Dodging Cyber Bullets of Too-Good-To-Be-True Deals
Okay, let's try this again and hope the stupid browser doesn't fold on me again (don't you love technology that works against you? I know I sure do).
Anyway, let's see how much of the post I can reconstruct.
I got a catalog from Tiger Direct (no URL for a good reason as you'll see soon enough) and it was the usual PC related puffery, stuff that would be cool to have but not at the prices they wanted. And then I saw an ad for the Treo 180 at a price that was half the next best price I'd seen. Add in activation for the cell phone and browser side and it really was an excellent deal. The Treo's one of those all-in-one units with cell phone, Palm powered PDA, web browser, MP3 player (I think) and a couple of other goodies. Its a great unit with a built in keyboard as well. And I nearly bought it but happened to lose the catalog.

And in the looking for the deal online, I came across the Consumer Affairs: Tiger Direct Complaints site that details just a few of the nightmares this company has visited upon its customers. Who wants to deal with a company that has a minimum of 45 minutes wait on the phone to get to a customer support person who can't help and won't return calls? I'm not sure but I think I'd rather give myself a frontal lobotomy.

The way I see it, you may save money on the initial purchase but followup support will end up costing you far more than you ever saved. So I'm adding Tiger Direct to the list of companies that I just won't do business with. Perhaps I should publish that list and include the why's as well as the who's.