Futureshop = Ripping Off honest customers

[kuqdew]

Do you guys ever feel kinda sorry for the people who fix/upgrade their computers at Futureshop?

I dont blame them, they don't know any better. The average citizen knows barely squat about computers.

I was at Futureshop today, and I saw a old man paying $200 for a 256MB PC133 upgrade on his computer.

I got them on sale for $15 a stick + free installation on kijiji!!
(BTW, ***)

Didn't bother him however as the transaction was done.

Pretty lame... :|

[ItemFinder]

Some people value time over money. Why pay a Jiffy Lube to change your oil when you can do it yourself and save money? While computers are ubiquitous in our society, it's not reasonable to assume everyone has enough basic knowledge to conduct computer upgrades. Especially with delicate components like memory sticks, any small electrical discharge would render your hardware useless.

[doberman_baby]

Do you guys ever feel kinda sorry for the people who fix/upgrade their computers at Futureshop?

I dont blame them, they don't know any better. The average citizen knows barely squat about computers.

I was at Futureshop today, and I saw a old man paying $200 for a 256MB PC133 upgrade on his computer.

I got them on sale for $15 a stick + free installation on kijiji!!
(BTW, ***)

Didn't bother him however as the transaction was done.

Pretty lame... :|

FS and BB are the worst place to buy ... unless you are desp. Having learned the lesson back in 91, every chance I can use PM at FS, I will take advantage of it (especially its old PM policy). Ever since the change, several years ago, the current PM policy, I have not bought a single item from either one of them.

FS & BB have the worst CS ...

[KorruptioN]

FS & BB have the worst CS ...

I've never regarded their customer service as being bad, but the services they offer and the style of retail that they strive toward turn me away. I know plenty of knowledgeable staff who work at FS and BB.

[Furiae]

Some people value time over money. Why pay a Jiffy Lube to change your oil when you can do it yourself and save money? While computers are ubiquitous in our society, it's not reasonable to assume everyone has enough basic knowledge to conduct computer upgrades. Especially with delicate components like memory sticks, any small electrical discharge would render your hardware useless.

Repeat after me. $200, PC133, 256MB.

Besides, if they made enough money to overlook that you'd think they would know someone who does this type of thing.

[Jon Lai]

FS and BB are the worst place to buy ... unless you are desp. Having learned the lesson back in 91, every chance I can use PM at FS, I will take advantage of it (especially its old PM policy). Ever since the change, several years ago, the current PM policy, I have not bought a single item from either one of them.

FS & BB have the worst CS ...

Huh? I believe FS and BB never had a new and old PM policy.. you were thinking about Staples?

[Impossibles]

How is this any different than a plumber charging $200 for unclogging a drain?

Its a free market. People are able to charge or pay however much they want. Its not like they have a monopoly on computer upgrades...quite the opposite.

You know what bugs me? People complaining about big companies simply because they are big companies.

[woof]

It's really none of your business what other people pay for stuff.

Worry about yourself.

[Frankie3s]

Don't worry about that guy, think of all the times you took one and didn't even know it. We all take one each time we get our pay check after deductions. >:(

[Aznsilvrboy]

Repeat after me. $200, PC133, 256MB.

Besides, if they made enough money to overlook that you'd think they would know someone who does this type of thing.

Haha that first line made me laugh. I agree that FS and BB are the worst places to buy computer parts and/or service, but like others have said. The general population don't know any better and it's not their fault. installing a stick of ram is considered a "technical" job in most people's eyes, not to mention having to figure out what type of ram you need.

In the case of the old man, he wasn't even born in the era of modern computers...he's excused.

[Mendesb]

what are you guys talkin abt?

The other day I saw Future Shop selling a 32 inch LCD HDTV (insigna brand) for 599.
Best Buy was sellin for 649.
On their website they price match with 10% off.
Itll be 550 then you can find gift cards here with 10% off no prob.
Then you got the coupons.
It basically comes to 550$ including taxes for a brand new LCD HDTV with the warranty?

How is the price match poor? not understanding.

Kinda off topic i know w.e

Also I know nothing abt comps.. but in the case of the old man. There are people out there (i know some ppl pisses me off) who prefer to go to a "Big Store" where they "know what they are doing" and give you a "warranty" on their job. They dont mind paying 200% more. Makes no sense to me. the people there (no offence to the workers) are not always really skilled. I know for a fact ull find better people on kijiji and stuff. (there are the amazing people at Fs/BB but not everyone)

[rogeryen]

How is this any different than a plumber charging $200 for unclogging a drain?

Its a free market. People are able to charge or pay however much they want. Its not like they have a monopoly on computer upgrades...quite the opposite.

You know what bugs me? People complaining about big companies simply because they are big companies.

a lot different when you pay 200 dollars for a 10 second job that requires hardly any tools(a screwdriver at most), obviously when a plumber unclogs a drain he isn't gonna do it barehand.
it would be a lot more reasonable if they charge ~$30 for the installation.

[iamnotamerican.com]

a lot different when you pay 200 dollars for a 10 second job that requires hardly any tools(a screwdriver at most), obviously when a plumber unclogs a drain he isn't gonna do it barehand.
it would be a lot more reasonable if they charge ~$30 for the installation.

Yes, it's steep, however it's anything but a rip off. Why? Presumably the customer received a quote and was happy with it.

Kinda like going to a restaurant. You go to McDonalds, you can get a cheeseburger & frieds for about $2.50. Go to Red Robin, you pay $10. Go to a 5 star restaurant and they'll sell you a cheeseburger if you ask for it, but expect to pay in the area of $30. With no fries.

You get what you pay for, and you pay for what you want.

Just because you don't like what someone is charging, doesn't mean there's anything wrong with what they are charging.

[bigluke]

a lot different when you pay 200 dollars for a 10 second job that requires hardly any tools(a screwdriver at most), obviously when a plumber unclogs a drain he isn't gonna do it barehand.
it would be a lot more reasonable if they charge ~$30 for the installation.

i work for futureshop...
the upgrade price for memory install is $24.99
what you probably didnt see, and don't care to mention is he probably had a computer full of viruses ($69.99 for removal, re-format copmputer and re-load) from the kids/grandkids downloading that the computer techs took off, they probably recommended windows one care, norton, or mcafee ($50-$70) if thats the case, the total you were seeing is the result of all the work done, not installing ram...
we'd have a hard time selling a $49.99 stick of memory for $200 installed
as always, check your facts guys....

[5abSingh]

a lot different when you pay 200 dollars for a 10 second job that requires hardly any tools(a screwdriver at most), obviously when a plumber unclogs a drain he isn't gonna do it barehand.
it would be a lot more reasonable if they charge ~$30 for the installation.

So you're saying that when a plumber charges you an exhorbitant amount of money, he/she is entitled to because they used several tools (that you probably have in your garage) to complete the job? And since Futureshop only used a screwdriver, they shouldn't be allowed to charge as much? What about the knowledge that the technician had about selecting the right RAM and the correct installation procedures? Is there no value for that? The onus should be on the consumer to ensure that they understand the value of the services they are receiving. If you're not comfortable with paying a certain amount for a service or product that you know can be had for a cheaper price somewhere else, then don't pay it and then go and argue that the cost of the job is a lot less than what you payed. I'm sure the customer understood that he had no clue what was wrong with his computer or what needed to be done to fix it. Because of this, he was willing to pay a premium for Futureshop to tell him what was wrong and then fix it for him. Every time I see someone complaining about how Company X is a rip-off because they charge so much more than another place, or because they sell a product at a 200% profit margin, or something along those lines, I wonder "who is holding the gun to this person and forcing them to buy from this company?"

At the end of the day when all is said and done, a company is in to make money, not to lose out because the customer wants to have the best product on the market at a lower-than-feasible (from a financial perspective) price.

[brunes]

... Especially with delicate components like memory sticks, any small electrical discharge would render your hardware useless.

This is a laugh and a half. When have you ever heard of static discharge disabling RAM, ever? Take a stick of ram and walk across a carpet with woll socks dragging your feet, it will be fine.

[brunes]

a lot different when you pay 200 dollars for a 10 second job that requires hardly any tools(a screwdriver at most), obviously when a plumber unclogs a drain he isn't gonna do it barehand.
it would be a lot more reasonable if they charge ~$30 for the installation.

It is the same thing though. How much will a plumber charge to replace your U-bend? $200? $300? You can buy it for less than $10 and it also requires no tools, only a hand tightening and possibly some ABS cement.

The value is in the fact that either you don't have the know-how to do the work yourself, or you don't have the time to bother with it.

[bly]

I like shopping at FS and BB. Granted there are a few CSR's that don't know much about their product but overall, I can't complain. I've returned stuff with no hassle and some CSR's are friendly when you're friendly to them.

My only peeve is with the 'older' workers. They seem to be more an@l about things.

[Red_Army]

How is this any different than a plumber charging $200 for unclogging a drain?

Its a free market. People are able to charge or pay however much they want. Its not like they have a monopoly on computer upgrades...quite the opposite.

You know what bugs me? People complaining about big companies simply because they are big companies.

hold on now.......that is not to be comapred one bit....the so called "geek squad" usually dont have to go to trade school for 5 years to become a member of the geek squad

nor do they have to pay thousands of dollars for drainage snakes

[Red_Army]

It is the same thing though. How much will a plumber charge to replace your U-bend? $200? $300? You can buy it for less than $10 and it also requires no tools, only a hand tightening and possibly some ABS cement.

The value is in the fact that either you don't have the know-how to do the work yourself, or you don't have the time to bother with it.


dont generalize plumbers please...there are people who over charge for the sake of over-charging no matter what service they provide....and there are people who charge an honest amount

ohh and you also forgot to factor in travel
and please "u-bend"....it is called a trap

[rogeryen]

.
.
.
At the end of the day when all is said and done, a company is in to make money, not to lose out because the customer wants to have the best product on the market at a lower-than-feasible (from a financial perspective) price.

But 200 is not feasible for a simple upgrade, <30 would be feasible. But as the FS worker above said, if it's $200 for all that crap to do done, then it would be "fair"(but I would've charged ~$50). But if it's really $200 for a ram and installation, then I feel sorry for the old guy because he can get a computer for $200 that has way better parts than PC133's.

[trixR4kids]

Based on this thread, i have reached the conclusion that MDG should close by tommorow.

Btw, i read the title of this thread and now im wondering, how did op know the customer was even honest to begin with? All he did was stand in line, and see him get charged like $200 for a ram install. Unless the old guy was dressed like a pope or sth then i understand.

[trixR4kids]

This is a laugh and a half. When have you ever heard of static discharge disabling RAM, ever? Take a stick of ram and walk across a carpet with woll socks dragging your feet, it will be fine.


Fyi...
Static electricity is the bane of RAM; one zap can fry the fragile chips in an instant, so stay away from carpet if you can and at the very least touch a grounded metal object to discharge static before handling any RAM.
just thought i'd pull this up... So guys... plz don't drag your ram across a carpet.

original article: http://www.smartcomputing.com/Editorial/article.asp?article=articles/2004/w1510/30w10/30w10.asp&guid

[ItemFinder]

:arrowu: Exactly. brunes is ******** for thinking ESD doesn't exist.