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- RichPowers, on 10/12/2007, -4/+29Easiest way to avoid ***** tech retailers: shop online. Cheaper, faster, and no annoying salespeople.
Oh, and as a general rule: do your research and be a proactive consumer (aka common sense). Don't know why people need a blog to tell 'em that. - Blarbo, on 10/12/2007, -2/+18Generally I agree, but returning items bought online is a major pain in the ass, and almost always the customer is stuck paying return shipping.
- EricAnderton, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12"what do consumers have against success?"
It's not about fiscal jealousy or even personal achivement. It's about honesty, and getting what you pay for.
A company with a product worth a damn wouldn't drop to the tactics mentioned in the article; nor would they have to. Most of these techniques rely on the customer being ignorant, and skirting around the letter of the law to ensure that they remain so - all in the name of fatter margins and higher profits. - ZackScott, on 10/12/2007, -3/+12If you read the article, you would know it isn't against companies being successful. It is about how consumers can deal with the annoying things companies do.
- Blarbo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9@zybch
Well, most of the time you have to drive to a shipping place to drop off the package, so you have to drive AND pay shipping. - thcobbs, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8The only bad experience I had at Best Buy was when I bought my iPod Mini. I was watching the total ring up, not paying a lot of attention. I was about to sign my name and the total looked wrong.... it seemed too high, even considering local sales taxes.
The bastard who was ringing me up was applying the warranty anyway without asking. I told him that I didn't want it, and he went through this whole deal about him not being able to remove it and having to call over the manager. All this with about 5 people in line behind me.
So I told him he can either get the warranty off there, or they can keep the iPod. It was amazing how fast that warranty came off the bill, and no manager was required. - Buddhist, on 10/12/2007, -3/+101. Draconian Contracts
2. DRM
3. Feature Crippling
4. Unfriendly Customer Service
5. Format Wars
6. Companies Suing Their Customers
7. Overzealous Retention
8. Pushing Extended Warranties and Protection Plans - ZackScott, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8The only time I've ever had success with an extended warranty was with a monitor. In high school my mom got me an eMachine computer package that came with a monitor, and she got the warranty on it. To be honest, the computer had no problems at all, but the monitor went out 3 times and Best Buy repaired it each time. Unfortunately, the 4th time it went out, the 3-year mark was up, so I just got a new Viewsonic that hasn't given me any problems. Unless you consider it a problem that it's still a CRT.
- ZackScott, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6@ImTheDarkcyde
They have sued more than one person who didn't even download music or own a computer. But I'm sure they owned a CD or two. The same goes with people who were sued for actually downloading music. I don't know anyone who downloads music and does not also buy CDs. - threepio, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Or you could shop online at the websites of the retailers whose associates you hate and have the easy option of returning defective items to the store for a full refund including shipping.
I'm just saying. It's not like I do this for a living or anything. - mateo60, on 10/12/2007, -4/+9Sorry, I just realized that I'm an idiot. I didn't need to post that.
- threepio, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5I would have grabbed a manager anyway. That's an integrity thing and it's a termination level offense. You probably could have snagged a giftcard out of it as well.
- Thataboy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Thank you, I was going to say the same thing. Someone has to be 31 flavors of retarded to think AAC is "apple proprietary".
- smergs, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4And don't be a dumb ass like I was when I bought my TV. You can ALWAYS talk the retailer down. Especially if you walk in carrying cash. It cost them money to process credit cards. So that right there is another reason why they can give you a better price if you pay with cash. Not to mention the markup! I didn't know that when I bought my TV though. Never buy that fancy new HDTV on credit either. If you want it, you wait until you have the cash to spare. Seriously, it'll save you tons of money in the long run.
- RandomEngy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5I'm using Virgin Mobile. 18 cents per minute straight up works out to like $12 per month for me and it's awesome. The only problem is that it's kind of marketed at the "yo what up dawg" crowd.
- deadbaby, on 10/12/2007, -0/+39) Offering features (on paper) that the product only offers half ass support for
10) Dropping support for an old model prematurely to push a newer model - MikeMacMan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3@TheReport
Have you ever heard of a joke? Maybe even "we don't want to get sued so we're going to say it like this"? - chesterjosiah, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I dugg you up, Buddhist, for the nice summary. But this article is well-worth the read. He gives lots of awesome solutions. My favorite is the workaround to #1 (two-year contracts with cell phone companies). One thing he says is to check out Celltradeusa.com or CellSwapper.com, where you can trade your contract out to someone else! I had never heard of those.
- brstilson, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"So I told him he can either get the warranty off there, or they can keep the iPod. It was amazing how fast that warranty came off the bill, and no manager was required."
That's funny. If you were in the store I worked at, they would have said "fine, see ya." In fact, the only reason they didn't say that is because there were people behind you. Best Buy only values customers that buy the warranties. People make the mistake of thinking that the store gives two ***** about them b/c they're buying a computer. Here's a fact: you're only making the store about $10, if it's not marked down for a loss. They don't care about the $10 customer, they care about the $250 warranty-buying customer. - bdbr, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Sure, AAC isn't proprietary, but it seriously limits your hardware choices for home, portable & car players. Its still good advice to avoid it. Someone has to be "31 flavors of retarded" to think it isn't going to get in the way.
- grinin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2It seems like people are just posting everything and anything they can find that has yet to be posted on digg..... WHY!?
- samuelcotterall, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2It's just that people Digg everything they see with the word "Tech" and a number before they open it.
I thought the article was sparse, poorly written and not particularly well researched: "Use your neighbor’s Wi-Fi — the RIAA will come knocking on their door!"
I think the solution is "Buy records". - 4815162342, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4So true about the warranties. I remember buying a new digital camera and they asked me if I wanted some extended warranty in case I "dropped" it. I told them no. The clown in front of me bought a 2 year warranty for the two cordless phones he was buying. $12 warranty for each. How much were the phones? LOL.
- RuddO, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2MP3, AAC and WMA are all proprietary, and patented. MP3 and AAC are about the same in terms of closeness, while WMA is even more closed.
If you want something really open, you should be using Ogg Vorbis instead. I do. It simply sounds better, and it's completely free.
When I need to listen to music on my mOcean (Palm app), I simply drag the tracks from my Amarok collection to the portable media player box. They get transcoded automatically on their way to the device. Same goes when recording music CDs.
You can get all the benefits of freedom, and convenience, at the same time. - mateo60, on 10/12/2007, -7/+9http://duggmirror.com/tech_news/The_8_Ways_The_Tech_Industry_Tries_To_Screw_Us_m_And_How_To_Avoid_Them
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3You'll always be better off buying the extended warranty from the manufacturer rather than the retailer!
- dcmjzero, on 10/12/2007, -7/+9http://www.duggmirror.com ?
- dcmjzero, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2i got a replacement for $125 wireless keyboard/mouse set after the ESC button on the keyboard stopped working. it was over a year after i bought it. for some things (like a non-waterproof keyboard intended for living room with clumsy people who spill things), it is a good idea.
- Blarbo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Best Buy's customer service is horrible. I was returning a hard drive impulse buy from Black Friday, and I had to wait in line for 30 minutes when there were only about 7 people in line. I gave the supervisor a tongue lashing, but he didn't give a *****.
If we had pulled that stunt at the service desk at the Target I used to work at, we would have been yelled at something fierce. (not that Target is the model of perfection) - mateo60, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4@mcflynnthm
I'll be more clear. For example, if you buy an Apple notebook from Bestbuy, and not buying the Best Buy warranty. Instead, calling Apple and buying the Applecare Warranty. Or, I know Toshiba offers their own extended warranties as an alternative to the Best Buy warranty.
I've used Applecare and in MY experience, Applecare is wonderful. However, I was wondering if anyone else had purchased the Extended Warranties from other manufacturers instead of purchasing the BB or Circuit City one. I'm curious if its a better experience than the Best Buy one. - striker1211, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3lol i love those amped mobile commercials:
It's da ***** dawg, dat jus cool. And thats why i got amped yo.
Oh, and because all the reputable contract phone companies require credit or a *gasp* deposit. - mateo60, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3I had a hellish experience with Best Buy's product replacement plan. It was with a notebook. As terrible as the experience was, it seems like buying the product replacement plan is a necessary evil if you're going to buy a notebook computer from them.
However, I know certain manufacturers (Toshiba comes to mind) offer extended warranties, no matter where you buy the machine. Does anyone have experiences with these extended warranties? - mcflynnthm, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2@mateo:
I dunno if this is what you mean, but I got my MacBook Pro through CDW and the warranty stuff is still all through Apple. - threepio, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2It does cover accessories - and it covers manufacturers defects.
The strap breaking is certainly a defect. The strap being cut, however or you tossing the remote into a wall, would not be.
The remote being tossed into a wall and breaking due to a faulty strap? Grey area, but probably covered as a courtesy. - perryjp, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4Wait, did anyone here actually learn anything from this article? All it did was rehash old news and repeat logic a 6 year old could tell anyone...
LAME... buried - LordOfTheSponge, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I never buy the warranties.
I figure with all the warranty money I have saved the past 15 years or so I can buy anything if it happens to break. - AZNL473ncy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I like how they allude to bittorrent and Azerus.
We don't know what is is but it seems very popular. (good way to save their ass from lawsuits)
Good guide altogether. - deviouskoopa, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2The Vincent Ferrari AOL recording is hilarious: "I'm trying to help you sir." "Well you're annoying the ***** out of me..."
I guess the article was alright too, could've been better. - BigSlacker, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Well, that was a lame list. I guess I was expecting something actually about the tech industry and not the consumer retail industry. If those little things really cause you problems, I'd stay far away from buying a car, furniture, or a house.
- Rsulliv1, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I have to partially disagree about the warranties also.
I bought a warranty for a receiver from CC in 1998. The warranty has yearly cleanings, three fixes = new unit. What's more is if you need your unit replaced, you get the equivalent model; not the price equivalent.
I've had poor quality service from CC (they once claimed that they dropped my receiver off a loading dock while it was out for service.. added two extra weeks), but if my unit comes back not satisfactory, I just turn right back to the store and drop it off again. Then, like I said, after three fixes for the same issue, you get a new unit.
For some things... mainly receivers and speakers, I believe that the warranty is a must. Not for phones, computers, headphones, etc... - artman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Beware of the term "Virtually".
- MikeMacMan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1They forgot number 9. Just avoid Best Buy completely.
- theblackgecko, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I bought a Dell laptop last year. Dell replaced the heat sink and hard drive in July, which didn't really fix its problems. In November, they replaced the motherboard.
I've got another two years of warranty on that laptop. The way I figure it, by the time the warranty expires, it's time to upgrade to a new laptop anyway. So, it's a great insurance policy. - weddle, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Big thumbs up for the link to Gethuman.com
Man can I use this!!! - thcobbs, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1And you would have forever lost a customer. Not to mention, you would likely end up being fired after I started a digg article, called the CEO, and just made a total ass out of the company.
- grinin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Here are my thoughts on the MPAA and RIAA...
If you want people to stop downloading your movies and music, than start producing something worth the money for parking/ticket prices and we'll see it.
I've downloaded movies in the past, and the ones I like... I either go see in the theater, buy the DVD, or both....
Same goes for music... ive downloaded music... If I like what I hear, I want to pay for the high quality stuff!!
Come on... the cocaine dealers know the formula, why dont you?! - brstilson, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"Thank you, I was going to say the same thing. Someone has to be 31 flavors of retarded to think AAC is "apple proprietary"."
Good point. People should know that AAC is Advanced Audio Codec, not Apple Audio Codec - jtown, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Buying online doesn't insulate you from warranty-pushers and upsellers. Ask anyone who's shopped at one of those NY/NJ stores that's always on the low end of pricegrabber's lists for cameras, TVs, and other electronics. You get a call/email the next day to "confirm" your order. They try to sell overpriced accessory packages, extended warranties, etc. using lies like, "The battery that comes with the camera only lasts 20 minutes." Then they offer a no-name battery at full retail price for the name-brand item and act like they're giving you a deal.
I've bought from those places three times. Each time, only when the cost savings was very significant. Saved 25% on a camera, 20% on a very nice camcorder, and 30% on a TV. Each time, I had to get through to upsell and cross my fingers, hoping they didn't decide they were suddenly out of stock and that. And, if they shipped a product, hope that it wasn't grey-market. So far, I'm 3 for 3 but I only deal with those companies as a last resort. It's rarely worth the hassle/risk. - aurorous, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Let's not forget that the riaa is also currently making the case that just because you bought a CD doesn't mean your not a criminal if you listen to it on your ipod.
Since every CD I've ever bought in my life is sitting in my closet after I ripped them to my ipod which took me 3 days to do by the way. by their own definition I'm a criminal.
Read for yourself:
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060215-6190.html - ZackScott, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2@mateo60 (I thought I was replying, but I guess I wasn't)
See my reply to 4815162342's comment.
In other news, Best Buy tried to sell me a warranty on my Wii. Nintendo's warranty covers well over a year (if you register it), so I decided to just stick with what it came with. But in hindsight, I should have gotten it and just broke my wriststrap every week to get a new Wiimote. They said it covered everything in the box! -
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