From: David Ross (ross_at_math.hawaii.edu)
Date: Wed Mar 29 2000 - 15:47:03 EST
Just to offer an alternative data point, I have purchased many things
>from Egghead over the years,
and also from Surplus Direct before they were absorbed into the Egghead
hegemony, and never had a serious problem. (Emphasis on
"serious":=)(Incidentally, unlike Ray I think that Onsale actually got
*better* after Egghead took them over.) FWIW, I believe that former
list regular Emanuel Brown has bought boatloads of stuff from them.
What is important is (a) make sure they really have the item in stock
when you order (they often do not,
and incidentally will charge your credit card instantly whether or not
it is in stock), and (b) make sure you know and document exactly what
you are buying (this seems to have been the problem in this case),
and of course use a credit card.
Another problem (mainly with the onsale auctions) is that Onsale/Egghead
often acts as a middleman
between some different actual dealer and the customer, and you are then
at the mercy of that dealer for
accuracy and shipping. While I never hesitate to buy something that
they are selling for, say,
Compgeeks, some of the dealers they represent seem kind of squirrelly.
Most recently, I bought a refurbished IBM P200 monitor for $260
*including* shipping to Honolulu. (Actual UPS shipping alone
on this beast must have been over $100!) There were at least 3 separate
Onsale auctions for this
monitor at the same time; only one was representing IBM's own outlet
division, and this is the only
one I even considered.
- David R.
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