Too good to be true?

October 27, 2005 2:21 PM

Is Comp-U-plus.com legit? If so, why do other companies still exist?

I've been looking around for a pair of Sennheiser PXC-250 noise-cancelling headphones (any good?) and comp-u-plus seems to have it at a considerably lower price than some of the other shops--comparable to some refurbed models elsewhere. Thinking this might have been a fluke, I tried looking for an iPod shuffle there, and again it was easily 25% cheaper than it's competitors. If this company is legit...how do others compete with it? Please explain economics to me.

posted by reformedjerk to computers & internet (12 comments total)

They fare rather poorly on Reseller Ratings, which is a sign that there's a significant risk buying from them.
posted by eschatfische at 2:30 PM on October 27, 2005

7/10 on pricing. 2/10 on customer service. Ouch.
posted by smackfu at 2:31 PM on October 27, 2005

I recall getting my Archos Gmini 120 there (which, in truth, was the worst piece of electronic equipment I've ever had the misfortune of selecting). As I remember, everything went fine with the purchase and I was able to get a receipt a year or so later when I finally sent the player in for warranty-covered repairs.
posted by sian at 2:36 PM on October 27, 2005

1. they might not be an authorized reseller of the products they sell (ie, no warranty, product might be acquired via questionable means).
2. they might be selling used product as new
3. they might advertise ultra low prices to get your attention, then raise the price to normal levels either as soon as you buy, or after they sell a few units.

When I buy online, I try to find the "real" price floor. Often you see some crazy low prices that are widly spaced, then a large number of prices that are moderately less than the typical price. I susually buy from a vendor that has a low but not too good to be true price.
posted by b1tr0t at 2:39 PM on October 27, 2005

In addition, they're likely to:

1) Try to upsell you to expedited shipping. Amazon will ship you these headphones for $119.99 in 24 hours. Even with expedited shipping at Comp-U-Plus -- at a similar total price to Amazon -- they'll only ship after 2-3 days. Without expedited shipping, and with the information at Reseller Ratings, it appears to be "whenever we feel like it, or until you upgrade to expedited shipping."

2) They may try to upsell you to an extended warranty. This is a common practice where they'll say the item is out of stock or backordered if you buy at the advertised price, while if you agree to an extended warranty, they'll "magically" get a shipment.

There have always been "discount" shops like this, only they used to be in the back of Computer Shopper, photographic magazines or high-end audio magazines. In short, they advertise low prices to get you in the door, skimp on customer service, and then try to upsell you to high-margin shipping or warranty to try and make their money... or, if they feel they can't make money on you with your order, just stonewall.

On the other hand, there are genuine discounters who offer low prices on things
posted by eschatfische at 2:49 PM on October 27, 2005

...without the gameplaying.
posted by eschatfische at 2:49 PM on October 27, 2005

http://www.pricewatch.com

These super-cheap places are a dime-a-dozen.
posted by delmoi at 2:59 PM on October 27, 2005

Also, they may dramatically overcharge on shipping. I ordered a camera from one such place, and was charged $200 in shipping and handling fees.
posted by Laen at 3:26 PM on October 27, 2005

There are tons of bait and switch electronics vendors on the internet -- some operating multiple websites under different names. There MO is to lure you with a low price, then try to upsell you. Often, if you refuse, they will tell you the product is backordered and won't tell you when they'll actually ship it. I went through this rigamarole trying to buy a digital video camera.
posted by pmbuko at 3:55 PM on October 27, 2005

actually i used to buy hard disks from them all the time and never had a problem. i always thought they were legit. in fact i think recently i bought some etymotic research headphones from them... no problems.

strange, i would have recommended them.
posted by joeblough at 4:22 PM on October 27, 2005

WRT: Sennheiser - I own a pair of their in-ears(MX-350), and a pair of their wrap-arounds(PMX-60) - Great sound, at a price I don't have to skip a month's rent on if they get lost/stolen/crushed.

WRT: Comp-u-plus - THE lowest bidder will always give you trouble. Try a few up from the bottom.
posted by Orb2069 at 7:04 AM on October 28, 2005

I bought a Logitech MX518 mouse from them. It was a decent price, and it arrived as advertised. Shipping was $9 from New York to California. There was no "upselling" or extended warranty tomfoolery. (WTF? this is an internet shopping cart site not some pimple-faced goon at Best Buy.)

They may have shitty customer service but I never had to find out. But then again, I am not going to actually ever call someone and wait for tech support for a mouse. In fact I despise calling any company on the phone, so I could care less if they have shitty support.

But that's just me.
posted by Rhomboid at 9:43 AM on October 28, 2005