Legitimate (and preferably good) sites to buy laptops

belle_27

This probably sounds like a random question but I've been searching for a place to buy a Samsung laptop, which is a fair price and has good customer service. A lot harder task with the VAT redemption offer on.

The most obvious answer is John Lewis, and yes, I did initially buy the laptop I'm after from there but lo and behold they messed up my order, blamed the failure to deliver it on the courier, and after I complained about it offered me a £30 refund if I reordered the laptop with them. BUT the laptop is out of stock; they gave me an estimate for restocking but the date has been and gone, and its not come back in.

I've been without a laptop for nearly a month now (I'm working on my mum's spare laptop which isn't ideal and she's not happy about it), and I'm pretty annoyed at JL for not processing my order properly/losing the laptop/eating it with a McFlurry.

My immediate impulse was to check the usual suspects: PC World, Currys, Amazon. All are out of stock. Amazon was in stock but like a fool I believed JL's word and decided to pass up the opportunity to buy from them (big mistake).

What I want to know is where is good to buy from online? I've looked at all sorts of websites which look unreliable and found bad feedback for them. I've just wondering if those with technology knowledge have any experience with websites such as:

- techdna.co.uk
- eshopbroker.co.uk
- ebuyer.com
- laptopsdirect.co.uk (From what I discovered, it didn't sound particularly good).

I've done ALOT of research into the kind of laptop I want and after previously purchasing two useless Toshiba laptops, I want to go for a company which has a reputation for good build quality at affordable prices (Apple is out of my price zone). I'm after a particular laptop because with the offer its affordable for me and it has great specs which I need for my work. I also need it to last for 3-4 years.

I have found it on Sainsburys Online but its being charged above RRP. I've sent JL another message asking if they're going to get this laptop back in before the offer ends.

BT Direct also have it but after a particularly bad experience with BT's services I want to keep my promise never to enter into a contract with them or their subsidiaries ever again.

I really really want this laptop (Samsung NP-RF511-A01UK) and I'm sick of waiting for JL to restock a laptop I ordered on the first day of the offer.

Though my success rate with obtaining it is making me wonder if its meant to be. I just need a good long-lasting laptop, large memory (I want to be able to kept several pdf's open and not have to print them before I've managed to assess their usefulness), large harddrive, and a fast processor.

I thought about the Samsung RV520-A07UK but I want more RAM than 4GB and reviews say it has tinny sound. Plus the VAT redemption offer means the RF511 is not much more money.

Thanks for any help.

prowla

If you are near London there are a lot of shops on Tottenham Court Road.

There are a lot of established companies online: Misco, Viking, DSG (Dixons/Currys/PC World), Staples.

robmar0se

Samsung lappies are well built, that is why they disappear quickly. It may be obvious, but they are shipped into the UK every so often from China in bulk, and then distributed around to various retailers etc.

Those retailers with better offers run out more quickly, leaving you with higher priced offers, or less reputable sellers who take yr order, and then say sorry, out-of-stock, but they have yr money.

I often have orders for these, and advise buyers to be patient. If its good its worth waiting for. IF JL have given you a date, it is the date they have been given, I have usually found that hopefully it shouldn't be long if the dates passed.

The difference between JL and Laptopsdirect is like chalk and cheese. Amazon are also good.

These guys have stock and are reasonable (with free delivery): http://www.cclonline.com/product/77301/NP-RF511-A01UK/Laptops/Samsung-RF511-15-6-inch-Notebook/NOT5615/

m5rcc

prowla wrote: »

If you are near London there are a lot of shops on Tottenham Court Road.

Are you kidding me!? Buying on TCR is buying from the Indian !!!!!. They attempt to rip-you off and offer discontinued stock at silly prices.

belle_27

Thanks for all the advice.

robmar0se wrote: »

IF JL have given you a date, it is the date they have been given, I have usually found that hopefully it shouldn't be long if the dates passed.

It's been 6 days since the estimate they gave me. They said 'on or soon after' so I thought I'd give them a bit of time but they're annoying me now. I would have preferred not to have been given a date then I'd just have ordered from Amazon and have the laptop already! But I thought 'two year guarantee' with the refund makes it worth waiting but I'm getting impatient now. I'm using a Compaq which a small harddrive right now and I can't load any of the programs I usually use for my work on it and as my old laptop is dead I can't even go on that quickly to obtain what I want.

Like I know JL are meant to be the best but quite frankly I'm getting frustrated with them.

Figment

belle_27 wrote: »

Thanks for all the advice.



It's been 6 days since the estimate they gave me. They said 'on or soon after' so I thought I'd give them a bit of time but they're annoying me now. I would have preferred not to have been given a date then I'd just have ordered from Amazon and have the laptop already! But I thought 'two year guarantee' with the refund makes it worth waiting but I'm getting impatient now. I'm using a Compaq which a small harddrive right now and I can't load any of the programs I usually use for my work on it and as my old laptop is dead I can't even go on that quickly to obtain what I want.

Like I know JL are meant to be the best but quite frankly I'm getting frustrated with them.

What killed the old laptop? Is there data on it that you need?