Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
the product arrives DOA. We've encountered that problem a couple of
times. Usually, mentioning phrases like “merchantability and fitness for
a particular purpose” and “revocation of acceptance” leads them to see
reason quickly. We usually demand that the reseller ship us a new replace-
ment product immediately and include a prepaid return shipping label if
they want the dead item back. We don't accept or pay for dead merchan-
dise under any circumstances, and neither should you.
• Direct resellers are required by law to ship products within the time pe-
riod they promise. But that time period may be precise (e.g., “ships within
24 hours”) or vague (e.g., “ships within three to six weeks”). If the vendor
cannot ship by the originally promised date, it must notify you in writing
and specify another date by which the item will ship. If that occurs, you
have the right to cancel your order without penalty. Make sure to make
clear to the reseller that you expect the item to be delivered in a timely
manner. Reputable vendors ship what they say they're going to ship when
they say they're going to ship it. Unfortunately, some vendors have a nas-
ty habit of taking your money and shipping whenever they get around
to it. In a practice that borders on fraud, some vendors routinely report
items as “in stock” when in fact they are not. Make it clear to the vendor
that you do not authorize them to charge your credit card until the item
actually ships, and that if you do not receive the item when promised you
will cancel the order.
Even if you follow all of these guidelines, things may go wrong. Even the best
resellers sometimes drop the ball. If that happens, don't expect the problem
to go away by itself. If you encounter a problem, remain calm and notify the
reseller first. Good resellers are anxious to resolve problems. Find out how the
reseller wants to proceed, and follow their procedures, particularly for labeling
returned merchandise with an RMA number.
If you seem to have reached a dead end with the vendor, explain one last time
why you are dissatisfied and ask them to resolve the problem. Tell them that
unless they resolve the matter you will request a chargeback from your credit
card company. Mail-order and Internet vendors live and die on credit card rev-
enue, so maintaining a good relationship with the credit card companies is
critically important to them. Finally, but only as a last resort, contact your bank
or credit card issuer and request a chargeback. Be prepared to provide a full
explanation of the problem with documentation.
RecommendedSources
The question we hear more often than any other is, “What company should I
buy from?” When someone asks us that question, we run away, screaming in
terror. Well, not really, but we'd like to. Answering that question is a no-win
proposition for us, you see. If we recommend a vendor and that vendor treats
the buyer properly, well that's no more than was expected. But Thor forbid
that we recommend a vendor who turns around and screws the buyer.
Loot, Pillage, and Burn
Thor? Yes, it's true. Robert the Red
is of Viking extraction. On govern-
ment forms, he describes himself
as “Viking-American.” And no, he
doesn't wear a funny helmet. Except
among friends. And he hasn't pil-
laged anything in months. Years,
maybe. In fact, he's not absolutely
certain what pillaging is, although it
does sound like fun.
So, which online resellers do we buy from? Over the years, we've bought from
scores of online vendors, and our favorites have changed. For the last decade or
so, our favorite has been
NewEgg
(
http://www.newegg.com
)
. NewEgg offers an
