Why to NEVER use Price Watch Alone

[Geotpf]

Many people just use Price Watch, and buy from the lowest retailer. This is a horrible idea. I picked a random product, a Pentium 4 2.0 (Socket 478), and compared the companies names of the lowest bidders to thier Reseller Ratings...

This list: http://www.pricewatch.com/1/3/4394-1.htm

First was Runtime Computer-Six Month Rating of 3.61: http://www.resellerratings.com/seller1899.html

Second was SonicParts-Six Month Rating of 3.68: http://www.resellerratings.com/seller2306.html

Third was Upgrade Solution-Six Month Rating of 7.21 (but some of the comments were worrysome, but you could stop here I guess): http://www.resellerratings.com/seller2578.html

Fourth was Accubtye-Six Month Rating of 1.34: http://www.resellerratings.com/seller1812.html

Fifth was Tufshop-Six Month Rating of a perfect 0.00: http://www.resellerratings.com/seller1924.html

Sixth was 3btech.net-Six Month Rating of 8.27 with a Gold Award (stop here): http://www.resellerratings.com/seller3068.html

The difference between the lowest and the one I stopped at was a grand total of a dollar. So, please, if you use Price Watch, look up the retailers at Reseller Ratings before you buy, it probably won't cost you too much more, but it will save your sanity.

Great post Geotpf! Thanks for that important info.

[lynchmob]

I have shopped around for the best deal quite a bit but usually end up buying from Newegg and CompGeeks.
lynch

[John Prophet]

yeah, you gotta check 'em out first. I see all these nice prices at piranha.com but I aint going near them due to the resellerratings, including their previous name which I cant recall.

JP

[Brainchild]

Nice to see I'm not the only one doin my homework

Good job on the heads up

BC

[elroy]

It's a tough game. Recently I've run into sellers that list items on pricewatch and will take your order but they evidently don't have it in stock as they don't ship it out for 5-10 days after placing the order. I ran into this at 3 different places last time I tried to buy a DVD drive. One even said if I would pay for a more expensive shipping option they would ship it next day but if I used UPS ground they wouldn't ship it for 5 days or maybe more. WHAT THE .............. !

[John Prophet]

Morals in business? very hard to find...sad the way society declines.

JP

[PuddingShorts]

I've found that the ultimate combo is to use both Pricewatch and CNET (www.shopper.com). Sometime CNET's site finds the best deal instead of the more popular Pricewatch site.

Pricewatch is great for OEM and retail hardware, while CNET seems to get better prices on electronics and software. At least that's what I've found.

[phenious]

Scott should have you do that for a commercial... kinda like the Mac ones good info

-: phenious :-

[davidamarkley]

I've found that the ultimate combo is to use both Pricewatch and CNET (www.shopper.com). Sometime CNET's site finds the best deal instead of the more popular Pricewatch site.

I like to use pricewatch every now and then, but also use resellerratings.com, and then their lowest price search. (Which I believe is just an integrated pricegrabber.com)

But, that's good advice, Geotpf!

I just wish more people would buy from reputable companies and not some half-baked company that pulls a "take-and-run" on your wallet.

This is advice to pass along.

So, consider this an "I Agree" BUMP

David