Norton Utilities included in the package with the Antivirus program for much less.  Who cares whether it is an older version, since, in my opinion, the features added to the new version are not really useful to you and who cares about the cosmetic changes since the program does most of it's work in the background anyway.

You don't always need the latest and greatest hardware and software to accomplish your tasks.  These online vendors get their items for next to nothing, and so do you.  If you are one of those people who just have to have the latest stuff, then stick with buying it, but if you are cost conscience, save a few bucks and get something which works for you. 

As far as the safety issue, I don't think any of the online vendors make sales on anything other than a secure site.  Most people are afraid to give out their credit card number online.  It is actually less safe to give your credit card info out on the telephone than it is to give it out on a secure site.  Always pay with a credit card.  If there are any disputes, you have a better chance to get it settled if you buy it on your card. Another consideration is the return policy.  Click here for a very good article at PC World Magazine.  In summary, you can find some good buys online. Just take the time to make sure you're getting what you are looking for.  Again, there is a reason you need to work with a computer professional you can trust. That's why we get the big bucks.

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