UK Online Stores

[EnglandJoe]

Where's the best place to go to buy upgrades for my PC? I'll be upgrading:

*my video card so it can handle video editing packages better

*my processor (because it just needs upgrading),

*my motherboard (because it can't handle a better processor),

*my hard disk (the 80gig just doesn't do it for me any more)

*and maybe ill buy a dvd rom to help me through the lonely nights (porn just doesn't do it any more)

So it would probably seem like buying a new unit would be a better idea, but I'll be upgrading in dribs and drabs.

Any suggestions?

[GNEP]

Reasonably randomly between:

http://www.ebuyer.com/

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/

http://www.kustompcs.co.uk/

http://www.scan.co.uk/

http://www.dabs.com/

and probably also

http://www.komplett.co.uk/

http://www.microwharehouse.co.uk/

If you were in London, I would've recommended http://www.antechdirect.co.uk/ but then you're not

Basically, similar service from each. Just remember never to order anything that isn't in stock RIGHT NOW. And watch out for incl/exl VAT and also P&P costs. Just check prices with them all. All online UK retailers have pretty crappy RMA, but you pay less to begin with - personally, I just treat everything I order as replaceable at my own cost...

[Paddy]

To be honest they are all much of a muchness.
Overclockers are usually the cheapest but they have an appalling RMA service - I have even driven up from Leicester to Stoke because it was quicker than waiting in their phone queue!!!

Dabs tends to be more expensive, but has more in stock, and in my experience has the best RMA.

I'd just cost the lot at each place and then go for the cheapest.

Just don't buy one bit from each as the delivery charges will easily negate any savings

I usually end up doing a road-trip and picking it up in person - hey i'm inpatient!

[Taz]

KustomPC's, not the cheapest but definitely the best

[Fat Tone]

I'm usually shopping for systems, so it often comes down to who makes it easy to navigate and find everything. Some shops have the cheapest price on the first item you search for, then its such a pain to find anything else I give up. Dabs is the worst I can think of for that! Dabs also have a disgusting returns policy - they only do refunds, not replacements, which could make the shipping costs disproportionate if you re-order the one item from them.

Scan make it nice and easy, and today I used www.microdirect.co.uk for the first time. They seemed to have a good navigation system and were the only people to have everything I wanted in stock. Prices were very competitve too.

www.simply.co.uk deserve a mention too. www.savastore.co.uk have been good, with most things arriving next-day.

[breezer]

watford/savacstore are very good,
The last mobo I ordered arrived the next day on their cheapest postage.

You may have to buy md/proc/mem together as your at the limits of your current board so a bundle may be the best. If you go for a pci-express you will also need a new graphics card right away as well.

Have a look at the local computer fair though, there are sometimes good deals.

Breezer

[borat]

As people have said, they are all much of a muchness, ive had many good dealings with dabs, and then they sent me a 'processor' once which i opened only to find an empty box. They refused to refund me as they said they never send empty boxes despite the weight before sending being zero on the invoice. Went to Credit card company - got refund.
Ebuyer - again good, had to RMA a faulty product, had to pay return post costs, but it was speedy.
Overclockers - never had any problems, but their postage costs are pretty high.

I cant understand why in a tiny country like britain it is not standard to offer free shipping, look on the US websites and most of them offer some sort of free shipping and the country is huge compared to the UK.

The UK has a massive comparitive advantage in haulage, 60 million people living in a tiny space, and yet we destroy it by pricing petrol to such an extent it negates our distance advantage in moving things around. And our populous then just blame it on "not being very good at doing things".
Rant over

[J1NG]

Dabs, Scan and Insight for the majority of stuff I buy. Rainbow-It, if you're looking for more difficult to obtain stuff.

I've never had to refund/return/service much, but generally it's for warranty items. At Dabs. Genereally their service is good. Nearly some 10 things I bought from them in the last 6 years that needed sorting out. 8 of them were done really quickly and well by Dabs. But when they get pig headed, they're really crap. (So be aware of this).

The other 2 times were absolute F*ch. CDROM Drive wouldn't read any data discs (Games, Windows, etc), their engineers supposedly tested it and said it was OK, it worked for them (Yeah, give me the stuff they smoke, and I'm sure I can the world spin in weird ways too ). This was during times when CDROM drives costed £40.

PSU blew, under warranty, they collected the PSU AND the case (which costed £118 back then) and never had a word or saw the replacement they said they were gonna get me for weeks. In the end refunded me, but it was the old price. The case costed some £20 more at this point to buy again. (Never did though, went somewhere else).

Essentially, good overall, but they do have their moments. And it can be so fustrating when you do get them.

J1NG

[The PIT]

Dabs and Scan have a very bad rep for returns. Last time Scan forgot to return my CPU. I got it in the end after talking to a bemused tech support.

Scan also have a probably illegal terms of sale so if you use Barclay card best of luck trying to get a refund with their help.

Watford also have a bad rep as being uncontactable when trying to return goods.

[roadie]

I have used Komplett quite a lot fairly recently and have had good service from them. They accepted a rma of my broken 9800se quickly and you can always get a wuick response on any issues by using thier customer care forum on hexus.

[Fat Tone]

Well the stuff from mircodirect was brought by Amtrak this morning (wifey missed it, trying again later).
Assuming it is all there, the only problem I have with them the the almost complete lack of communication - I've heard nothing since getting the order confirmation, not even a reply to an email asking for a parcel tracking number. You can track the purchasing/packing process on their website though.

[EnglandJoe]

Thanks for all the helpful responses guys, I'm going to look into each of these when my paycheck comes in.