Where Do You Shop for Electronics?

Discussion in Computers, Electronics & Gadgets started by olliesub • Jun 15, 2012.

  1. olliesub

    olliesubNew Member

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    Hey guys, what store do you visit to purchase a computer or other electronic gadget? Do you get them online or at a local store? I do all of my electronic shopping at Best Buy. In my opinion, they have the best service and the best products of any store I've shopped at, at least for electronics! What do you think?
     
  2. DontFan

    DontFanMember

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    True they are good but they are not the cheapest ... So here are few of my electronic shopping tips :
    * Using Comcast, I will rent from them the equipment for a month or 2 before looking online for a similar box, find the cheapest, return the Comcast (modem, set top box) and
    stop paying the rental
    * Definitely visit Best Buy (for the larger items), Radio Shack (for the smaller) but always double check for cheaper online. In many cases (at least Best Buy), they will lower
    their price if I show them cheaper online
    * Of course always a bit of "do it myself", recently found where Comcast had disconnected the extra cable points in the house). Found the connector at Home Depot for 5$
    and now have 3 cable points active (>100$ thru Comcast ..)
    Would love to hear more !!
     
  3. Parker

    ParkerWell-Known Member

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    I don't really have one place where I buy electronics. It really depends on what the item is. I have purchased small electronics at Target, Big Lots, Staples, Fry's Electronics and Best Buy. For major electronics I shop online, Amazon, Staples and direct for the manufacturer.
     
  4. andrew320

    andrew320Active Member

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    I haven't purchased electronics in a store in years. I usually purchase anything I need online. I even got my laptop from Dell's website. Anything I purchased in terms of accessories were off of eBay or Amazon. Oh, wait. I purchased a MP3 player from discount department store in downtown Toronto. So one thing in the last few years.
     
  5. kittykarina

    kittykarinaActive Member

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    We usually buy our electronics and accessories from Best Buy. My husband calls that store his toy store. If we can't find something there we usually find it on Ebay.
     
  6. Dr23

    Dr23Member

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    When looking for a new electronic, say a TV or a computer, I combine online with brick and mortar shopping. I'm a bit of a financial stickler so I like to make certain that my purchase nets the best product for the best price.

    Typically, I'll start my hunt online checking various deal sites before visiting the big retailers such as Amazon, NewEgg, etc. Then I'll wind my way through sites like Best Buy. Next, I'll check out local ads before paying a visit to Best Buy in person, just to make sure there aren't any discounts on bundles, etc, that I might have missed out on.

    In the end, I almost always purchase online. I've yet to find a deal in the store that trumps the deals online. Best Buy's site usually isn't too bad but there are definitely better deals out there if you hunt for them and have a bit of patience.
     
  7. hunysukle

    hunysukleActive Member

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    I don't purchase electronic very often, but when I do, I go for the best deal. I purchased my laptop at Best Buy. While the price was cheap, the customer service sucked. I waited about 20 minutes before I got any service. However, I got great service from the geek squad.
     
  8. KNH

    KNHActive Member

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    I usually use eBay. Many people tell me it's not trustworthy to buy expensive electronics for cheap on eBay because they are fake and most are knock offs from China but wont say it, blah blah blah, but I have never had a problem with anything. I would much rather pay 2 dollars for a phone charger that would cost me 20 in stores.
     
  9. Sugarhill

    SugarhillActive Member

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    I won't say that Best Buy is the best as much as they are the most prevalent. Fortunately, I used to work for an electronics store, so I have a foundation of knowledge and I'll do the research online and then go a store to pick it up. I may ask a few more questions about their experience with it, but no matter the store, I usually know what I want going in. They are mainly there to help me move to a second choice if what I want isn't in stock.
     
  10. Imoverthere

    ImoverthereMember

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    In terms of some full electronic thing like a television set or DVD set, I'll go for Best Buy. However if it comes to an electronic part, like say a video card for a computer, I'll go for Fry's Electronics, they're more experienced on that field and I could give their word in much more consideration.
     
  11. bryce12

    bryce12Active Member

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    I mostly get them online but I do visit the mall to see their features. My favorite stores include BestBuy and Amazon. I have also bought from Buy.com and other stores from time to time but I think BestBuy and Amazon have the best prices.
     
  12. steph84

    steph84Active Member

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    I usually go with ebay, amazon and best buy refurbished online. You can find some really cheap laptops and computers. I have bought a really great used laptop for $200 on Amazon.
     
  13. steph84

    steph84Active Member

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    I usually go with ebay, amazon and best buy refurbished online. You can find some really cheap laptops and computers. I have bought a really great used laptop for $200 on Amazon.
     
  14. Svoboda

    SvobodaNew Member

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    I usually survey all of my local big box stores and what's left of the local mom and pops shops. I know shopping online is all the rage, but "showrooming" is killing local economies and taking jobs away so unless something is SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper online, I'll buy it local. My favorite local big box for computers, electronics and video games is Frys. If you've never been in one, it's massive and they have pretty much everything you could ever want.
     
  15. izzypopa

    izzypopaNew Member

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    I usually buy my electronics from either Ebay or Amazon, very rarely do i actually go and purchase one from a retail store, they are mostly overpriced and the people there have no idea what they are talking about, i avoid the fuss and hassle and just get it delivered to my door, a much easier way for me :)
     
  16. masteraljon

    masteraljonMember

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    i usually buy my electronic gadgets at ebay , but not at all, sometimes i buy it at a store called cdr-king their items are really cheap and high quality.
     
  17. donaldplozha

    donaldplozhaMember

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    At amazon.com. They are much more complete than eBay in my opinion.
     
  18. jaruri

    jaruriNew Member

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    I use newegg.com

    they have some of the cheapest prices around, and amazing selection.
    Their customer support is top of the line, and their shipping is amazing.

    I have never had a problem when ordering for them.

    However, I would only suggest this site if you knew a good amount about computers, they sell a few premades, but it mostly a site for people who want to build their own computer/ want to upgrade parts.

    If you're looking to buy a new computer, I suggest NOT going to best buy, their prices are horrible. Pretty much all premades from the well known companies are overpriced because they want to have the biggest profit margins possible.
    Occasionally they'll have decent deals, but they are often limited to a few computers and it happens a few times a year.

    I suggest checking out customized build sites. The one I have used was CyberpowerPC. Their prices are fantastic, and the build quality is strong. I haven't had any issues with hardware since I got my PC from them, which was maybe 3-4 years ago.
    You can build any kind of PC you want, from a work desktop, to a top of the line 20 thousand dollar gaming beast. They also do custom LAN pcs, and laptops as well. You can configure them any way you want, so you dictate the price you want to pay. Great site, especially for gamers.
     
  19. ohiotom76

    ohiotom76Well-Known Member

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    Most of the time these days I buy them on Amazon, mainly so I can compare prices from multiple vendors and my orders often qualify for free shipping. Other times I will check the manufacturer's web site directly and buy it straight from them. The last few times I went into retail stores, I really wasn't pleased with the selection they had. I love Lenovo computers, and Best Buy for example only had on small desktop model when I went there and none of their laptops. So I ordered them online instead. Amazon similarly will suggest so many other competing brands, some of which I didn't even know existed.
     
  20. dreyz

    dreyzMember

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    I hardly buy electronics online because of personal preference. If you are a tourist who visited Kuala Lumpur before, there's a place called Low Yat Plaza with is a shopping mall dedicated to selling electronic devices, ranging from mobile phones, home appliances and mostly computers. Sellers there are very competitive and prices there are very good. It's quite a famous place in Malaysia when it comes to buying electronics.