Careful where you shop at on-line (long)...

[Guest]

Be careful on using Googlegear. I bought a model# XF9700-C3-P Bulk EVIL COMMANDO 2 which is listed as an ATI 9700 Pro video card at Googlegear for $275. It had a link to the PowerColor web page that showed it as a full speed 9700 Pro.

But when I received it I noticed that my core clock speed was running at 297 Mhz which is not the normal clock speed for a 9700 Pro, it should be 325 Mhz.

I contacted the manufacturer of the card to question this and was told that this is a 9700 Pro "lite". No where in Googlegear’s adveritisement was this card advertised as a "lite" version and I certainly would not have purchased it had it been advertised as such. I just used Googlegear to purchase my computer system ($815.98 ) . I do not think that I should have been held to the 15% restocking fee if I returned it.

Powercolor has no reference of a "lite" 297 MHZ version of this card on their website They only have one EVIL COMMANDO 2 9700 PRO card and it is a full speed card.

I contacted Googlegear about this and explained the situation and they said they would investigate. The next day they said their advertisement was accurate and they would not waive the restocking fee. Although, on the day they investigated they completely changed the advertisement on this card. They removed the link to the Powercolor website that stated "Powered by the revolutionary AGP 8X RADEON 9700 PRO (A13 stepping) Visual Processing Unit (VPU) with core engine @325Mhz clock speed".

Googlegear also changed their avertisement to include Clock Speed: 297MHz in big bold red letters at the top of the advertisement.

Also note that they changed the description in the advertisement from "is the worlds fastest and most advanced graphics board, featuring ATI RADEON 9700 Visual Processing Unit (VPU)" to " is a most advanced graphics board, featuring ATI RADEON 9700 Visual Processing Unit (VPU)".

I spoke with several customer support people and a manager and was told they would not waive the restocking fee and they didn’t care if I told others of my experience and reported my experience with rating companies for internet retailers because “people would still buy from them”.

I know that the card that I got is not terrible or anything but I did not get what was advertised and Googlegear sure does not seem to care about their customers. Just wanted to share my experience with this company, you can make your own choice on whether to use them or not.


2100 XP
Asus A7N8X Deluxe nforce2
Corsair 256MB 3200C2
WD SE 80GB ATA/100 7200RPM
Radeon 9700 PRO
Lite On 48x24x48 CDRW

 

[dhlucke]

Thanks for the warning. Could you please go to resellerratings.com and report that as well?

Good luck.

<font color=red>
<A HREF="http://kevan.org/brain.cgi?dhlucke" target="_new">Introducing the NVIDIA GeForceFX: The first Videocard designed exclusively for deaf people!</A></font color=red>

 

[Guest]

Yes, I will do that now. Isn't there another popular internet rating company too?

2100 XP
Asus A7N8X Deluxe nforce2
Corsair 256MB 3200C2
WD SE 80GB ATA/100 7200RPM
Radeon 9700 PRO
Lite On 48x24x48 CDRW

 

[flowmaster]

Ive used googlegear.com and havent had problems. But you probly got the bad one of the bunch. Companys cant tailor to every customer you have to realize that. As many customers where I work think that the business has to focus on them and them alone. Better be happy things are the way they are anyways. Most of the customers I delt with thought are business ran off of them and like we didnt have other business and that we didnt have about 50,000 other stores around the US. And they threated us that they wouldnt come back and tell other people(As if people would care!). I am glad to get rid of such dispitful customers.
Just my thoughts.

"I sawed-off the fan on my Nvidia FX VIDEO CARD and reached a db score of 240db on Futuremark's DEAF METER 2003"

 

[Guest]

I too work at a retail company and understand that these companies can't cater to each specific customer. I don't really think that they knowingly deceived me with their ad but they would have to agree that the ad was incorrect because they totally changed the ad when I pointed it out. I would have been happy to return the card and pay the difference for a real 9700 pro card if they would have just waived the restocking fee but they were not willing to help in any way. I can't really blame this on one bad person because I spoke with several different people. Maybe most people would not have any problems with them but I just think it shows poor customer service (especially since I just bought all of my computer parts from them).

2100 XP
Asus A7N8X Deluxe nforce2
Corsair 256MB 3200C2
WD SE 80GB ATA/100 7200RPM
Radeon 9700 PRO
Lite On 48x24x48 CDRW

 

[Guest]

I just want to point out that I am not the type of person who complains about things that I buy. This is the first time that I have ever posted anything negative about a retailer and I just thought that if people are considering using this company that they may like to know my experience.

2100 XP
Asus A7N8X Deluxe nforce2
Corsair 256MB 3200C2
WD SE 80GB ATA/100 7200RPM
Radeon 9700 PRO
Lite On 48x24x48 CDRW

 

[flowmaster]

Yeah they should have owned up to there ad and changed out your graphics card or refund your money. They werent having much of a true business type to go and change their ad right after you point it out. That was wrong and unethically done.

"I put a flowmaster on my Nvidia FX VIDEO CARD and reached a db score of 240db on Futuremark's DEAF METER 2003"

 

[flowmaster]

And I would have did the same thing you have posted to show everyone what they could be getting into when they shop on googlegear.

"I put a flowmaster on my Nvidia FX VIDEO CARD and reached a db score of 240db on Futuremark's DEAF METER 2003"

 

[bjwise]

Don't give up, send more emails to different contacts in the company. Resellerrating.com is great too.

 

[LtBlue14]

he should REALLY get some respect from them since he ordered almost $1000 worth of parts from them. they should treat him like a king
and even if he didn't they shouldn't have done that dishonest move, that's just wrong
i won't buy from googlegear anymore, thanks

--------------

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[Guest]

I have already talked to 4 different people, including a manager. They would not budge. I already rated them on Resellerrating.com also.

2100 XP
Asus A7N8X Deluxe nforce2
Corsair 256MB 3200C2
WD SE 80GB ATA/100 7200RPM
Radeon 9700 PRO
Lite On 48x24x48 CDRW

 

[DCB_AU]

Googlegear hope that you will just go away and say nothing to anyone else.
What they don't seem to realise is that complaints "add up" and they will eventually loose sales.

DCB_AU

 

[LancerEvolution7]

Just so all of you know, Googlegear has an UNsatisfactory rating with the bbb.

 

[NewMaxx]

Although my comment is not related to graphics cards, it is relevant to the thread's subject matter.

I build many custom computers...probably about one per week. I do all my shopping online. Only once did I have a situation like this, at NewEgg. NewEgg is quite possibly my favorite place to shop for hardware, so sooner or later I knew a related problem would arise.

I was purchasing a laptop barebone that I intended to build and sell to a client. The description for the item clearly said that it supported the P4 Northwood, but did not list the FSB. I assumed it referred to the 533 version, especially since the laptop went up to the 2.8 GHz range. Upon receiving the laptop (and the processor), I found that the laptop actually only supported the 400-MHz version. I THEN went to the company's site, which had no information on this. However I read their online manual (different from the manual I received, I might add), and at some obscure location it mentioned this fact.

So I sent NewEgg a RMA, which is limited to 200 characters or so, and it cut off the part where I mentioned that I didn't want to pay the 15% restocking fee; I know this because they had a copy of what they had received from me online. However they actually get ALL of the message...their limit isn't strictly enforced...but didn't mention this to me. But I knew they had gotten it because, lo and behold, my money was returned to me in full, including shipping. I then bought the proper processor and it went off without a hitch. They also changed the product's description.

So, this is a story gone well...hence I recommend NewEgg strongly. They go out of their way for customers.

I'm sorry about your Googlegear ordeal...I believe I did purchase some items from them...I believe it was fans...and I specifically ordered fans that come with 4-pin converters, and they didn't send them. They also overcharged me. So my personal experience with them isn't all that great...but there are good resellers online. But, ultimately, mistakes are made...but I think it's the company that goes out of its way to correct those mistakes that best deserves my business.

 

[Guest]

I am trying to decide if I should send this back tomorrow (tomorrow is 30 days so I can't do it after tomorrow)and eat the 15% restocking fee.

I can get a true 9700 Pro for $275. If I decide to do this and put my Geforce 2 card back in my PC until I get a new card, do I just uninstall the ATI drivers, insert the Geforce card and install the new drivers?

2100 XP
Asus A7N8X Deluxe nforce2
Corsair 256MB 3200C2
WD SE 80GB ATA/100 7200RPM
Radeon 9700 PRO
Lite On 48x24x48 CDRW

 

[flowmaster]

Uninstalling the ATI drivers is a must but not really a must but Id advice that because you could run into problems.
But I ran nvidia drivers with my 9700pro card afor but never reversed.

"I put a flowmaster on my Nvidia FX VIDEO CARD and reached a db score of 240db on Futuremark's DEAF METER 2003"