10/20/09 ---- EBC Computers SUCKS!!!! Here's the reader's digest version of my experience with them and their owner. I bought a computer drive for $91 exactly 3 weeks ago and was told at the time I could return it within 30 days if there were any problems. Well, it won't format so I took it back today and their "tech" tested it and said it was fine. I then had to explain directly to the "tech" the problem so he could test it properly at which time he determined it was indeed bad. So, they were going to swap it out for a new one except that they didn't have this one in stock leaving me the option to downgrade or upgrade. Here's the catch....they were now selling this same drive for $80 and would therefore only give me that amount of credit instead of the $91 I initially paid. I explained that this is not right and was offered the manager. He was a young kid who walked onto the sales floor with a gaping hole in the crotch of his jeans. VERY impressive!! He told me he could ask "him" if there was anything he could do. Who is "him" I asked. "The Owner" he replied. I then asked to speak to the owner and was immediately told by this manager that he would go and see if he was too busy to speak to me. I restated his comment and said, "You are going to go ask the owner if he is too busy for one of his customers". After visiting the owner, the manager told me he was busy and that no exceptions could be made to their policy. DESPITE my explaining to him that it was not my choice to bring the drive back, but it didn't work anymore so this policy should not apply to this situation. I again asked to speak to the owner and after the manager visited the secret room once again, was told that he was busy ordering but I could wait for about 1 hour to talk to him. REALLY!!!!!! You are too busy to talk to your customers and try to retain any loyalty???  
 
There was nowhere to sit and wait so I took my drive and left disgusted. I spoke to another customer on the way out who said that EBC has a reputation for putting damaged items back on the shelves to sell to future unsuspecting customers. Crazy that they can somehow still be in business!!!! Check out www.ebccomputers.info for more reviews of EBC.  
 
 
 

Worst experience that I have ever had!!! I purchased a power supply that ended up being defective and they won't exchange it or refund my money. They want to charge me a 25% restocking fee because the box it came in is damaged, although the damage to the box occurred before I even purchased the item. They are very unwilling to help and didn't even believe me that the power supply was faulty until the third time that I brought it back in when they finally tested it. Even after they admitted that the device was faulty, they wanted to charge a 25% restocking fee. I would strongly advise anyone who is considering shopping at EBC computers go elsewhere. They do not believe in customer service. Little do they realize that the 25% restocking fee that they are trying to charge me is not going to make them any money in the long run; it will end up costing them hundreds in lost sales because I will never go back and I am going to be sure to never send any business their way.

I should have read the reviews on the internet about EBC Computers because for one thing they are right and I would have saved myself some $ and problems with them and defective equipment. I work in IT, am technical, and can tell you seriously that this place is awful and I will never shop there again. I bought a Pioneer DVR-215 dvd burner from them because it was highly rated. However this one had problems in the computer I was building. I had bought an extended warranty from EBC so I figured I was covered and would get a replacement. I took it back to the store but they said before they could do that it would have to be tested.  
 
In the meantime I bought 3 dvd burners from NewEgg including the same exact Pioneer model. It had no problems in my machine and neither did the others. A week goes by and no call from EBC. I called them and they said it tested fine and I could come and pick it up. I replied well what was I supposed to do with a defective drive that wouldnt work in my computer? They said I could not get a replacement but instead could return it for a refund but with a 25% restocking fee because it was scratched and they would have to sell it as used. I said that it would cost me less to send it back to Pioneer. When I went back to pick it up I looked at it and at first couldn't see a scratch. Then I saw a very faint line on one side where it had rubbed up against the cage where you install it in the PC. So let me get this straight, a part that you are putting into a computer where metal rubs against metal and you're not going to honor a warranty because of that and even with an extended warranty to boot?! They won't even give me a replacement?! They are crooks!!! This means that your extended warranty is worthless no matter what and they can "test" it and come up with any result they want and blame you and not have to honor a warranty! I do testing and I don't think they probably performed any kind of rigorous testing that would've identified the problem and now I have to send the worthless drive back to Pioneer! I emailed the owner and explained what I was unhappy about and he never replied. Well there you go. I told him why should I continue buying from there? There was no reason!  
 
A number of the people I dealt with in the store didn't seem to know much about the products they were selling. That can't be a good sign when I go into a computer parts store and I know more than the people behind the counter.  

EBC used to be the place to go when it came to needing a quick part. Their prices have always been inflated, but sometimes you need a place to go when you can't wait for an order over the internet. The other reason I chose them was for their incredible return policy. This is no longer the case.  
 
I purchased a power supply from them for a repair job. It turned out that the motherboard was also damaged, so I was going to return the power supply and let the person buy a whole new computer. Normally EBC's return policy would cover a simple refund. However, when inspecting the power supply, they said there's a few scratches on it, but that "shouldn't be a problem". Then they found that the numbers are smeared (which is how I received it from them). He explained that he would have to call his boss and ask if he could take it back. I proceeded to explain that this is the condition I received it. After waiting a half hour for them to decide, they finally refused to take it back without a restocking fee of 25%. I again stated that I did not smear the numbers and thought that was weird myself when opening it. He then said, "we are not charging you for that, we are charging you for the scratches."  
 
For all I know, the scratches were there when I got it too. Not to mention, they were in a place that no one would ever see when a power supply is inside a machine. I think they are simply being dishonest by saying they were charging me for the scratches, when really they were charging me for the smeared numbers which I did not do.  
 
After waiting another half hour for the boy at the register to discover how to do a refund, I left the store.  
 
EBC used to be the place to go for a quick part, but there is no way I am going back with such a shady return policy.

This the worst computer store that I have ever shopped at. The WORST customer service and the worst return policy ever. I went to purchase a hard drive and the sold me the wrong part. I did not realize it until I got home. I drive back to the store (20 mins jorney) and they would not return the product because it was opened. THEY sold me the INCORRECT part - not what I asked for. After a battle they exchanged the part and would not speak to me and then they threw away my receipt. They were very rude and unprofessional. This was at the Sandy, UT location.

This review was modified by its author, rocky1dog, on 2/21/07 8:12 PM.

Simply a terrible experience. They are an extrememly rude group of people. Also, I suspect that I was sold some previously returned merchandise!!

Purchased Microsoft Office XP Pro (OEM) from EBC. CD's had obviously been in a stack that was bound with a rubber band and had been subjected to heat enough to warp the discs just enough that once placed in the drive, they rubbed on the drive interior and scratched and would not spin up to the point of being able to be read from. Went to return the CD's and their policy is no refunds period on software, even though they sold defective merchandise in the first place. There was no way to discern the cd's were warped without taking them out of the package and placing them on a falt surface. Who is going to do that in the store? Especially when they practically rush you out the door. I have also purchased from them: 1 defective motherboard, 8 sticks of RAM that went belly up about one month past their warranty date, three sound cards that died shortly after purchase and one video card that was DOA. None of these hardware purchases would they exchange, let alone refund.  
I started buying from them for our small business since their prices were cheap and they seemed to carry hard to get new items. Now their prices are barely competitive and after being burned so many times before (yes, can you say idiot for going back so many times?) I have finally decided they are not worth the savings.  
The company is very dishonest with the way they say they warrant things for 5 days and then will not do anything to honor that warranty.  
These guys should be burnt at the stake. I hope to see this company out of business in under a year. Die!!!

I purchased a video card from EBC about 10 months ago [MSI G4 Ti 4400]. It in a new retail box, all parts and extra CDs included.  
 
It worked flawlessly for 10 months, but I started having problems with the card yesterday (screen garbage, system lock ups). Troubleshooting was cake, for another card worked fine in the system, and the MSI would cause the same symptoms in my wife's system.  
 
Fully aware of their 30 day return policy, and not able to find my invoice, I went to their Layton store, and asked them to pull up my invoice. I explained to them that I was more than willing to get an RMA on my own through MSI, but that a copy of the invoice would be helpful.  
 
The latino gentlemen at the counter, who had spent 30 minutes assisting a customer before me, suddenly 'lost the ability' to speak good english, and was very cold and non helpful. All he would do was give me the number for MSI (I allready had that), and say 'no' in a bad mexican accent if I asked for anything else.  
 
I returned this morning (after finding this site) and much to my pleasure I found a young fellow behind the counter who could communicate. I explained my situation to him, told him I wasn't ripping them off, and even suggested that he stamp or note on the invoice that it was only a copy. I won't give his name because he will probably get in trouble for helping me, but thank you, you know who you are.  
 
So Now I am waiting for my RMA number from MSI. I hope I'm not out 300 bucks :)  
 
******UPDATE March 28th *******  
I got an RMA on March 7th, sent my bad vcard back to MSI (Microstar) on the 10th along with the copy of my invoice, and today (March 28th) got a new Ti 4800SE in the retail box. Their RMA department was kind and friendly, actually answered their phone quickly (very important to me), and had my information within seconds. No hassel, no problem, no pain.  
 
Thanks MSI for knowing how to take care of customers. I wish EBC would take a hint from you guys. And thank you Kelvin from the RMA department for being so helpful. You all rock and are winners in my book!  
 
******UPDATE January 21, 2004*******  
I 'almost' considered walking in their store to buy a power supply today. But lucky me...  
 
It seems EBC has closed their location in Layton, UT. I can't say I'm terribly surprised - if they insist upon their current business practices, I imagine their other stores will soon follow suit. Not to kick a company when they're down.. but c'mon EBC... you had to see this coming.  
 
tsk tsk

This review was modified by its author, kish-kumen, on 1/21/04 11:57 PM.

This company is awful and routinely resells used items as new. If you call them on it they are indignant and rude. Their customer service is nonexistent as they merely take your money and give you their used shitty product in return. I am not sure how these people stay in business as everyone in town seems to know of their business practices. Someone really should turn these people in to the proper authorities as what they are doing is illegal.

I made alot of purchases from EBC and never had a problem. So has my brother, but he did have a problem. I went with him to EBC Computers to get exchange a Hard Drive that he bought 2 days before and when he installed it, it did not work. He had his invoice with him, but when he talked to the sales rep he told my bother that they had no record of this invoice and would not exchange it for him. But they gave him a Phone number to Seagate. When my brother called Seagate he was told that the HD he has was only suppose not to be sold in the US. And because of that his warranty is not sold.  
I don't think that it is a coincidance that the record of the sale was lost and also the HD was not valid in the US. EBC knew. I will never shop at this place again. Add this to paying extra for the MSI Graphics part. EBC are crooks and should be out of business, I will never shop her again.

ebccomputers is a piece of shit. I spent about 3 grands in their store alone within the last year but they still screw me over. The sale people are rude. Warranty sucks. They don't have all the products as advertise, waste my time to drive to their store, suck ass return policy that will screw you up if the parts are not working properly.

This review was modified by its author, Greasy Burger, on 12/11/02 7:21 PM.

EBC totally sucks and they have crappy return policies which end up bending you over if you ever have any problems.

I live minutes from EBC and I know first hand at how poor this company is. The nick name I hear form countless people for them is "The Computer Nazis" I must say that I completely agree. I went to there website and although the prices werent as low as pricewatch, the fact that they were close and I would have my product the second I purchased it motivated me to go try them out. I was building my sister a computer for her Graduation present and I had made a list based on their website. I then went to the store and to my surprise out of my entire list only 1 thing was actually in stock. Some of the things they even told me were discontinued. The cashier was incredibly rude and had a very bad attitude. I almost want to go picket in front of the store so people know what they are getting into. I rate this company extremely badly. They have bad attitudes and care less about their customers. I have heard many many horror stories from many different people. DO NOT BUY FROM EBC!!

Their pricing policy is weak. I paid cash for a monitor, but they charged me the 2% premium for checks and credit cards. When I brought it to their attention (within hours) they refused to refund the difference. I've found their salespeople rude.  
 
I've also found that if they don't want to honor the price listed on their website, they hide behind the policy that "prices can change without notice."  
 

Just for fun, here's a couple letters from their owner:  
 
I wrote:  
I recently had to return a DVD drive that did not work. Although I've bought  
quite a bit from you in the past with no problems I've got to say that this  
was the most painful retail experience I can remember.  
I live in Idaho and had to have my brother return the drive. Despite having  
all the info in the computer you required the "original" receipt. This ended  
up costing me an additional $10 to get the paperwork to him in enough time  
to meet your extremely short deadline. Then once the item is returned you  
refuse to give him the money and insist on mailing it instead, leaving me to  
find a way to get him money for his time and gas. Then when I receive the  
check it is $2 less than the original purchase price. When I called the  
store to ask about this they told me that they only refunded the current  
selling price, not the purchase price. If this is the case, why did I need  
the receipt? You obviously used it for nothing but an excuse to prolong the  
transaction. And why would you make your customers pay you $2 for testing  
your equipment?  
I recently started a small PC repair business in small town Idaho. It was my  
intention to visit you monthly to maintain my stock. Your prices were good  
enough to justify the travel. But in this case, you saved me $10 over a  
retail box that came with software (which I ended up buying for my customer  
from another source). But then it cost me $10 in mailing plus travel just to  
get the item returned. Not to mention the fact that you charged me an  
additional $2 just for the pleasure of testing your faulty equipment.  
Needless to say, I'm rethinking my buying strategy. And although I make  
frequent trips to Salt Lake, I will put up with the equally bad service at  
LS or pay the extra and go to CompUSA from now on. I haven't decided whether  
I should do anything more yet or not. But I do want to make it perfectly  
clear that you have made one very unhappy customer.  
 
To which he replied:  
 
Dear Chad,  
 
I am very sorry about your comments with our store. Unfortunally what's how  
they are. We have the best prices on probably the whole state of Utah and  
maybe others, but that comes with a price and it's service or customer  
service. It's very hard and you probably will know with your business to  
give both.  
 
Have a good weekend....!  
 
 
Edy A. Bedoya  
Purchaser  
 
To which I said:  
That still doesn't explain why I should have to pay $2 to test a piece of  
equipment that never worked. Can you explain that to me?  
 
Which he so articulately explained like this:  
 
 
Chad,  
 
You didn't pay $2.00 for test a CDROM. You paid $2.00 because the prices  
drop on computers and our policy stated that we will pay you the current  
price or what you paid, what ever is lower. Why....? Because, we have  
many customers that in the passed they used to return the products, so they  
can buy them a cheaper price from us after a few days. Our prices are the  
most currents, if a HD drop in price, within no more that 2 to 3 day, we  
drop our prices....! and then we are in the same situation which means  
that customers trying to return it and then again buy them from us a cheaper  
price. So, by this policy, we don't have a this problem any more and at  
this same time, we deliver the best prices to our customers.  
 
Thanks,  
 
 
Edy A. Bedoya  
 
 
 
Fun doing business with them.  
 

This review was modified by its author, CJTAYLOR, on 4/23/02 2:44 PM.