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azscary · 02-20-2002, 06:35 PM

I am curious as to why a good number of people on this forum shop from online sources such as Newegg etc.? I find that by the time you pay shipping, even with the local tax, the price is the same or cheaper for the exact same stuff locally. I also found that what you see online is NOT necessarily what you actually receive.

The advantage to shopping locally as I see it is the availabilty of a throat for throttling if the need arises and the lack of delay in replacement of defective/wrong size/damaged parts.

I understand that everyone is not fortunate enough to have a computer parts house or electronic supply depot in their backyard. In that case it is fully understandable to shop and ship.

Just curious.

AzCoastie · 02-20-2002, 06:42 PM

I buy from newegg and mwave mainly because they're cheaper (shipping included) than any local shops... For instance, the last time I visited CompUSA, they wanted nearly $900US for a P4 2.0GHz CPU... What a rip!

I'm with you for wanting a local shop for the ease of replacing defective parts... I just haven't found one that wasn't charging way too much for their products!

Just my $.02!

audiyoda · 02-20-2002, 07:43 PM

Let's see: I paid $107 for my RadeonDDR at mwave about 6 months ago (just before the 8500 came out). Same thing was at CompUSA for $239.00.

I built my current system totally using on-line sources and paid $1100 (including shipping). Same thing locally totalled $1850.

-Craig

jamesrpm · 02-20-2002, 07:48 PM

The nearest Compusa/Frys/BestBuy or other major supplier is a 2.5 hour drive away from here.The local computer store is only 45 minutes away.Newegg is just a click away.Plus I never seem to go right to one store and back home . A buy nothing trip cost 100.00,dinner ,movies ect, so I'm better off not going into the stores.

Paul Victorey · 02-20-2002, 08:14 PM

CompUSA charges obscene amounts for many things. My roommate got a 2-port KVM switch, with NO cables, for $220 at CompUSA. It died after 6 months. I've seen the same brand for $80 online; even with S&H, it's still gonna be cheaper.

I do buy some things at local stores (keyboard, floppy drive, etc) unless I'm also ordering other things. I always buy CDRs locally, simply because w/ rebates, I get quite excellent deals.

I tend to do price comparisons. If I save less than $10 (after S&H) buying online, I buy locally; otherwise, I'll order it (the $10 is the amount I'm willing to pay for the convenience of having it instantly).

Reedimus · 02-20-2002, 08:18 PM

I've never seen anyone match newegg.com on price. best buy and compusa might be able to with one of their sales, but with a generic part vs newegg's name brand and with a mail in rebate that may or may not arrive. and even then they will only match price on only a few parts. when you factor in the fact that newegg ships so fast and compusa is always really busy (I hate crowds) for me newegg wins hands down.

DrZaius · 02-20-2002, 08:19 PM

Selection as well: NewEgg carries a lot of brands, my local shop only has Asus and MSI boards. CompUSA only has PC Chips junk, and Fry's is... well... Fry's (*cough* white sticker *cough*.)

LawyerRon · 02-20-2002, 08:45 PM

If you're into computers "hard core" as a hobby like many of us, there really is no choice but to buy online.

CompUSA, Best Buy, etc, are not really geared for the "build-it-yourselfer". They carry a very small selection in that regard. In my area, the only thing close to a store that caters to "our" needs is "PC Club" and their prices are much higher (25-30% IMO) than Mwave's or Newegg's. PC Club also does not have near the selection those two online vendors have.

In short, show me a store that carrys what Mwave and Newegg do at close to the same price and I'll be there. My guess is you won't be able to find one.

ps: don't say, "Fry's"; they're a bigger joke than CompUSA.

K A Hall · 02-20-2002, 09:16 PM

I like it when I get a brown box from the brown truck. The aroma of new hardware when I open the box is delightful. There is also the fact that I don't like to go from one place to the other looking for what I need.

Computer Hobbyist · 02-20-2002, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by LawyerRon
If you're into computers "hard core" as a hobby like many of us, there really is no choice but to buy online.

CompUSA, Best Buy, etc, are not really geared for the "build-it-yourselfer". They carry a very small selection in that regard. In my area, the only thing close to a store that caters to "our" needs is "PC Club" and their prices are much higher (25-30% IMO) than Mwave's or Newegg's. PC Club also does not have near the selection those two online vendors have.

In short, show me a store that carrys what Mwave and Newegg do at close to the same price and I'll be there. My guess is you won't be able to find one.

AMEN, BROTHER.

If I had access to the local wholesale outlets, like the professionals, I'd strongly consider buying from them. As it is, being a hobby builder, on-line is the only game around.

PS, I am sometimes frightened by how often I agree with LawyerRon. Imagine agreeing with a California lawyer.

CH

***glc*** · 02-20-2002, 10:15 PM

I am a professional - and the wholesale distributors I deal with locally (who do NOT deal with the public) charge me MORE than I (and ALL of you!) can buy stuff online for. It's not hard to see why the local storefronts charge what seems like exorbitant prices for stuff - the online vendors are cutting everyone's throats.

shecky981 · 02-20-2002, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DrZaius
CompUSA only has PC Chips junk, and Fry's is... well... Fry's (*cough* white sticker *cough*.)

Actually, CompUSA carries MSI and Soyo, and they are soon to be carrying only Soyo.

I usually get my stuff from CompUSA anyway. you would be astonished at what my discount can amount to.

Not to mention my Tech Data & Ingram Micro discounts as well.

DrZaius · 02-20-2002, 10:59 PM

Quote:

Actually, CompUSA carries MSI and Soyo, and they are soon to be carrying only Soyo.

Really? Last time I checked my local CompUSA all they had behind the glass was Alton and Azza boards.

shecky981 · 02-20-2002, 11:06 PM

yeah Dr. must be the ever popular "market segment distribution system" we use, which means not all stores carry the same thing.

Blankman · 02-20-2002, 11:08 PM

I worked for a man who constantly berated and belittled people for not buying locally or "his" product. The man overcharged customers, talked constantly behind their backs, and did whatever he could to rip them off.

Why do I buy off the internet? It opens your eyes, gives you the truth as to value and pricing. I went shopping at a local mall for a pair of glasses. The frames were $320. With lenses I was looking at over $500. I then did a search on the internet and found www.framesdirect.com. The same frames cost me $70 dollars! What in the heck kind of price up is that? Ridiculous! The whole entire package shipped over night was $180! Four months later I dropped my glasses and chipped the lenses. I went to Walmart who wanted $140 for the same lenses! You can guess what I did, I bought a second pair off the internet.

lil Jimmie · 02-20-2002, 11:08 PM

If I were to rely on local vendors to purchase parts I would have to get a second job to fund my hobbies. There are no CompUSA’s of Fry’s or anything of the sort here the closest thing to that is Office Max and their inventory and Prices are a joke. Besides when the big brown truck pulls up at my house I get to feeling like a kid at x-mas!

DrZaius · 02-20-2002, 11:10 PM

Quote:

yeah Dr. must be the ever popular "market segment distribution system" we use, which means not all stores carry the same thing.

Ah ok, thanks. I just checked the site and they do have Soyo boards listed, good to know they at least carry some good brands in some stores.

morriswindgate · 02-20-2002, 11:27 PM

Another reason to buy online is that usually you get more current hardware for less that the older stuff that is in inventory at the chain stores.
For instance Costco has a Diamond Max 40 gig hard drive for $115.99 that is 7200 RPM and ATA100. Newegg has the ATA133 version of this drive for $80.00 plus $7.00 for 2 day FEDex.

azscary · 02-20-2002, 11:33 PM

The Antec 1030b case listed on newegg for $88, with shipping it comes to $106. I bought the same case from Fry's Electronics for $119 out the door and I didn't have to wait 2 days for processing plus 3-4 days shipping. Add two more days if you order on Saturday or Sunday.

The Soyo Dragon they have advertised at $142 I saw also at Fry's NOT ON SALE and with a free Dragon T-shirt for $125.

The same Fry's Electronics was selling 128MB PC133 Toshiba Ram WITH LIFETIME WARRANTY for $49.

It looks as if NewEgg is into AMD, which I don't have any experience with so those prices may be good.

Edave · 02-21-2002, 12:35 AM

Our local shop was going to charge me $235.00 for an AMD athlon 1600,back in december.Thank goodness I found this site,and newegg.I got it for $140.00 from there.His was OEM,and i got the retail for 140.I wouldnt mind paying a little extra to support the local shops,but that was a lot extra,so I passed.Plus he wanted $75.00 to install it,and again I thank goodness I found this place

villiageidiot · 02-21-2002, 08:13 AM

Just placed an order for video card yesterday with newegg. Ordered an ATI Radion 7000 agp video card 32 mb ddr, $45 + $5 shipping at newegg. CompUSA has it for $79.99. Waiting a couple days is worth saving $30. Plus I ordered 100' of crossover cable. Where are you going to find that locally? Best Buy? They might sell it in 12' lengths. Sure you can find deals locally, but if you shop around and watch those shipping charges, you can save a ton buy shopping online.

02-20-2002, 06:35 PM	#1
azscary Registered User Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 977	Why shop by Internet? I am curious as to why a good number of people on this forum shop from online sources such as Newegg etc.? I find that by the time you pay shipping, even with the local tax, the price is the same or cheaper for the exact same stuff locally. I also found that what you see online is NOT necessarily what you actually receive. The advantage to shopping locally as I see it is the availabilty of a throat for throttling if the need arises and the lack of delay in replacement of defective/wrong size/damaged parts. I understand that everyone is not fortunate enough to have a computer parts house or electronic supply depot in their backyard. In that case it is fully understandable to shop and ship. Just curious.

02-20-2002, 07:48 PM	#4
jamesrpm Member (10 bit) Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Oregon Coast Posts: 768	The nearest Compusa/Frys/BestBuy or other major supplier is a 2.5 hour drive away from here.The local computer store is only 45 minutes away.Newegg is just a click away.Plus I never seem to go right to one store and back home . A buy nothing trip cost 100.00,dinner ,movies ect, so I'm better off not going into the stores. __________________ "If you can keep your head while everyone about you is losing theirs ... it's entirely possible that you haven't grasped the situation." Last edited by jamesrpm; 02-20-2002 at 07:53 PM.

02-20-2002, 08:14 PM	#5
Paul Victorey Member (12 bit) Join Date: Mar 1999 Location: MN or WI Posts: 3,017	CompUSA charges obscene amounts for many things. My roommate got a 2-port KVM switch, with NO cables, for $220 at CompUSA. It died after 6 months. I've seen the same brand for $80 online; even with S&H, it's still gonna be cheaper. I do buy some things at local stores (keyboard, floppy drive, etc) unless I'm also ordering other things. I always buy CDRs locally, simply because w/ rebates, I get quite excellent deals. I tend to do price comparisons. If I save less than $10 (after S&H) buying online, I buy locally; otherwise, I'll order it (the $10 is the amount I'm willing to pay for the convenience of having it instantly). __________________ Paul M. Victorey ------------------ I am not responsible for any problems that may arise as a result of following my advice. This includes, but is not limited to, computer failure, loss of data, nuclear war, famine, boils, no clean laundry, your daughter running off with a biker gang, or armageddon. Take my advice at your own risk.

02-20-2002, 08:19 PM	#7
DrZaius Member (13 bit) Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Fullerton, CA Posts: 7,030	Selection as well: NewEgg carries a lot of brands, my local shop only has Asus and MSI boards. CompUSA only has PC Chips junk, and Fry's is... well... Fry's (cough white sticker cough.) __________________ "A witty saying proves nothing." - Voltaire

02-20-2002, 08:45 PM	#8
LawyerRon The Gavel Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Upland, CA Posts: 6,320	If you're into computers "hard core" as a hobby like many of us, there really is no choice but to buy online. CompUSA, Best Buy, etc, are not really geared for the "build-it-yourselfer". They carry a very small selection in that regard. In my area, the only thing close to a store that caters to "our" needs is "PC Club" and their prices are much higher (25-30% IMO) than Mwave's or Newegg's. PC Club also does not have near the selection those two online vendors have. In short, show me a store that carrys what Mwave and Newegg do at close to the same price and I'll be there. My guess is you won't be able to find one. ps: don't say, "Fry's"; they're a bigger joke than CompUSA. __________________ "To speak ill of others is a dishonest way of praising ourselves"

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02-20-2002, 06:42 PM	#2
AzCoastie Member (9 bit) Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Sitting in front of my PC... Where else? Posts: 353	I buy from newegg and mwave mainly because they're cheaper (shipping included) than any local shops... For instance, the last time I visited CompUSA, they wanted nearly $900US for a P4 2.0GHz CPU... What a rip! I'm with you for wanting a local shop for the ease of replacing defective parts... I just haven't found one that wasn't charging way too much for their products! Just my $.02!

02-20-2002, 07:43 PM	#3
audiyoda Banned Join Date: Jan 2000 Location: East of Lake Michigan -- West of Lake Huron -- South of Lake Superior and North of civilization. Posts: 2,219	Let's see: I paid $107 for my RadeonDDR at mwave about 6 months ago (just before the 8500 came out). Same thing was at CompUSA for $239.00. I built my current system totally using on-line sources and paid $1100 (including shipping). Same thing locally totalled $1850. -Craig

02-20-2002, 08:18 PM	#6
Reedimus Member (8 bit) Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: arizona Posts: 225	I've never seen anyone match newegg.com on price. best buy and compusa might be able to with one of their sales, but with a generic part vs newegg's name brand and with a mail in rebate that may or may not arrive. and even then they will only match price on only a few parts. when you factor in the fact that newegg ships so fast and compusa is always really busy (I hate crowds) for me newegg wins hands down.

02-20-2002, 09:16 PM	#9
K A Hall Computer Tool Join Date: May 1999 Location: Springfield, Missouri Posts: 1,596	I like it when I get a brown box from the brown truck. The aroma of new hardware when I open the box is delightful. There is also the fact that I don't like to go from one place to the other looking for what I need.

02-20-2002, 10:15 PM	#11
*glc* Forum Administrator Staff Premium Member Join Date: May 2000 Location: Joplin MO Posts: 41,185	I am a professional - and the wholesale distributors I deal with locally (who do NOT deal with the public) charge me MORE than I (and ALL of you!) can buy stuff online for. It's not hard to see why the local storefronts charge what seems like exorbitant prices for stuff - the online vendors are cutting everyone's throats.

02-20-2002, 11:06 PM	#14
shecky981 Member (9 bit) Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Northeast USA Posts: 356	yeah Dr. must be the ever popular "market segment distribution system" we use, which means not all stores carry the same thing.

02-20-2002, 11:08 PM	#15
Blankman Member (10 bit) Join Date: May 1999 Location: Northwest Posts: 585	I worked for a man who constantly berated and belittled people for not buying locally or "his" product. The man overcharged customers, talked constantly behind their backs, and did whatever he could to rip them off. Why do I buy off the internet? It opens your eyes, gives you the truth as to value and pricing. I went shopping at a local mall for a pair of glasses. The frames were $320. With lenses I was looking at over $500. I then did a search on the internet and found www.framesdirect.com. The same frames cost me $70 dollars! What in the heck kind of price up is that? Ridiculous! The whole entire package shipped over night was $180! Four months later I dropped my glasses and chipped the lenses. I went to Walmart who wanted $140 for the same lenses! You can guess what I did, I bought a second pair off the internet. __________________ Prost!

02-20-2002, 11:08 PM	#16
lil Jimmie HOT ROD Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: On the Edge Posts: 4,565	If I were to rely on local vendors to purchase parts I would have to get a second job to fund my hobbies. There are no CompUSA’s of Fry’s or anything of the sort here the closest thing to that is Office Max and their inventory and Prices are a joke. Besides when the big brown truck pulls up at my house I get to feeling like a kid at x-mas! __________________ Fast enough 2 get by.....old enough 2 know what not 2 try -You know it was me

02-20-2002, 11:27 PM	#18
morriswindgate Banned Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Bakersfield,CA Posts: 7,761	Another reason to buy online is that usually you get more current hardware for less that the older stuff that is in inventory at the chain stores. For instance Costco has a Diamond Max 40 gig hard drive for $115.99 that is 7200 RPM and ATA100. Newegg has the ATA133 version of this drive for $80.00 plus $7.00 for 2 day FEDex.

02-20-2002, 11:33 PM	#19
azscary Registered User Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 977	The Antec 1030b case listed on newegg for $88, with shipping it comes to $106. I bought the same case from Fry's Electronics for $119 out the door and I didn't have to wait 2 days for processing plus 3-4 days shipping. Add two more days if you order on Saturday or Sunday. The Soyo Dragon they have advertised at $142 I saw also at Fry's NOT ON SALE and with a free Dragon T-shirt for $125. The same Fry's Electronics was selling 128MB PC133 Toshiba Ram WITH LIFETIME WARRANTY for $49. It looks as if NewEgg is into AMD, which I don't have any experience with so those prices may be good.

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02-21-2002, 12:35 AM	#20
Edave Member (9 bit) Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: West Virginia Posts: 407	Our local shop was going to charge me $235.00 for an AMD athlon 1600,back in december.Thank goodness I found this site,and newegg.I got it for $140.00 from there.His was OEM,and i got the retail for 140.I wouldnt mind paying a little extra to support the local shops,but that was a lot extra,so I passed.Plus he wanted $75.00 to install it,and again I thank goodness I found this place __________________

02-21-2002, 08:13 AM	#21
villiageidiot Member (8 bit) Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Strongsville, Ohio Posts: 236	Just placed an order for video card yesterday with newegg. Ordered an ATI Radion 7000 agp video card 32 mb ddr, $45 + $5 shipping at newegg. CompUSA has it for $79.99. Waiting a couple days is worth saving $30. Plus I ordered 100' of crossover cable. Where are you going to find that locally? Best Buy? They might sell it in 12' lengths. Sure you can find deals locally, but if you shop around and watch those shipping charges, you can save a ton buy shopping online.

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