Nil Points for P.C World (PC World)

Member Name: January

Product:	PC World
Date:	11/05/04 (1092 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: none

Disadvantages: not the same product as advertised, waiting around to be seen for over 25 mins

My computer has been playing up for quite a while now, not only did it get the Mydoom virus but certain files were then corrupt, so then it didn't run properly.
I rang AOL who helped as much as they could offering me advise on anti-virus programmes and over the phone consultation. This helped a lot but as I only had a second hand computer it was inevitable that it wasn't going to last for a long time. Having used it for a few months after it's guarantee.

So the other day I plugged it in, switched it on and bang, it blew the fuses in the plug and tripped the house electricity off. The smell of something like burning rubber wafted up from the little puff of grey smoke coming from my now dead computer was almost enough to make me cry.
I was cut off from the net. I felt isolated and the thought of not being able to get on line was too much for me, not only do I write on here and other sites like this one, I have a web page which makes money and sell on E bay and my daughter is taking her exams this year before leaving school to go to college, so getting a new computer was my first and only thought.

Now, I'm not the sort of person who likes to part with money at the drop of a hat and like to browse in all the shops before I finally make up my mind on which purchase I'm going to go for. So after trotting round the computer shops in Hereford, I came to the conclusion that a second hand computer might not last me long and the cost of them was around £200 with six months guarantee.
I didn't want to buy one out of the paper, so I found the last place to look was on the industrial estate where Curry's and P.C. World are situated.

Firstly I went into Curry's and had a look at the packages on offer, a monitor, keyboard, mouse and a base unit was on offer for £399.99 this was for an E machine make of computer, which I have not heard of before, so thinking that that was a good deal I went next door to P.C World
to see if they had a similar or cheaper offer.
When I walked into P.C World the layout of the shop was quite good and I could easily find where the computers were on the shelf, so my daughter who knows more about computers than me came with me to look at what was on offer.

Having a look at the computer packages was fun, not only do you get to look at the styles and design of the computers, mouse, monitor and keyboard, but you get to play on the computer and have a look at what Windows XP can do. As well, as taking in the prices and reading whatever leaflets are available.

We looked around at the various packages and I must say that it was nice to find that we weren’t hassled at all with any of the sales staff, which is quite a are thing these days. Usually you walk into a shop and they appear from no-where to try and sell you something you don’t want. Anyway after deciding that we wanted a Packard Bell computer with C.D Rewriter, Windows XP, monitor, mouse, speakers and keyboard I looked around for a sales assistant, who came over as soon as he noticed I was looking for someone.
This package was £399.99 the same as next door but then as I was talking to the sales assistant, out came some differences.
I wanted to pay for the computer monthly by direct debit with one of their payment plans. On the leaflet I read it said that the Smart plan was £11.70 a month, this sounded alright and within my price range, as I am working part time and can afford this amount.

So, having chosen the computer package I wanted, chose the price plan to suit my needs, got the attention of the sales assistant, we went to get the paperwork.
Now to get the computer I had to have two letters with my name and address on, bank card and bank details for the direct debit. This was all in order.
Then came the bits which started to make me wonder if I had walked into the right shop.
I was told that the smart plan monthly payments were o
nly available if you ran a business and are VAT registered, as I am employed and pay tax I didn’t qualify for this price plan, but the assistant kindly offered me another price plan at 24.5% A.P.R

Then he went to look at the computer I had chosen and came back to tell me that they only had the one on display, but that he could offer me another one for £375.99 but it only had half the memory and no monitor with it.
I said I really wanted a monitor to match the package as the one I have is old and wouldn’t look right with the new stuff. He then said he would throw in another monitor and charge me the same price of £399.99 which was the price of the other package anyway.
Then he totted up the total on his computer and the monthly payments came to £17.90 a month for four years, for a computer which had half the memory of the one I wanted and a different monitor.
I began to have doubts. He then said that he would get the sales manager to come over to see me and would I like to read about the price protection plan and gave me a booklet to read, which was about how to use the computer and what happens if it broke down ect.
25 minutes later I was still waiting, I had read the leaflet and then got bored of waiting so off I went next door to Curry’s.

I got the same computer package as the one I was going to buy from P.C World, except the one from Curry’s has double the memory
The price plan worked out at £11.04 a month and this includes a coverplan for 5 years, which means if it gets dropped, coffee spilt on it, blows up, stops working, ect, then Curry’s will come out to my house to mend it and if they can’t they will take it away to be mended or replace it if it can’t be mended.
Or they will help me over the phone if I need help with the windows XP or other problems I can’t work out.

So getting bored and walking out paid off.
I can’t believe the staff at P.C. Wor
ld had a customer in their shop which was not busy at the time, a customer who was willing to pay over £500.00 for a new computer, that day and they left her alone for 25 minutes until I got fed up of waiting and went next door to spend my money.
It turned out to be their loss, not mine.

I wouldn’t go there again and won’t be recommending them to you.
0 out of 10 for P.C World.

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