By Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 1993, The Syracuse Newspapers
A local store owner recently complained that I was driving business
away by recommending mail-order bargains to readers. Not so, as
I will explain.
First, I have been recommending bargains, not mail-order bargains
as such.
I have repeatedly stated in the many years of these columns that
local stores can often offer a better deal when all aspects are
considered. That means price, service, warranty, and that difficult-to-define
quality that you sense when you can walk into a nearby store and
ask questions or get help face-to-face.
But let's face reality here. Mail-order companies usually sell
consumer products for less than local retail stores do. If you
shop on price alone—which is not necessarily a bad idea for
some products, as I'll get to later—you'll probably find the
best deal by mail-order. Check local stores first, however, since
they sometimes have close-outs that match the mail-order companies'
deals.
In general, I buy locally if the local store can come within 8
to 10 percent of the price of a mail-order purchase on a $1,000
item. For costlier purchases, I'd put that figure at 5 percent.
That assumes that the local store employs knowledgeable sales
and technical personnel. Many do, and some don't. Finding out
which ones fall into which category isn't easy, but you can start
by using my standard catch-the-dummy method.
As soon as you strike up a conversation with a sales representative,
ask this question: "What computer do you recommend?"
If the response does not include something resembling, "What
are you planning to use the computer for?" you should head
out the door. No one can offer help without knowing what you are
going to do with the item you want to buy.
When is it smart to shop on price alone? That's easy. If you already
know what you want and have no serious questions about the product's
reliability, mail-order buying can save a lot of money.
The best example in this category is a bulk purchase of floppy
disks.
Locally, prices range from about $13 to $33 for a box of 10 high-density
3.5-inch floppies. (Some stores may have deals that are better
than this, but I haven't seen them.) By mail, you can get the
same disks for $5.90 for 10 (when you buy at least 25) from one
reputable dealer I checked. You have to add the cost of shipping,
of course, but you're still way ahead by mail-order.
Modems, which are generally trouble-free, are also typical mail-order
bargains. So are hard disk drives.
A final caution: Many PC vendors insist on advertising computer
systems without a video monitor—without a screen, in other words.
A PC without a screen is a little more difficult to use, to say
the least.
I'm sure this practice will never end, but one thing I think should
be illegal is the ploy of picturing a full PC system (with monitor)
in an ad while giving a price that does not include the monitor.
If you see this sort of advertising malpractice, vote with your
wallet and buy elsewhere.
technofile:
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