5/5

posted Dec-02-2011

The products were reasonably priced and in stock. Their rep answered the phone and took care of the order, and later responded to questions promptly and intelligently. Products were well packed and arrived on time.
All in all, a pleasant experience.

comment on review | report?

Is this review?… Helpful Cool Share

5/5

posted Nov-24-2011

RSOLPC.com, also called PS3RepairShop.com, repairs Sony Playstation 3 (PS3) game machines. PS3s are subject to the Yellow Light of Death (YLOD) and related problems due to thermal stress over time. This is often fatal, but RSOLPC claims to be able to repair about 85% of these machines using the "reball" procedure -- resoldering the graphics processor. If that fails, there's still a chance of a temporary fix by "reflowing" the solder on the whole board to give the owner time to recover data before the machine fails permanently.

In my case, the reball procedure failed, but the reflow succeeded, and all the data, including copy-protected game states were recovered. (The copy-protected data can be uploaded to a Playstation Network account.)

A few points worth noting:
* RSOLPC is very clear up front about the costs and likelihood of success.
* They stand behind their work. The repair is guaranteed for 90 days, and if the reball procedure fails, they credit back the repair cost ($99), and will attempt a reflow.
* If the $49 reflow fails, they reduce the charge to a $12.50 diagnostic charge + $12.50 return shipping.
* They take great care to preserve the data and system settings. They ask whether you want the PS3 firmware updated or left alone (PS3 "updates" tend to reduce functionality). They return the game disk that was stuck in the machine when it failed. They even transfer data to a USB Flash Drive that they provide as part of the service.
* They keep you informed of the state of the repair via emails. They will respond to phone calls, and they went out of their way to help me correct my mistake when I gave them the wrong ship-to address.
* The work was done on schedule. It took a couple of weeks for the whole process.

If you are stuck with a broken PS3, RSOLPC provides an excellent service for dealing with the problem.

comment on review | report?

Is this review?… Helpful Cool Share

5/5

posted Nov-05-2011

Bought a Braun Series 7-790cc Shaver there. It arrived in good condition the next day using the free shipping option. Excellent response to preliminary questions about whether it was in stock -- the phone rep. checked to be sure it was in the closest warehouse. Price was about 10% higher than that of the vast retailer named after a South American river, but well worth it for much better service.

comment on review | report?

Is this review?… Helpful Cool Share

5/5

posted May-10-2011

Ordered 3 12V 58 Ah lead acid batteries to repair a standby power supply. The batteries were shipped in a day at reasonable cost, considering the weight. Everything was as ordered and on time.

comment on review | report?

Is this review?… Helpful (1) Cool Share

5/5

posted May-10-2011

Ordered a Xerox multifunction printer and cartridge. The order took a couple of days to ship, and arrived on time and in new condition.

Email notification lagged actual shipping by a day or two. The web site happened to be undergoing maintenance when I called to check on the order, but I got right through to a very helpful telephone representative. (This was reassuring.)

Check the return policy carefully if you think you might want to return something -- shipping and a restocking charge will be deducted.

All in all, a very good experience.

comment on review | report?

Is this review?… Helpful Cool Share

5/5

posted Mar-14-2010

I ordered a switch and various transistors and capacitors in small quantities. All items were sent promptly. They don't tell you the shipping cost in advance, but it was US Priority Mail, and the cost was about as expected ($5.95 for a small box). I've ordered once before from Newark, and my experience was the same: no problems and prompt shipping.

I'm surprised that others found that they don't warn about back orders, and then they charge for subsequent shipments. That would be annoying. Maybe I've just been lucky.

So far, Newark has had items I can't find locally at reasonable prices. I really like the fact that they print details of the product (transistor type, current rating, etc.) on the packages. Saves trouble finding parts later on.

comment on review | report?

Is this review?… Helpful Cool Share

1/5

posted Mar-08-2010

Flaky hardware, flaky support.

My HP Envy 15 Notebook computer purchased in December, 2009 developed keyboard problems after one month. HP botched the repair job, damaging the keyboard and a thermal cable and scratched up the nice shiny case. (Doesn't anybody check their work before they ship?) After a month and a half it's on its third trip back. They've already used up 10% of my 1 year warranty with their bungling, and I've barely gotten the software set up.

Calling customer support is an exercise in frustration. They recently stalled a repair because they couldn't reproduce the latest problem (loose touchpad -- how hard can it be?), but they didn't tell me that until I called to find out the status. Did they put me through to the confused technician? No, they routed me to India, where someone wrote down the original problem description again.

Bottom line, the best you can hope to get from HP is the minimum guaranteed by their warranty, which isn't much. Heaven help you if anything goes wrong with an HP product.

Do yourself a favor: avoid HP.

comment on review | report?

Is this review?… Helpful Cool Share

5/5

posted Feb-24-2010

I noticed B&H Photo because of their support of a couple of camera review web sites, and I've ordered from them two or three times.

Recently I ordered a Canon PowerShot G11 camera, Speedlite flash and accessories for a gift. Everything arrived on time in great condition. Unfortunately, through no fault of B&H Photo's, I had to return the whole purchase. This was the first time I've returned anything to them, and I was pleased that they handled the return in a friendly and efficient fashion. This is a retailer I can recommend to everyone.

This review was modified by emptor on February 24 2010 02:05:05 PM

comment on review | report?

Is this review?… Helpful Cool Share

5/5

posted Sep-15-2009

Good selection, competitive prices, fast shipping. What more do you want? I needed some supplies to donate to my local high school. They had the right stuff in the right quantities at reasonable prices -- not rock bottom, but well off list price. (California sales tax collected.) I received my order in 2 days.

comment on review | report?

Is this review?… Helpful Cool (1) Share

5/5

posted Sep-05-2009

TheCellGuru.Com supplied the right OEM batteries for my LG VX5300 phones. The batteries were easy to find on the site, and ordering was straightforward. Shipping was inexpensive, prompt and well within the promised window (economy shipping left within 3 days and arrived a few days later). Prices are good, though not rock-bottom.
I am happy to have found this merchant.

This review was modified by emptor on September 05 2009 12:33:06 AM

comment on review | report?

Is this review?… Helpful Cool Share

5/5

posted Dec-10-2008

Great products; great service!

I ordered a replacement fan for my northbridge heatsink. Finding the right size, speed, bearing type and configuration (I need tachometer output) on the web was not easy, so I was delighted to find that Sidewinder Computer Systems carried exactly what I wanted, from the two manufacturers with the best reputations, and none of the unreliable sleeve-bearing fans offered elsewhere.

My order was shipped less than 24 hours after I placed it and it arrived just a couple of days later.

comment on review | report?

Is this review?… Helpful Cool Share

5/5

posted Aug-28-2007

I was quite pleased with VoltDepot's service.

I needed a replacement battery for a Sony Vaio laptop, about one year old. VoltDepot's web site didn't have the laptop model, but it did list the battery model.

A helpful sales person confirmed that the battery would be compatible, and that, though the stock status was "on order", the battery was expected in a day or two. Sure enough, the order shipped in two days and I received it in less than a week. The battery works fine (which is more than I can say for the overpriced Sony battery).

comment on review | report?

Is this review?… Helpful Cool Share