Eclipse Routinely Opening CPU boxes

[wja96]

About 3 weeks ago I bought 2 Intel Q6600 G0 CPUs from Eclipse Computers in Coventry. I bought them over the counter, in store. They take your money then bring you a bag with the stuff in. I just wanted to check they were G0's so I pulled them out and looked. They were G0's.

When I got them home, I discovered both had been opened with a knife across the top of the box and a sticker placed over the bottom of each CPU (in the centre, where there are no pins).

Yesterday, I needed another G0, so I went in to Eclipse and bought one. This time I checked if the box was opened in-store and asked the assistant why they felt it necessary to do this - he said it was "a legal requirement".

Now, I'm not a solicitor, but as no-one else is doing this, I think he was making it up. Tomorrow, I'm going to contact Coventry Trading Standards for a chat about this. I'm thinking about asking for 3 new, unopened ones.

My 'best case' supposition is that they are getting ripped off by unscrupulous buyers who are bringing back stuff they have previously blown up as newly purchased. My 'worst case' supposition is that the lads in the store are sifting through the CPUs to get the best overclockers for themselves.

Either way, it's not normal and I thought I'd just let everyone know.

[Funkstar]

When I got them home, I discovered both had been opened with a knife across the top of the box and a sticker placed over the bottom of each CPU (in the centre, where there are no pins).

What is the sticker?

It's probably an identifier in case you need to return it for whatever reason. A lot of retailers do this. I can't comment on CPU's, but Scan put small stickers on items detailing the line number (LNxxxxx) and a unique serial number so they can build up a complete history for that item, right the way back to when they first recieved it from their suppliers.

Personally i can't see anything wrong with that.

Even if the staff are testing every chip and keepng the best ones, how does that effect you? You still got a G0 which you were looking for, and presumably, if they have been testing them for their overclocking ability, then you know that the chip you have just bought actually works. As opposed to a fully sealed box that has the possability of being DOA (although i've never heard of an Intel chip bein DOA, there is still a slim risk of this happening). I'm not sure what you would expect Trading Standards to do about this.

[wja96]

Scan put the stickers on the outside of the box. Eclipse are opening sealed cartons and placing stickers where stickers are not supposed to go.

[Funkstar]

Eclipse obviously have enough time and staff to do this with every processor they are selling. I can't imagine Scan have that luxury.

[DR]

Yeah its purely to show a stock product/ID number for RMA.

do they work properly? no need to start a war or be a keyboard warrior... you knew they opened them and went back and bought another... ?

[tekhead]

they will be doing this to make it easier if the product comes back on RMA this way they know exactly when they bought it and which supplier it came from so they know where to send it back to.

Scan put stickers on the outside of all their products which is ok but what if you loose the box or just throw it away, without this sticker Scan would have no proof that the product even came from them, by putting a sticker on the actual product is actaully helping you and them, so as long as the product works i cannot see an issue in them doing this.

[fat jez]

Scan put the stickers on the outside of the box. Eclipse are opening sealed cartons and placing stickers where stickers are not supposed to go.

The RAM I bought from Scan has stickers on it directly, it was in a packet.

Cheers,
Stephen

[wja96]

Yeah its purely to show a stock product/ID number for RMA.

do they work properly? no need to start a war or be a keyboard warrior... you knew they opened them and went back and bought another... ?

I'm a Microsoft System builder and I have a customer who wants a PC for Monday - so yes, I bought another one, and they work fine - I just don't like the concept of someone putting a sticker on the bottom of a CPU. Each box and CPU already carries a unique ID code (the one Intel gave it), so why not use that instead? If they printed that ID on the receipt then they wouldn't have to open up the packaging, or mess with the product.

If they carried this through, they would open all the retail packaged software as well.

[arthurleung]

I'm a Microsoft System builder and I have a customer who wants a PC for Monday - so yes, I bought another one, and they work fine - I just don't like the concept of someone putting a sticker on the bottom of a CPU. Each box and CPU already carries a unique ID code (the one Intel gave it), so why not use that instead? If they printed that ID on the receipt then they wouldn't have to open up the packaging, or mess with the product.

If they carried this through, they would open all the retail packaged software as well.

The difference is, software don't fail like hardware. Once it is sold the software developer takes over all the support. So they don't need to open the boxes. They're not gonna accept open box return anyway.

Each manufacturer uses different barcodes for tracking. They are most likely NOT 100% compatible unlike supermarket items. If that is the case they'll need their OWN tracking label so that their OWN barcode reader will read it.

You want to risk that they mis-type one character of the CPU S/N in their POS and then refuse to replace it months afterward?

Also, the label helps YOU to find out who you actually bought the CPU from, if you bought from multiple sources.

[Funkstar]

You can't RMA software though

EDIT: beaten by Arthurleung

[wja96]

The difference is, software don't fail like hardware. Once it is sold the software developer takes over all the support. So they don't need to open the boxes. They're not gonna accept open box return anyway.

Not true. In the UK the retailer remains responsible and they have to take software back - even if it is opened - if it doesn't do what it says it does.

Each manufacturer uses different barcodes for tracking. They are most likely NOT 100% compatible unlike supermarket items. If that is the case they'll need their OWN tracking label so that their OWN barcode reader will read it.

All modern barcode readers read all barcodes. And the EAN128 barcodes printed on the outside of Intel boxes have the plain code printed beneath them anyway.

You want to risk that they mis-type one character of the CPU S/N in their POS and then refuse to replace it months afterward?

This is quite a good point, but I've already stated above that all modern barcode readers automatically read all barcodes - there is no reason why they cannot program their POS to print this scanned code on the receipt. Especially as most POS are now Microsoft based with easily programmable interfaces.

Also, the label helps YOU to find out who you actually bought the CPU from, if you bought from multiple sources.

I know where I bought it from, because i record all the serials, part numbers etc. as I build the system for my customer. That way, when they call me and I'm 300 miles away I can look it up on my system and buy a part and have it mail-ordered direct to them so that they can either fit it themselves if they feel capable or it's waiting there for me when I turn up to do my service call. Of course, if the serials don't match when I arrive, then the customer and I have a chat about it. The difference is that I'm tiotally up-front about what I'm doing and why I'm doing it. And I've never told one of my customers that I was forced to open a sealed package and put a sticker on a part because I was legally obliged to.

[notsobig]

But if this opening box and stick their sticker thing become relervant, how one can tell if the item you purchased is actually brand new or not? I personally don't like to recieve something that has already been opened(and possibly used or returned by another customer). I wouldn't take the matter that seriously but more likely I would shop from someoneelse next time. And look at places like dabs they sell opened/used stuff for much cheaper prices.

[wja96]

But if this opening box and stick their sticker thing become relervant, how one can tell if the item you purchased is actually brand new or not? I personally don't like to recieve something that has already been opened(and possibly used or returned by another customer).

I agree 100%.

I wouldn't take the matter that seriously but more likely I would shop from someoneelse next time. And look at places like dabs they sell opened/used stuff for much cheaper prices.

There are a limited number of retailers that have trade counters where you can actually go and buy stuff. Scan, CCL, Eclipse and Microdirect are the ones I use most often as Dabs online trade arm is still a mail order operation. I have a second job doing customised software installs for businesses and I would generally recommend Dell as they then do all the hardware support. However, if the customer tells me at 1800 on Friday that they want a couple of Q6600 based systems for Monday morning then I'll go out and buy the bits and build them myself, even if that means a 400 mile round trip to Manchester to get the parts. As for much cheaper prices elsewhere than Eclipse, the trade prices are much of a muchness from all the suppliers - even Ingrams. The differences are in how much margin the retailer wants to take from the public.

[KowShak]

Does nobody remember the CPU remarking that went on a few years ago? Big operations were buying trays of CPUs and modding them into faster parts, i.e. you could be buying an overclocked parts without knowing it. If I'm buying a new part I want a manufacturer sealed box, with a sealed box you know its new and not tampered with. I've had used parts masquerading as new from a retailer several times and frankly I don't like it one bit.

[Spud1]

I'm with you on this wja96 - I would never accept a previously opened retail boxes product. It messes with return procedures, would give me a total lack of confidence that it were a new product..I would always refused to accept the goods.

Opening up a sealed retail product for attaching an ID sticker isn't a valid excuse - as you say all the products have an ID number on them anyway, and if their EPOS system can't cope with reading that code then i'll have to drop in and try to sell them mine - even my most basic system can cope with any barcode encoding system..

Just take your business elsewhere next time, vote with your feet Or even write to them and ask for an explanation, would be intersting to hear what they say if you do

[Salazaar]

Have you asked the manager/owner why they do that, rather than the chap who works on the counter? A few reasonable queries from a good trade customer may be all it takes for them to consider changing their policy.