Is PC World ripping people off?

Question

The latest PCW TV advert says they will set you PC up in your home for £49.99. What a laugh!

They also charge 30 quid to install a hard disk, which involves opening the PC case, plugging one power cable and one ribbon cable into the HDD, doing up 4 retaining screws and closing the PC case.

Answer 1

It really depends on your point of view.
There are people out there that are not smart enough to get in out of the rain, or change there own oil or even know which end of a screw driver to use.
For those folks that price may not seem like such a bad deal.
But, for those others that have talents that others don't happen to have it seems like a rip off.
Is it really, MAYBE NOT.
Don

Answer 2

Are you talking about PC World UK? I don't believe PC World magazine sells laptops, only gives reviews. If it is from the aforementioned place, it would not surprise me that you had an issue with a company overseas. I have posted many times that Kaspersky and Bitdefender are two excellent programs, and actually Norton is very good as well. As with everything these days, it really depends on your system and what you do with it.

Answer 3

For the services you describe, absolutely! Despite what one person answers above, we all understand business costs and overheads. Fifty notes to set up a pc is a nonsense. Anyone can do it given time and it is those with too much money or too little time (in their opinion) who are willing to chuck fifty notes down the drain. Likewise installing a new hard drive. Instructions for many manufacturers on how to upgrade are on their websites.

So are people really telling me that there are people who cannot follow instructions?

Answer 4

£49.99 to set up a PC in your home, OK do you actually KNOW what it costs a business to provide this service ?

They need to have a vehicle, insured for multiple drives, taxed, fueled. They need to pay the wages of the guy that comes round. They need to allow for parking costs in certain areas, they need to have a margin to allow for any issues that could result in a return visit.

I used to work for a Co doing laser printer repairs, we charges £175 + VAT for the 1st hour onsite, + parts. so 49.99 is not too bad at all.

The £30 for HDD install, is not JUST to do the "doing up 4 screws", they also enable it in windows, format it, and run the checks on it.

Again they need to pay someone's wages, provide space in a shop for this, equip the workshop area, allow for "warranty service" because if they do it wrong, they might have to replace more than that.


There is much more to providing a service like these that you unsderstand, and really their charges are not as bad as you claim.

Answer 5

Hey PC repair businesses these days are making hay. We've all got PCs now so the maintenance business is booming. That doesn't change the fact that it IS a total and utter rip off. And neither does is change the fact that they are a clueless bunch of cowboys.

Answer 6

Well when it comes to repairing or upgrading your pc or laptop, pc world is not the best place to go as they are very expensive and take a lot of time. But if talking about products they sell, they are very cheap indeed.

Answer 7

Yeah and when my man sets up his own computer business he will undercut them....its a disgrace that PC world can charge so much...even i could set up a computer at home and believe me i am not whizz with the damn machines

Answer 8

yeah pc world is a rip off. i never shop[ there best bet is independent stores with people who actually know what they are on about.

Answer 9

If you compare these prices for time to work on your car, they are cheap.

Time is expensive.

Answer 10

like cd,s a total rip off.