PB Tech quoted my Dad $115+GST for 1x 2GB laptop RAM

Forums › Laptops and mobile computers › PB Tech quoted my Dad $115+GST for 1x 2GB laptop RAM

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Snowflake

#527692 30-Sep-2011 13:41

http://www.pbtech.co.nz/index.php?p=service

Fitting Memory to Notebook
standard $25+gst
express $40+gst

http://www.pbtech.co.nz/index.php?z=p&p=MEMKIN1056&name=Kingston-ValueRAM-2GB-800MHz-Sodimm-DDR2

$42+gst

so, if they quoted "express" price, then the cheapest is $82+gst which is $94.30.

Of course, they only have stock of that ram in HAMILTON, the next cheapest option is:
http://www.pbtech.co.nz/index.php?z=p&p=MEMHYN42049&name=STRONTIUM-HYNIX-2GB-Sodimm-DDR2-800-PC6400-...
$59+gst

Now the total comes to $113.85

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Snowflake

#527694 30-Sep-2011 13:45

tigercorp: Using the links already given in this thread:

RAM required is http://pbtech.co.nz/index.php?z=p&p=MEMKIN1056&name=Kingston-ValueRAM-2GB-800MHz-Sodimm-DDR2

Spending all of an extra minute looking, the dearest price possible is $99+gst.

I'd be comfortable calling $115 a rip off. Sure its a quote, but if I was asking for the cheapest option, I'd hope in good faith that I was going to receive the cheapest option.

Dont forget to add the round trip, or courier, to HAMILTON, to pick up that ram. Of course, that rules out the EXPRESS install service.

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heavenlywild

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#527737 30-Sep-2011 15:37

jeffnz:
heavenlywild: OK, let's get the facts down after talking to Dad.

He verbally asked for the "cheapest" RAM available after he was told there was only one slot available. That's true, just the one slot.

He asked for a quote for the RAM and installation.

Remember, he asked for the cheapest RAM. It's not a special netbook that needs a high spec RAM module, and I'm sure we can all agree about this point.

That's the facts. Now let's lay the "pointless rant" statement to rest.

I will let the facts speak for itself.

ummm they aren't facts just what your dad says. Why not give us what he was quoted on exactly, as in actual type of ram and labour or was it just verbal.

Anyhow this thread is rubbish as it was started as a rant based on very little by the looks and going round in circles, suffice I think people can see it for what it is worth

If you can't take my Dad's word, then what's the point of this entire conversation? I have asked him, that was his response.

I am disappointed at some of the responses received or at least the way responses have been worded. Instead of a constructive discussion, it's turned into this "it's just a pointless rant ..,." and "those aren't facts" conversation.

At the end of the day, I am reporting an experience received from a store. This simple story can be broken down into pieces and analysed but all I am saying is 2GB worth of RAM, and let's say, installed, shouldn't cost $115+GST when Dad asked for the cheapest RAM available.

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#527765 30-Sep-2011 16:39

heavenly maybe you should look from our perspective as thats the way it came over, I don't think anyone meant to put you down but from at least my view it has little facts and a lot of emotion and opnion.

The quote may well be on the high side but it was only a quote and we still don't know what type of ram was quoted or if there was any other issues that bthe tech may have been making allowances for.

Two sides to every story mate and if we all went up in arms with so little info how fair would that be.

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johnr

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#527772 30-Sep-2011 16:56

PB tech has done nothing wrong and to be honest if PB tech read this I bet they have a good giggle

John

heavenlywild

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#527783 30-Sep-2011 17:09

Anyway, let's move on and just say we agree to disagree and yes there is always two sides to the story:)

Go the ABs and the Warriors this weekend!

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#527784 30-Sep-2011 17:10

heavenlywild: Anyway, let's move on and just say we agree to disagree and yes there is always two sides to the story:)

Go the ABs and the Warriors this weekend!

riahon

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#527786 30-Sep-2011 17:14

A friend brought over his netbook few months ago and to replace the RAM we had to nearly take the whole thing apart. I remember taking the keyboard out and a few other bits as well. No where near as easy as the others I have done. Maybe they factored in the extra time doing this.

Maybe you should ask them why they quoted $115, then we wouldn't all be speculating on the price.

oxnsox

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#527791 30-Sep-2011 17:36

heavenlywild:
At the end of the day, I am reporting an experience received from a store. This simple story can be broken down into pieces and analysed but all I am saying is 2GB worth of RAM, and let's say, installed, shouldn't cost $115+GST when Dad asked for the cheapest RAM available.

If you had made your original post like this then the thread wouldn't have ended the way it has.
Reporting it as an 'experience' is very different to accusing them of being 'unacceptable' and 'ripping-people-off'.

heavenlywild:
Hate to post about this but this is just unacceptable.
Just as the title says. Dad told me he was quoted by PB Tech $115+GST for 1x 2GB worth of laptop RAM.
Seriously, we know 2GB RAM can cost as little as $30.
Dad needed to upgrade the RAM on his Acer netbook.
If this isn't ripping people off, I don't know what is!
/rant

The reason most of us have not been supportive of your rant is simple because....
No people were ripped off during anything associated with your post.

Some of us operate businesses and know that simple inaccurate comments like yours can have negative, and sometimes, long term effects, although this probably wasn't your intention.

Regs

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Snowflake

#527918 30-Sep-2011 23:46

heavenlywild:
At the end of the day, I am reporting an experience received from a store. This simple story can be broken down into pieces and analysed but all I am saying is 2GB worth of RAM, and let's say, installed, shouldn't cost $115+GST when Dad asked for the cheapest RAM available.

based on my calculation, the cheapest *available* ram, installed *right now*, would have cost $115 (inc gst, not exc gst) going off their website.

where did you dad go in the end, and how much did he end up paying?

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allio

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#528467 3-Oct-2011 12:04

I don't know why people are defending PB so vehemently here.

The real cost of "the cheapest 2GB DDR3 SODIMM you have" (what was asked for) is about $15-20. Even if you give them the benefit of the doubt and say they ignored this aspect of the instruction and quoted for an Acer-authorised Kingston, that's still not going to come in at much more than $30.

Installation on these models is a piece of cake and would take a moderately skilled tech no more than 5 minutes. I've replaced the memory on an Aspire One before and it is incredibly straightforward, even to someone who's never done it before.

A quote of $132.25 indicates to me that they saw this guy coming, assumed he had no idea of the true value of what he was asking for and figured it'd be a quick way to make a hundred bucks.

No, it's not illegal, and yes, they have every right to quote whatever they want. But I don't consider it particularly ethical behaviour.

Even if there was some kind of justification for the crazy price, like they were out of stock of all the cheapy 2GB sticks and only had expensive ones left, I would hope they would have explained this to him and suggested that he'd save a lot of money if he waited a few days for them to get more stock in (or even, gasp, went to a competitor). To just blithely quote that amount with a straight face is reprehensible.

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#528536 3-Oct-2011 14:23

@allio, sure if you have no overheads and your time is worth nothing but PBTech is a physical store with real costs and with paid staff, a business needs to cover costs and make a profit or cease to exist.

Regs clearly lays out why the quote was the price is was, nothing to see here folks, $115 is fine for the ram + install in this case.

If you want it cheaper go buy from an e-tailer, wait for it to arrive and DIY the install.

allio

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#528554 3-Oct-2011 14:54

Ragnor: @allio, sure if you have no overheads and your time is worth nothing but PBTech is a physical store with real costs and with paid staff, a business needs to cover costs and make a profit or cease to exist.

Regs clearly lays out why the quote was the price is was, nothing to see here folks, $115 is fine for the ram + install.

If you want cheaper buy from an e-tailer and DIY the install.

Scammers need to cover their costs and make a profit or cease to exist too, does that justify ripping people off?

Regs was, for some reason, looking at an expensive DDR2 stick. This laptop uses DDR3 memory, and PB's website clearly indicates they're well-stocked with generic sticks for $20 + GST or Kingston for $35 + GST. RAM installation is listed on their website at $25 + GST for standard or $40 + GST for express. In the most expensive scenario this job was worth $75 + GST. That's giving them a pass on the fact that the guy specifically asked for the cheapest memory available and should really have been quoted $45 + GST.

PB is free to set whatever prices they want, but they should stick to them and charge consistently. Maybe I'm just weird, but tacking an extra $40-70 on to your published prices isn't a business practice I agree with. In the absence of a better explanation (I realise we haven't heard PB's side of the story, but I honestly cannot come up with one legitimate reason for this discrepancy) this is disappointing behaviour.

jeffnz

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#528555 3-Oct-2011 14:55

Allio you to are going off half cocked and don't know the full story nor do any of us. You are basing your comments the same as the thread author on hearsay and then making a judgement which I find unfair.
Most are not sticking up for PBT just don't over react to one sided emotional posts.

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allio

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#528561 3-Oct-2011 15:10

jeffnz: Allio you to are going off half cocked and don't know the full story nor do any of us. You are basing your comments the same as the thread author on hearsay and then making a judgement which I find unfair.
Most are not sticking up for PBT just don't over react to one sided emotional posts.

Right, and of course it's prudent not to leap to any conclusions when not all the facts are known. I'm not sharpening my pitchfork and calling for a boycott here. I just don't consider it particularly helpful to come up with some outlandish and completely incorrect theoretical scenario (urgently couriering a wildly expensive stick of the wrong type of memory from Hamilton? Really?) and then declare the case closed.

I'm perfectly happy to leave it as "mildly concerning" in the absence of any further information.

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