Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!ihwpt!ihnp4!cord!nsw
From: nsw@cord.UUCP (Neil Weinstock)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Is Abel able?
Summary: Caveat Emptor
Message-ID: <602@cord.UUCP>
Date: 2 Oct 88 07:52:45 GMT
References: <9578@cup.portal.com> <14@cs-spool.calgary.UUCP> <6083@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU>
Reply-To: nsw@cord.UUCP (Neil Weinstock)
Distribution: na
Organization: The Flying Squid Patrol
Lines: 48

In article<6083@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU> whitcomb@unicorn.Berkeley.EDU.UUCP writes:
>I had just the opposite experience.  I've dealt with them once (and
>it will probably be the last time).  I ordered about 5 items simultaneously
>(digiview, stand, camera, etc).  They didn't have any of the items
>in stock at the time, and thus the 2-day UPS was almost worthless.  Not
> [ . . . ]
>
>If you still think that the slightly better prices they offer are worth
>the risk, I suggest that you confirm that the products are in stock
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>before ordering and double check that what they have in mind are what
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>you want... of course, the ordering people won't know a DB25 connector
^^^^^^^^^^^
>from a Centronics so good luck.
>
>-Gregg Whitcomb

YES YES YES YES YES (etc.)  You should always do this, and not just with
Abel.  If you expect to get what you order in a hurry, you had *better*
ask the person on the phone to go and check that the item(s) in question is
in stock.  Then, tell him to check again.  Then, tell his manager to check.
Then, tell his mother.  Only if they all come back with "Yes, item x is
in stock, we have it now, if you order it now we can send it out tomorrow"
should you expect to get it within the next year.  This is a basic fact of
mail-ordering that I have learned from hard experience, and again, is not
specific to Abel.

As for the second point, I would personally consider it unwise to ever order
something on the basis of its name in the catalog (which, in Abel's case,
doesn't include an elaborate description or anything.)  It is incumbent on
you, the consumer, to research the products before you order.  If not,
you're asking for trouble.  I should also mention here that this particular
problem is not even specific to mail-order places; I know of many instances
where people bought items from stores, assured by the salesmen that they would
work with their setups, only to find that the salesmen were, shall we say,
"misinformed" (to put it extremely charitably).

Certainly, Abel deserves blame for giving poor customer service in this
instance.  However, I must say that I am not aware of a single cheap mail-order
place which has not had its share of screw-ups.  I for one have been happy
with Abel.  Golly, they are *cheap*.  I've saved enough money from buying
from them to pay for an awful lot of long-distance.

.- -- .. --. .- .-. ..- .-.. . ... .- -- .. --. .- .-. ..- .-.. . ...
|  Neil Weinstock | att!cord!nsw     | "I think my cerebellum just  |
|  AT&T Bell Labs | nsw@cord.att.com |      fused." - Calvin        |
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