I have had two encounters with this company. The first time was back in November when i was looking to buy a Computer Monitor of a specific brand and model. I found there web-site in a search on www.Pricewatch.com when is listed them as one of the lowest prices for the monitor i wanted. I Clicked the Pricewatch link that took me to the link on A2Z Computers website of the Monitor.
I checked out the Details to make sure it was the right one. I also checked to see if the site has a status of the current product's availability. I saw, "Item in Stock: Yes" I though great! So i clicked on add to card and then checkout. A few hours after i had placed the order, i decided to call and see if they had received my order and make sure there were no problems.
I called and got a women, i asked her if i could check the status of my order. She said sure, what is your order number?
I Gave her my order number and a few seconds later she said that the Monitor i wanted was out of stock. I was thinking WTF, your site says its in stock. I asked when it would be in stock and she told me to hold on and transfered me to what I'm guessing was there warehouse.
A guy who sounded kind of tired and out of breath, as well as had a most unfriendly voice answered the phone. He simply said, "Hello", i was not sure if i was still talking to someone from A2Z Computers or had been transfered to a person's house miles away. Any-case, I took a gamble and asked if they had any of the Specific Model Monitors i wanted, he then asked how many i wanted, i said just 1. He then said that they were back ordered and should be in any day. I said OK Thanks and hung up.
I then thought about it for a little but and also rechecked the item's webpage were it still said the item was in-stock. I then did a search for the monitor though there item search on there website. IT listed a few different monitors and also the one i wanted. It showed the status of the monitor here as BO (Back Order) I was like OK, which do i believe, i guess this one because it seems to be correct. I then decided that this site could not be trusted so i called and canceled my order, a little worried that it wouldn't get canceled, but it was, i though to my self, Pew.
I stayed away from this company for about a year, then recently i was looking for a good deal on a specific video card i wanted. I searched though Pricewatch and Pricegrabber again, and of course the CHEAPEST one i could fine was advertised by A2Z Computers. I though to my self, "Oh not them". Then I thought maybe they have changed there ways and i would give them a second chance to impress me. I clicked on the PriceGrabber link which took me to the item on there website. The website design was still the same, it said that it was In-Stock, i was skeptical, so i did a search on there website for the card, and found it, it showed that the item WAS in-stock.
I Though, OK maybe they do actually have this video card. I added the item to my card and checked out. Now it is properly important to the story that you know which video card i am trying to order, it is a "ATI Radeon 9200" Video card. There are 3 different versions of this card. There is a 9200 SE model, a 9200 model and a 9200 Pro model. I wanted the 9200 Model. The 9200 SE model sounds like it is better, but its not, its worse, it stands for "special edition" It is basicly a lower cost, slower video card then order two models, the slowest and worse in fact of the 3.
OK back to the story. As i was ordering the card, right before i placed the order for processing, there was a comment box to let them know something. I maid sure it was not an SE Model by saying in this box to make sure that it is NOT the SE Model of this card. After about 20 Minutes i thought i would call A2Z Computer to make sure there was no problems, given there past history. I called and got someone from Costumer service. I asked her if i could check the status of my order. She said sure, what is your order Number. I gave it to her, and after a few seconds of silence, she said she couldn't find the order in the computer. She then asked me when i placed the order, i said about 20 Minutes ago. She said well it takes 40! Minutes for the order to get into there computers. I thought to my self, OK were did it go 20 minutes ago when i submitted the order, to china and back? Sounds really SAFE!
I then proceeded to ask her if i could see if the product i ordered was in-stock. She said sure what is it that your ordered. I then said that i ordered a ATI Radeon 9200 Model Video card. She then quickly replied, as if she knows all without looking or maybe others have email-ed and called in to see if it was there, that they had no 9200 Models in stock ONLY 9200 SE Models. I was thinking now, but just 20 Minutes ago and mostly still now, it shows that it IS in stock. So i asked her if she could make sure that it is out of stock if i gave her the item number. She then raised her voice slightly and rudely said, there is NO 9200 in stock ONLY the 9200 """SE""" Model. I was
starting to get slightly angry now, i had just ordered a video card that THEY DONT EVEN HAVE! So i calmly asked her if she would cancel my order when it finally does come into there computers from china or where ever it had been for the last 20 Minutes.
She said she would send my request to the Accounting department, i said Thanks you and hung up. I sat there thinking, OK if they are so BAD at keeping there inventory up to date, what is the chance that canceling of the order will go smoothly? So i called there number again and press the button to go to the Accounting Department. It rang about 5 or 6 times and then voice mail started, a person who had a VERY thick Chinese or Japanese accident said Account Department, then the voice mails default voice said, please leave a message after the beep. "BEEP!" i said, Hi please make sure order # blah blah is canceled for so and so. And hung up.
I also decided to email the account department also, to increase the chances that someone will get the cancel msg before it is processed. Finally after about 20 Minutes later, i got an Email in all caps saying. "order has been canceled". I though wow i must of pissed someone off over there, and was kind of glad i did too, because it was a mighty INCONVENIOUS to me! As for how the Customer service lady knew the card was not in stock WITHOUT even looking and the fact that not even the website knows what is or is not in stock, leads me to believe that i wasn't the first caller asking about this card that day and properly that week also.
The Oddest part is the date that the Pricewatch add for it was updated was just 6 days prior to be ordering, not that long really, they either had very little in stock or ALOT of orders for it. Ether way they should of kept there website updated with current inventory, how else is the buyer supposed to know what is or is not in stock! If they are lied to about that status! Id rather have NO status of availability then a flat out LIE! This is of course the 2nd over a period of a year that there inventory on the website has been inaccurate.
I will never order or attempt to order anything from them EVER AGAIN. I am also fairly sure that i am not the ONLY person who has this kind of problem with them, I'm sure they have lost a lot of costumers because of this. Oh well I'm glad that i canceled it anyways, judging by how stupid they are, they most likely would of sent me an SE model, and even if they did send me the right one, it was a stupid OEM model anyways, which had no real brand and no warranty of any kind. God forbid that i get the card and have to go though there RMA department! I Bet there RMA system makes there Inventorying skills look good.
I paid a few more dollars to buy a RETAIL version with a modem and warranty and all the cool stuff that comes in the RETAIL box from a very good company one of the best. It is www.newegg.com if you are interested, great prices, fast processing, great Costumer service, VERY nice RMAing and Return systems, and also Reviews of the product you can read before buying the item. What else can you ask for from a good retail company? STAY AWAY From a2z Computers! Stay Far away, you will only have problems if you get near them. If you are filling bored and want to have a little fun, call there 1800 # and listen to the automated guy who answers, i like to make fun of how the idiot talks, fun for hours! Thanks for listing to my little speech: P
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