Used Computer Dealers.

This is a review of my personal experiences dealing with these used computer dealers. This is just MY experiences, your results may be different than mine. I only buy UNIX/RISC computers so if you are looking for Windows/Intel computers, this is not for you.

One U means very poor service/lots of problems
UUUUU means 5 stars, excellent service, no problems

Metro Van LinesU-- (6/21/2006) 11850 Parklawn Dr Rockville MD 20852 240-482-8778
Russian scam artist. Double check their packing supply cost, everything must be wrapped and taped (by them) before they move anything. They will give you a low estimate, but your actual moving cost will be 3 times what their estimate was.

Primus Telecommunications, Inc.U-- (11/28/04) Primus isn't a used computer dealer, but they are a computer networking company so I have included them. They are my iDSL provider. They suck! Five years ago I ordered a DSL line from a company that Primus bought so I now have Primus. Primus cannot upgrade my DSL line to anything faster than an iDSL 1.44Kbps line so I decided to drop them this year. At $120 per month for a 1.44K line, they are no longer competitive. They won't let me cancel!! They claim that I have to pay out the rest of the contract (thru next July, that's over $1000USD to cancel! Unlike Cell phones which only have a 1 or 2 year lockin, Primus' is forever!). I can't believe that they are treating me like this, I've been a good customer for over 5 years! Primus sucks! I also know that Primus has laid off most of it's network engineers so you should be very careful before ordering Primus service (I worked with a Primus network engineer that was laid off last Nov 2003, he said that they are now running on autopilot and hoping that nothing breaks.)

Delta Marketing Group, Inc. UUUUU (12/06/02) Bought a Sun Enterprise X2602A CPU/Memory board (for Ex000 or Ex500 class servers), 4 x 336Mhz/4M US-II CPUs, and 512M of memory for $900. Great prices and Mike will match other people's prices. Large selection of Sun computers. I also received a free T-shirt and pen from DMGI with my order!

Now dead :( GSTek UUUUU Bought 2 SS61 (SuperSparc) CPUs from Scott. Excellent service and GSTek/Scott really know what they are talking about. Great prices.

Reputable UUUUU Bought a SGI Indy and 21" multi-sync monitor from Reputable (multiple dealings with Reputable) If you are going to buy a SGI, this is the place to go. The guy at Reputable REALLY knows SGI machines.

Steve Booth E-mail: steve_booth@cac.net UUUUU++ Steve posts to the used computer newsgroups. Bought a Sun Ultra-1 Creator 3D from him. Excellent price and service.

Update (Apr 2000): Bought another Ultra-1 and an Ultra-2 from Steve. Still very excellent! And, when I told him that my Sony GDM-20E21 (bought from a different dealer and out of warranty) had blown it's focus block, he told me that he had a "for parts" (but electronically complete) GDM-20E21 that I could have for FREE! (I only had to pay for shipping). Steve is VERY cool!

Update (May 2001): Bought a Sun E3000 server from Steve. Steve is still very cool, he even gave me free shipping on the 175 lb E3000 monster!

Computer System ConsultantsUUUU Bought a Sparc10 from CSC. Great prices but the salesman was alittle "brash". They sometimes advertise things that they've already sold, but if you can put up with them, they are a good place to buy stuff.

Rave UUUU Bought a Sparcbook 3 (50Mhz). Great service, knowledgeable people, well stocked and large selection of used Sun computers. They are just TOO darn expensive.

MemoryX UUU Bought a Fast-SCSI SBUS card, memory chips for a SS10, and a robotic tape drive from Ken/MemoryX (multiple dealings with MemoryX). They have fairly good service, but I had lots of problems with Ken and a screwed up FedEX delivery of the robotic tape drive.

RAQport.com U (misleading advertisements) Bought a used Cobalt RaQ3 from Alex Bajan, CEO of RAQport. The server is as the Ebay auction described EXCEPT that the restore CD DOES NOT have the $400 worth of extra software on it. He later sent me an email and said "Sorry I did not explain to you that we install additional software but we can not offer on CD." However, the Ebay auction AND invoice says:

The RAQport.com Expert Team has upgraded this RAQ3 SERVER to 256 NEW RAM
and NEW 40 GB SEAGATE 7200 RPM IDE HARD DRIVE w/RAQ4R OS with additional
software on CD ($400.00) VALUE AT no extra cost for you. SERVER WAS TESTED ON
OUR NETWORK 11/24/2002 By Alex Bajan

You can always confirm this by mounting the CD
and doing a file list on folder

Raq4r: folder: nfsroot-86x/bto-sync/bundles/
        01-RaQ4-All-System-0.0.1-7657.pkg
        02-RaQ4-All-Security-0.0.1-8061.pkg
        <- list of 30 packages ->

To Alex's credit, he did offer to RMA the server, but he would NOT send out the CD. Strange...

Another complaint about Raqport, Alex and software.  
What is Alex's problem?? 9/30/2003

Hello,
Noticed you website about poor and misleading ads or service.  
I also purchased a machine from Raqport and had problems. 
I purchased via ebay, Alex did not have the machine, so he 
tried to swap for another. I wouldn't budge, so he had to 
purchase from another dealer and drop ship it to me.
 
I also paid for software upgrades 5 weeks ago which still 
have not been made to my qube.
 
Buyer beware! I wouldn't deal with Raqport again!

Update: July 9, 2005 Alex called me and said that he was shipping to me some computer part which I didn't buy (which he *did* invoice me for even after I told him on the phone that I didn't buy it!). He then proceeded to bitch me out about this web site and threatened to sue me again. Hey Alex, you can only sue me if I am wrong. My advice, do not deal with Alex or Raqport unless you want to get bills for things that you have not bought, even years after you last dealt with them!

A final note for Alex: I will never, ever buy something from you again. If you ever see a purchase request from me, it is WRONG/FALSE/FAKE! I formally ask that I be removed from your database.

Cypress-tech U Bought a HP9000/715/80 from Cypress. They tried to sell me a 33Mhz machine in a 80Mhz case. They did take it back and FINALLY sent me a 80Mhz machine, but it took several returns to finally get the right machine.

MCE U Complete dorks, don't know anything about Sun computers. I was going to buy a Sparcbook 3GX from them. Their "Sun engineer" swore that it was a 110Mhz 3GX, however, it was a 50Mhz Sparcbook3. I returned it.

MCE Customer reviews:

The sold us a stolen Sun!

Special Mention. CompUSA is not a used computer dealer but deserves a special mention for stupidity

CompUSA zero U I bought a used SGI Indy without a monitor because I thought that I could get one from a local CompUSA and I didn't want to have a 20" monitor shipped to me. I took my Indy to a local CompUSA store (Tysons Corners, Va) because the Indy uses a non-standard 72Hz vertical sync and I wanted to test it with the multi-sync monitors that CompUSA had on display. The store manager told me that it would cost me $75.00 to test my computer with each of their display monitors!!! (What the F---???) But, he said that I could buy one and test it at home and return it if it didn't work. So, I bought a $1100 21" Mitsubishi Diamondscan and returned it, bought a $1000 20" Hitachi and returned it, and bought a $980.00 20" Sony and returned it. I hope that CompUSA is happy, they had to sell 3 high end monitors as "returns".

Note: Alot of cheap "multi-sync" monitors should really be called "step-sync" because they only work at certain preset frequencies (usually the VESA std: 65, 70, and 75Hz). A TRUE "multi-sync" will work at any frequency within it's range. For instance, a TRUE multi-sync with a range of 30 - 96 Hz (like the Sony GDM-20E21) will work at ANY frequency in it's range (e.g. 30.1, 50.6, 60 (old Suns), 65 (VESA), 70 (VESA), 72 (SGI and HP-UX), 75 (VESA), 76 (newer Suns), etc.).

Note: A final note about monitors and really old computers. Really old computers may need "sync on green" (RGB coax input). The Sony GDM-20E21 (and other high end monitors from the late 1990s) can do this (there is a split out cable adapter for this). However, I'm pretty sure that no sync on green monitors are being made anymore.

Have you had a good or bad experience with a computer dealer? Please send your comments in to me, barnesr@unixhub.com.

Special Mention. CompUSA is not a used computer dealer but deserves a special mention for stupidity

Return to Unixhub's home page