General Question - Do Scan Price Match..

[Funkstar]

I've already had a look at that page.

No, I don't think it is rediculous to charge £88 for a "PC Healthcheck". If someone doesn't want to pay for it, there are probably hundreds of sources of this information already out there on the internet, there is no reason for PCWorld or any other retailer to provide this information for free. Now, if they were charging £88 for that guide, then I would take ecception to it

These services are aimed at people that after they have opened IE, with MSN as the home page, will then type google into the MSN search box as opposed to the actual address bar at the top of the page. When they want to visit the BBC sport site, they actaully search for "bbc.co.uk/sport".

I wonder if there are threads discussing this on car or other non-it forums? I don't think so. You don't get them in the Cars and Bikes forum on here. So why is it that people don't feel they should pay for IT services, then they are perfectly willing to pay for a mechanic to fix their car.

Perhaps if you have been around cars and engines as much as you had technology, then you would have been able to chanrge filters etc. when you were 9

[Emu76]

These services are aimed at people that after they have opened IE, with MSN as the home page, will then type google into the MSN search box as opposed to the actual address bar at the top of the page. When they want to visit the BBC sport site, they actaully search for "bbc.co.uk/sport".

That really made me laugh. My dad did that when he signed up for the internet many years ago, and he had to call support about it, so I guess you're right. I just wish there was a better way to inform people about how to take care of their own machines, and I think the levels of ignorance in some people is staggering.

[peterb]

Have you seen their "The Tech Guys" group? It's a joke! Idiots charging bigger idiots £15 to fit RAM, and get this, £293 for a "Flatscreen TV Installation Service", oh and don't forget your £88 virus scan and cookie cleanout.

£15 to fit RAM - well, lets break it down

Worst case

5 minutes to take the case off and remove any wires, component, cct boards etc to gain access to the mobo and (perhaps determine the type of RAM required)

A couple of minutes to actually fit it

Another 5 to 10 minutes to re-assemble it.

Another 10 to connect it to a keyboard and monitor, run it up and test it with something like memtest - say 20 minutes. So at £30 an hour that already accounts for at least £10. Then there are the overheads of the business, provision of the facilities and you would expect there to be some warranty for the work done, so there will be a contingency amount in that should the computer have to be returned. So all in all, seems pretty reasonable to me.

As for the £88 for a health check, again, that can be a trivial or simple task depending on what needs to be done, but I'd say 2 hours would be a reasonable average time, so again at £30/hour that is £60 straight off, without allowing for any specialist software that might have been bought.

However I agree that some pricing does look to be bizarre - the flat screen TV installation does look overpriced, but the hard data recovery looks ridiculously cheap!

[Funkstar]

However I agree that some pricing does look to be bizarre - the flat screen TV installation does look overpriced, but the hard data recovery looks ridiculously cheap!

A "flat screen" would also include a 50" plasma, so you are talking 2 people, and probably 2 hours, so at your £30/hour, thats £120 already. Then it's a home service to there is transport to and from their base. Particular insurance for their guys handling the equipment, etc. etc.

Probably not as unreasonable as it first looks.

[Advanced]

Advanced, are you accusig Scan of ripping off customers?

As for the Dixons Stores Group, I don't see the probem with those charges (thought I would be interested to see what the Flatscreen isntallation charge includes). So do you believe they should offer these services for free? Being a publicly limited company, whos sole aim it is to make money (a corporation is actually legaly obliged to make money for it's share holders, it could be held to account if it didn't) why should they do this for nothing? This is exactly the same as taking your car into the garage to be serviced, repaired or new parts fitted. Just because you can install these parts, or perform these services without really thinking about it, doesn't mean that everyone else can. Do you also maintain your own car? Or do you pay someone to do that for you?

But most people who buy hardware no how to install it, in my opinion..

I wasn't even accusing of Scan ripping of customers, I put except Scan if you read my post..

[Emu76]

Oh wait, what company feels ashamed of ripping of people, except Scan.

The way you wrote that made it seem like they are not ashamed of ripping people off, so I can see how it could be misunderstood. At first I also thought you were accusing SCAN of ripping off customers.

[Funkstar]

But most people who buy hardware no how to install it, in my opinion..

I think you over estimate most people

Loads of people know they need more memory (for example) but would have no idea what they need or how to fit it. So they head to PCWorld to buy it then get it fitted, job done.

The air-con in my car needs topped up. I know this is probably an easy thing to do, but will I do it myself? no, I'll take it to a garage and get it done.

I wasn't even accusing of Scan ripping of customers, I put except Scan if you read my post..

Well then what you wrote and what you meant appear to be two seperate things

[Saracen]

....

I wasn't even accusing of Scan ripping of customers, I put except Scan if you read my post..

I read it as an accusation as well. If it wasn't, then fair enough, but here's how it read to me ...

Oh wait, what company feels ashamed of ripping of people, except Scan.

Most companies don't feel ashamed of ripping people off, but Scan do feel ashamed of doing it. The inference is that for Scan to feel ashamed of ripping people off, they must have been ripping people off.

It may not have been what you meant, but it is what you said.

[jim]

But most people who buy hardware no how to install it, in my opinion..:

Just to add another reply here - you should have seen the Sports Interactive forums after they released Football Manager 2009. To cut a long story short, they redesigned the graphical interface to function on DirectX, and a lot of their gamers discovered that their graphics couldn't actually cope with that DirectX interface, so they had to buy new cards.

It was complete mayhem... they couldn't afford new PC's, so they bought new cards, but had no idea what type they needed, how much it should cost, what interface they needed, how to open their case, so on so forth. Not to mention that a lot of them ended up buying something like a 9800GT when even an FX5800 would have done the job.

[Advanced]

I read it as an accusation as well. If it wasn't, then fair enough, but here's hnow it read to me ...

Most companies don't feel ashamed of ripping people off, but Scan do feel ashamed of doing it. The inference is that for Scan to feel ashamed of ripping people off, they must have been ripping people off.

It may not have been what you meant, but it is what you said.

Woah. so many people jumping on the band-wagon, Just to clarify I meant to say everyone except Scan Like I wrote, not Scan like ripping people off, id it was enturpreted in that way surely you would brush it of with sarcasm? Or aren't we a huge fan of that here? Glad that is cleared up.

[Advanced]

Just to add another reply here - you should have seen the Sports Interactive forums after they released Football Manager 2009. To cut a long story short, they redesigned the graphical interface to function on DirectX, and a lot of their gamers discovered that their graphics couldn't actually cope with that DirectX interface, so they had to buy new cards.

It was complete mayhem... they couldn't afford new PC's, so they bought new cards, but had no idea what type they needed, how much it should cost, what interface they needed, how to open their case, so on so forth. Not to mention that a lot of them ended up buying something like a 9800GT when even an FX5800 would have done the job.

Lol, poor people. They must remember Google is their friend.

[dave87]

Have you seen their "The Tech Guys" group? It's a joke! Idiots charging bigger idiots £15 to fit RAM, and get this, £293 for a "Flatscreen TV Installation Service", oh and don't forget your £88 virus scan and cookie cleanout.

Bit out of date there at a guess, was £79 last time I walked into a branch of Currys....

[Advanced]

Bit out of date there at a guess, was £79 last time I walked into a branch of Currys....

Ahhh, that is much better.

[geezerone]

£15 for RAM?I

was in My local 'computer' shop a while ago and the potential customer asked how much for RAM (£20) and then fitting was another £20. I know 'we' can do it but to the uninitiated there prevails the Fear Uncertainty and Doubt syndrome. At least if anything goes wrong (static or damage) the customer is protected.

[david@scan]

snip