buy a computer through work.

CYBERCIDERSAVER

I am in need of advice please. Wincanton have started a scheme (home computer initiative) whereby u rent a computer from work for three years. wha iwanna know is: is itta good deal. It's through comet and I have a feeling the only real benefactor is Comet themselves.
the computer is:
HP M7260UK Media Centre/19" TFT Monitor

Intel Pentium D processor 830

Speed 2x3.0GHz

2048MB memory (RAM)

200GB storage plus 300GB Personal Media Drive

Nvidia GF6600 256Mb graphics card

Plays and records CDs & DVDs (+/-, DL)

Lightscribe image burner

Hauppauge WinTV-PVR TV and FM radio tuner Watch & Record TV

HP Media Center Remote Control

9in1media card slots

Microsoft® Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005

Microsoft® Works Suite 2005

HP Pavilion VS19 19" TFT Monitor

Wireless Keyboard & Mouse

Wirelss LAN 802.11 a/b/g

all this for a total of £1900!
That's what comet get, although i only will have to pay £1300 approx and that's with 3 year warranty.

so is it worth it? Plaese put my mind at rest.

I have another issue which i've emailed them directly. it says in the brochure at the end of three years the pc will be disposed of for it's market value(£10) but it doesn't say i can buy it for that! i have the hire agreement in front of me and don't know wha to do.

damo101

i wouldn't go for this personally, it's a lot of money (even if it is spread out over 3 years). I did tech support for a company that provided computers for emplyee purchase schemes and 2 things stuck out - 1 the manufacturer and the company offering the scheme to its employees were getting a hefty slice of the profits, 2; the pc's provided were rubbish - they weren;t meant to be but they had a lot of problems.
For £1300 you could get a decent Dell probably every year for 3 years and at the end of it have a more current PC too.

While I wouldn't go for a scheme like this, they might have improved and be worth it now.

HTH

Liz19

My husbands company does something similar to this and we bought a decent Dell computer through them last Christmas. We are very happy with the computer and it only costs us £19 per month for 3 years. I think it is a good idea if you don't want to pay out a huge amount in one go.

Browntoa

our deals works out at £637 on a £1300 PC

that does seem expensive

kathybinns

These schemes are perfectly legal ways to avoid paying tax and I have been waiting for my employers to run one (It's in the pipeline apparently). It is almost like an interest free loan. Your payments are taken out tax paid but the payment made to the company has the tax added. So you pay less than the asking price for the computer. You are leasing the computer and at the end of the three years you would be able to purchase it although Comet are calling it disposal.
However it is an expensive computer that you are being offered. I have been told that our scheme would probably have a choice of three systems and I am waiting to see the specs. Needless to say I would be after the cheapest.
If this is the only one you are offered I would say shop around. Maybe a less expensive one with lower specifications would suit you and your wallet better.

CYBERCIDERSAVER

this is the best of four desktops on offer. it does annoy me though that it would appear comet will be making a huge profit on a scheme designed to enable poorer families afford a computer. The tax benefit should be for the employee not the vendor.

what should be available is a scheme where you can purchase any system up to a certain value that your employer pays for and you pay them back. that way you can find a good deal yourself and truly get a tax benefut yourself.

I saw working lunch a while back and they also talked about getting a bicycle thrrough the same type of scheme ie tax free.

i am goinng to write to gordon brown and complain that this scheme is being exploited for the benefit of the companies like comet and NOT the poor man it's supposed to.

ho hum, socialism really doesn't work does it?

Matt83UK_2

Jesus christ, Comet must love such sales, £1900, there's at least 50% profit in that. Can't you get one of their basic £399 - £499 system, these represent better value for money. Even with tax break can probably get a better deal at dell.com for £1300.

kathybinns

Sorry, maybe I didn't explain the scheme very well, but it is you as the purchaser who benefits from the tax break. Comet, as the seller, would benefit from gaining the profit from running the scheme for your employer. Your employer benefits from having employees who gain equipment and therefore I.T. experience on the cheap. Or so it is theoretically supposed to run.

CYBERCIDERSAVER

kathy,

yes i know how it works. the comp is £1900 b4 the tax break and aboout 1300 after. so a theoretical saving of £600. However if the computer is actually is only worth £1500 (i've been to a number of computer websites like dell etc. and that would appear to be the average price) then the tax break is being taken up by this excess profit. It makes sense to me.

Anyway there is a roadshow at work tomorrow about this scheme so i will go along with a few quotes from these other companies and see what they say.

i'll post their excuses on tuesday.