1/5

posted Nov-05-2010

"I had previously purchased a computer 3 yrs ago from AVA and the system is still going. I decided it was time for an upgrade and went back to AVA Direct for my next machine. When it arrived the rear and side case fans weren't working, the front digital readout wasn't working, and Windows was blue screening. They gave me a return shipping lable to send it back. I decided that I wanted my money back because I would rather get a tower from someone else that could build it right but they decided to charge me a restocking fee of 15% for a defective product. They stated there wasn't anything wrong with it when they got it back. Do you they think I make up all these things wrong with it? Do they think I really wanted to pack it all up and ship it back because there wasn't anything wrong with it? Buyer beware."

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2/5

posted May-24-2008

"Short version -

Pros: Simplicity, cost (lower than many - systems only, not parts! -, not great), part availability/selection, great pre-sale customer service, tech support does at least try most of the time and replies quickly. If you have a big problem and aren't getting anywhere, post here and they'll pounce on you to try to fix it.

Cons: Poor quality build (fans in backwards, wrong power cables used, very poor cable management, RAM in wrong DIMMs, power supply upside down), multiple pieces of faulty hardware, shipped system wasn't at agreed-upon specs and wasn't even stable, tech support's initial attitude was mostly "oh well".

Long version -

I've ordered two systems from AVADirect, one a gaming/performance machine and the other a powerful but modest typical desktop. Both have had problems, and while AVA has worked with me to resolve some (though really only after seeing this review), I am still dissatisfied overall with AVADirect.

The entire reason I ordered the gaming rig from AVA is that I did not want to go through the hassle of building it myself, but I wish I had. It took them over a month to ship my order (despite the advertised 1-2 weeks), but in all that time I never had any feedback from them. When I called to ask, I was told that there was no problem with the build or any of the parts, but was not given any reason for the delay. When the system finally arrived, I unpacked it and hooked it up - only to have it freeze in normal Windows operation every 3 minutes. This is a gaming rig and was supposed to be overclocked, so I examined the settings to see if the problem was there - in fact, the shipped settings were much lower than what was stated on my invoice and well under the hardware tolerances... and yet still not stable. Further investigation showed that AVA had installed two of the system fans incorrectly, and had actually routed wiring *through* another fan. I fixed those issues but still had to lower all the hardware to default settings for stability. So no testing or delivery of promised performance by AVA. After 4 rounds with their tech support saying "oh, guess it doesn't work, bye", I finally did get a small refund for the overclocking service, at least.

There have been many other problems with both systems, but I'll summarize them here: shipped HD was faulty on receipt (to be fair, support was quick and helpful with replacement); incorrect power cables were used for the gfx cards, leading to power-related instability; dual-channel RAM was installed in adjacent DIMMs; power supply failed after 5 months due to being installed upside-down (so it burned itself out).

Since I posted my initial review, I have had rounds and rounds of contact with AVADirect (they really, really don't like negative reviews). The CEO called me and offered to upgrade my then-broken power supply to a better version at no cost to me, and also offered possible additional upgrades/freebies to alleviate some of the frustration with this entire process. I do appreciate the offers, but the way they are presented is almost insulting - the CEO sent me an email saying sure, they'd replace my power supply (which died because of their installation), but I had to "return the favor" by updating this review... and later contacts were little better. I turned down the offers of other upgrades and free items because I didn't post this review to get a bribe, and poor customer management from the CEO didn't exactly reduce my frustration.

I have never had so many problems with any computer, even ones I have built myself for much less cost. For a basic system, AVA might be all right, and their support system is decent for such a build (quick replies, cross shipping on parts etc). For anyone looking for a gaming or performance-oriented system, though, I definitely cannot recommend them. Build quality matters much more in those machines, and theirs doesn't cut it. This entire experience has been a long one of frustration and disappointment, and I will not be buying from AVADirect again."

This review was modified by giblet37 on June 28 2008 07:24:57 AM

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1/5

posted Jan-13-2005

"My experience with this company was terrible.

I am the technology coordinator for a school district, so anything that ran on batteries or electricity I have purchased. I have never had a more negative experience than with this company.

I ordered 5 machines. None would start up. They were all dead on arrival! No power, nothing.

I e-mailed a complaint, but no matter what, it was going to be costly for my school. I fixed the problems myself.

When I e-mailed them about it, they blamed it on DHL and wanted to file a claim against them. I explained to him that it was the cheap case and case contents. The whole thing sounded like a scam.

The only thing these guys will guarantee is rude service and excuses, and there is no way I will do business with any company associated with AVAdirect.

They will not take responsibility for anything that goes wrong. If you order a machine from and it work fine. They are ok. But if something goes wrong, expect problems. I got five with no power, and then I no support.

I would stay away from this company and its many subsidiaries."

This review was modified by jkvapil on January 20 2005 11:29:37 AM

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5/5

posted Nov-02-2007

"The first thing I would like to state is, I never write a review about anyone, unless the company performs above and beyond all expectations, or a companies performance is so dismal that everyone needs to know about it. Having said that this review is for performance above and beyond expectations.

Part 1:
I called AVA Direct on a Monday to inquire about an Iwill (now Flextronics) 8503A barebones server. I wanted the server loaded with 8 CPUs/16 cores, 256GB of RAM and 6 146GB 80 pin Ultra320 SCSI drives. (No, this is not a gaming rig:) Also, I needed a Chenbro RM51224ML-1350H configured with an Intel motherboard, 2 Quad core CPUs, 16GB RAM, and 24 146GB SAS drives. Lastly, I needed 2 10 GbE CX4 ethernet cards to hook the to servers together. I asked them, can you have the boxes configured, tested and in my hands in Massachusetts by Thursday? They said WOW we’ll try. I said, if I can’t have it by Thursday that I would have to look elsewhere. (I really did have to have the computers within three days.) Long story short, they did it!

Part 2:
We received the computers on time and as requested. (Great job AVA.) As I put the boxes through their paces, I noticed serious performance issues. (I assumed it was a settings issue, e.g., the bios, the OS, etc…) Now AVA Direct is obviously a reseller, not a manufacturer, so my expectation was that they would put me in contact with someone from the manufacturer that would be able to help. That is exactly what they did. I was put in direct contact with someone in the manufacturers testing department. No trouble tickets to fill out, no phone tag and no email responses 48 hours later, just a direct contact that actually answered the phone. I’ll make this short, the manufacturer acknowledged the problem, but could not provide a solution. However, this had nothing to do with AVA Direct; they did everything possible to get things running correctly.

Part 3: (Here is the amazing customer service part.)
After failing to get one of the original severs running properly, I asked AVA Direct to purchase a different system from a different Manufacturer. I also asked to come to their facility in Cleveland, OH, to configure and test the system before I took delivery. They said no problem! This was on a Thursday. They ordered the system from the manufacturer and had it over-night delivered to their facilities in Cleveland. I flew in the next day, Friday, and the system was ready for me to configure. We were unable to complete the required testing on Friday (I called it a night at ~1:00 a.m.), so they opened the doors on Saturday, just for me! They fed me lunch and dinner too. They were willing to work as long as it took for me to say I’ll take the system or send it back. Amazing. Well, the system passed all the tests and I took it.

In closing I have to say that I will be purchasing everything I can, if possible, through AVA direct. I have met their entire management structure and have personally witnessed their operations in action. Without question, I would recommend AVA Direct, and if you are reading this review, I recommend them to you.

OUTSTANDING job AVA Direct, I couldn’t recommend you more!
"

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5/5

posted Nov-24-2009

"I normally have my husband build/customize my computers, but this time we decided to go with a custom builder for my Windows 7 PC. We are glad we did and very pleased we are a customer of AVA Direct. Our purchase went smoothly and our inquiries were answered promptly. My PC was ordered in mid-October and was received the first week of November.

The package arrived in fine condition and the PC was firmly packed and double boxed. My CPU cooler and other delicate parts in the tower were secured in the interior of the case with foam.

The PC was constructed as ordered and runs perfectly. The wiring was neat, professional and very well done. I am very satisfied with my purchase and would definitely buy from AVA again. The only real issue for me was the manner in which the software and hardware documentation was sent to me. It was all piled together in the motherboard box which was okay but messy. I sorted it all out. The manual came with some disk sleeves in the back. Some slots were empty and I would have thought it would have been a bit neater to put the disks in a holder and make the end product even more classy.

Overall, this was a very satisfying purchase."

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5/5

posted Feb-28-2007

"As a Project Manager for Lockheed Martin, Simulation, Training and Support (LM STS), we order many components from numerous vendors. AVADirect has provided customer sevice that I have not encountered from these other vendors. Their response time was immediate, technical support was excellent and AVADirect delivered a custom PC configuration on-time. AVADirect provided technical support in assistng us in putting together this custom PC. Their knowledege of PC components provided us with alternatives to components at the end of their life cycle and suggestions for new technology that was emerging. Their service from determining the best custon PC configuartion based on current and emerging technology, providing a quote and delivering the product was excellent."

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5/5

posted Apr-02-2007

"After looking for a builder to replace the defunct Monarch, I finally decided on AVA Direct because of the many positive reviews around the net as well as the number of options they provide (a good replacement to Monarch). After a few days of thinking about the configuration, I finally placed an order near the close of business on March 8th. On the morning of March 9th, I received an email regarding a credit card authorization form that had to be faxed back to them before the order could progress -- not a big deal for me but might be for some -- which was faxed back within a half hour or so and was acknowledged fairly quickly by AVA Direct and moved back to the processing stage.

I heard nothing until March 15th, which was basically a canned email telling me that there were no problems, that my order was being processed and included a brief rundown on the AVA process (presumably so I could understand why they don't ship out systems the day after placing the order which is strange given their target market).

On March 20th, I began to worry about the system getting out in time because I wanted to make sure my Vista Upgrade coupon was sent out and redeemed in time, so I contacted AVA Direct via their message board system inquiring as to when my system would ship out and expressing my concerns about the upgrade coupon. Within 5 minutes, Chris reponded back to me and indicated to me that my system was due to ship soon, that there were no problems and eased my concerns about the upgrade coupon. Unfortunately, a couple of hours later I received another response on the message board from Misha indicating there were some incompatibilities with the memory selected and the "G965 chipset." I'll assume "G965" was a typo on his part, but I have a hard time believing the excuse since I know someone who is running this exact board and memory combination without problem. In their defense, the board is a bit picky with memory, so I have no trouble believing they had trouble with it, but I don't think the diagnosis is really correct. In any event, they replaced it with a comparable pair of sticks, so I have no real complaint here except that it would've been nice to have this communicated earlier in the process and been given a choice regarding it.

On March 21st, my order shipped and it was delivered on the 27th. Upon arrival, I found the computer to be fairly well packed (double boxed) and with no visible damage (which was a shock given UPS' reputation). The massive NH-U12 was surrounded with foam to keep from being knocked around in shipping. The manuals, CDs, cables, etc. were placed in the original motherboard box which was fine with me. The wiring job on the inside was better than what I was expecting and certainly went beyond what I would've done had I simply built the system myself. I was pleasantly surprised to see that they had upgraded the board I ordered to a better version of it, though that was likely due to stock issues (not that I mind one bit!). My only problem is that the thumb screws for the side panel were missing (not installed and not included anywhere else) and the door seems to have lodged slightly open at some point before I received it -- not a huge deal, but a small detail missed.

Overall I'm pleased with my system. I feel I got fair value for the amount of money I spent and I was pleased with the quick responses from Chris to my inquiries. I am displeased with the lack of communication regarding the memory incompatibility... even giving them the benefit of the doubt that the memory just wouldn't work, it would've been nice to have been told so as soon as it was discovered so that I could make my own choice rather than being told the memory was substituted a day before it shipped. The few hiccups in the process aside, I pretty much got the exact system I wanted without having to be bothered much, which is exactly what I wanted so I'm very happy to this point."

This review was modified by csjeff on April 02 2007 10:16:05 PM

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3/5

posted Apr-30-2007

"The sales person over-promised and the customer service rep I spoke with was quite rude to me on the phone, but recent correspondence has been helpful.

Misha and Alex say that the shortcomings I experienced have been addressed so I'll just say, ask a lot of questions when you order and make sure you get everything in writing. If you have any questions, ask for Alex or Misha and they'll address them better than the call centers do."

This review was modified by jessiej on April 30 2007 12:51:05 PM

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5/5

posted Dec-10-2003

"We are a communications company and do alot of pc sales and upgrades and service work. Since finding AVA Direct online, I have been more than pleased with the service I have received. They provide great products at extremely competive prices. And am and will continue to do business with them."

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1/5

posted Dec-14-2006

"10/10/2007

It has been almost a year since I ordered my 2 gaming PCs, and now I have to modify my review. One of the PCs went dead. I used their web site to send a message to their technician, and did get a pretty quick response. After a discussion with Chris, we determined that I needed to ship the box back.

They had it back for over a week before they even looked at it. When they got around to it, they found the power supply was bad, and they made arrangements to replace it. They have now had my PC for 20 days and I don't even have so much as an ETA for when they will ship it back to me.

Their before-the-sale service was great, and I'll leave that part of my review up. But after the sale support is abysmal.

-----

Fantastic experience. Misha was a great help in selecting the parts. I knew much of what I wanted and he filled in the gaps. They had no problem getting any of the parts, and they even sent me photos of my system as they were building it.

I called them a few times about the order, and they always answered the phone promptly...usually after only 1 or 2 rings, and their caller-id system knew who I was. Very convenient.

After receiving my 2 systems I had a support question. Misha answered on the first ring, transferred me to support and they answered on the second. Then they helped me with my raid configuration and the issue was solved within 5 minutes.

I won't be going anywhere else for PC's. Their passion and skill in putting these systems together is second to none.
"

This review was modified by saluqi on October 10 2007 04:44:13 PM

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