500GB External hard drive for backing up files, £50 delivered

Nice deal, even compared to international prices.

thetartankilt wrote: »

I have used Ebuyer many times over the last few year, but my experience was far from pleasant.

Basically, Ebuyer's main warehouse don't understand how to pack goods in boxes to protect them during transit delivery to you. When hard disks are shipped to customers, hard drive manufacturers insist on the disks being shipped in foam-padded boxes to avoid shocks. One of Ebuyer's warehouses packaged the disk perfectly, but their main warehouse shipped the other drive in a courier's plastic bag, which when delivered was dead on arrival.

To make matters worse, Ebuyer make use of CityLink for deliveries. With the same delivery, the 'courier' did their age old trick to finish work early by leaving a card "we called while you were out" - at my OFFICE.

I visited the ChityLink depot where it took them 25 minutes to locate my packages. When I received them, 2 boxes had been hideously crushed, partially impacting the contents.

I made a complaint to Ebuyer, and they offered to pick up the dead disk, and ship a replacement. Sadly, Ebuyer sent a replacement disk - in the same BAD packaging, and ChityLink repeated their poor service.

But wait, there's more! I tried calling the ChityLink depot, and found the Edinburgh depot is now in Livingston, which further impacted the delivery.

I tried contacting Ebuyer to complain, but the only way to contact them is to telephone their 10 pence per minute telephone number, and to have some less-than-useful telephonist saying "oh, we're sorry", just use the web site to return the item".

I logged a complaint with CityLink, and warned them of my experience.

As a result of this this year's experience, I am out of pocket [having to pay for shipping the replacement disk back to them, and travel to the CityLink depot] and having to deal with the unprofessional CityLink company.

I now avoid the Ebuyer company.
Your Mileage May Vary .... caveat emptor

Citylink are dreadful. I've had problems with them twice recently. Both times with computer equipment, the same monosyllabic neanderthal has turned up, asked me if I could come down from the 2nd floor to collect it. I said no as I had a small baby asleep in the flat. He then grunted again and said he wasn't coming up in the lift as he didn't trust it, so would put it in the lift and send it up. I went to the lift and heard him literally throw it in (thankfully my hard drive was OK). And of course he didn't get a signature. Lazy git.

My own experience with eBuyer was a negative one. I had purchased a router from them which could not be persuaded to work. Their idea of technical support was to refer me to an ADSL forum! Despite several attempts to contact their returns department by phone and being kept on hold (I wish I had known about SAYNOTO0870 back then), I was never able to get through. An email was sent to them within their advertised "no-quibble returns" period, yet a refund was never forthcoming.

I buy complete computer systems for self-assembly, and de-bug other peoples systems on a regular basis. I have never had these difficulties with my other suppliers. I voted with my feet, and would suggest others do the same. eBuyer will never see any business recommendations from me!

Hmmm! Citilink. 'Nuff said.

What annoyed me about Citylink was that their 'while you were out' phone number is an 0870 rip-off. Having said that, I've had no problems with damaged goods from eBuyer myself, and have used them several times.