View before you Buy

[ellspeedy]

So im one of those guys that does a hell of alot of research before buying anything (as im sure many of you are!). For the most part my high costing purchases are done on the internet nowadays (tv, laptop etc). My biggest criticism with buying online is that you don't actually get to see/feel the product.

My suggestion would be to allow prospective buyers on PCS to view their product, whether this be laptop/desktop - whatever (although i feel this would relate more to laptop for obvious reasons), before they buy.
My idea would be that some of the more notable users on the PCS forum allowing guys like me to visit them (either at their house, or a designated location) just to get a feel + look at the item. Like i say for me aesthetics mean alot so this would be a great help for me deciding on what to buy.

Obviously there are issues with meeting random strangers met via the internet but assuming the people buying are 18+ and if they make the meeting area public (so maybe rule out meeting at your house) i wouldn't see a problem?
Additionally maybe the person coming to view the item could pay the owner of the item a small fee for their time?

What are peopls thoughts?

 

[tom_gr7]

to be honest, no thanks, I wouldn't want to meet a random stranger in a public place with a expensive laptop.

I have a desktop, but if you had say spent 2.5k on a viper laptop, would you want to risk meeting up with a random stranger so he/she can have a feel? I think there's obvious security risks with that therefore it's not something I'd personally do or recommend.

edit - I also don't think its something PCS would suggest customers doing.

 

[Buzz]

Yeh I agree with Tom,

No way could I see anything like that working. Id certainly not be bothering meeting up with someone just so they can feel my comp.
Anyway there is youtube with many unboxing and videos of running comps. Most people would have different components inside anyway so even if you got a feel for their comp yours may not be the same. ANd if its just the case you are interested in looking at well as I said youtube works just fine for the majority of stuff, then reviews for the rest.

wouldnt be for me anyway.

 

[Corfate]

I couldn't even begin to contemplate how awkward the whole thing would be haha. "Is it a good laptop?" "yeah.. it is", "can i touch it?" "do you have clean hands?". Haha

I wouldn't want a total stranger touching my laptop, only my sticky mitts!

 

[Music Guy123]

Yeh, if it did happen, it would be a nightmare to organise. It won't happen though, I really wouldn't want someone coming around to mine to have a look at my pc. What we could do though is to ask someone to just take a video of their pc, then possibly email it or something? Just an idea.

 

[ellspeedy]

haha guess i hadnt given it that much thought! to be honest it was just an idea that popped into my head last night!

As for for_the_buzz 's comments about internal differences, im purely talking about the external views. Obviously there are youtube videos but personally i just like to be able to see + touch it myself! Just me i guess haha!

 

[Gorman]

We don't have a shop as such but i'm sure if a customer really wanted to get the feel for a chassis etc they could pop in and see us by appointment.

 

[mantadog]

I t can be a pain buying things from the internet, only to get them and it's not exactly what you want.

I read the suggestion as just having the chasis/case for display, maybe filled with some dummy components to give it a bit of weight. However getting requests every 5 minutes to meet people would really start to drag as hardly any of the regular posters are employed by PCS.

The only way i could see something like this working would be in partnership with other retail locations, however this would probably push up the price to the customer as they would need a cut too. If that was the case i would offer the use of an unused room i have but it's hardly a central location. 99% of the population of the uk would have to get the train to view anything so it would be pretty useless lol

 

[tom_gr7]

I guess one problem with customers heading to PCS HQ for a feel of the case is that it would pull resources/guys from building/testing/quality control/whatever else they do at PCS HQ

 

[Music Guy123]

Hang on, you want to get a feel for the case? We do love our PCs but cuddling them really does take it to another level! Dry humping however...that is different, and it makes a good unboxing video as we all know!

 

[Frenchy]

Hang on, you want to get a feel for the case? We do love our PCs but cuddling them really does take it to another level! Dry humping however...that is different, and it makes a good unboxing video as we all know!

Feel of a laptop tbh is extremely important. For example the front edge of a new macbook pro has a sharp edge which can be very irritating for some.

 

[DeadEyeDuk]

Step 1: Go into PC World
Step 2: Prod, touch or otherwise fondle desired case/laptop
Step 3: Order said laptop/desktop from PCS instead, safe in the knowledge that you will have a superduper rig made by some blokes (and a woman) in Yorkshire
Bonus Step 4: Also safe in the knowledge you didn't buy it from PC World

Would a safer alternative be to receive some polaroids of a PCS forum member enjoying their laptop/desktop? I mean, they couldnt be wrong, so you can gauge how much you would like it based on the level of delight (or other feelings) shown on their faces...(naked polaroids overwhelmingly discouraged, but not banned)

 

[Fear]

...(naked polaroids overwhelmingly discouraged, but not banned)

You sir are a star (just keep your polaroids to yourself though )

 

[ellspeedy]

Looking back it seems it rushed my idea down on paper (or keyboard for this matter) before actually considering the problems with the idea!

Although it has sparked some rather funny comments so for that, youre all more than welcome to thank me