PC World rip off merchants

[DodgyAgent]

No.

PC World is part of Dixons who also control Dixons computer shops on high-street - breakup won't help here since PC World fits out-of-town market, so price controls are necessary until there is a viable competitor present in this market.

No AtW price controls on Dixons are not necessary. If you notice we do not have price controls on consumer goods and nor does any other country like Germany, Japan, USA, France or Italy. Is it a coincidence that these societies are the most affluent in the world? The point I make is that I am intelligent enough (no laughing) to make my own mind up as to whether I shop at PCworld, as are most other shoppers, who incidentally are bright enough to earn enough money to shop there in the first place. What we dont need is twerps like you (with respect ) coming here, from a bankrupt country (whose bankrupcy can be partly attributed by govt control over for example consumer goods prices) and trying to impose bankrupcy inducing policies.

The great thing about a capitalist market is that not everything is fair. This is because we know that leveling playing fields is not only impossible but also not what people want. (if you dont like it you know what to do) trusting govt to do something that will improve anything is like trusting a contractor to sell his own services

[AtW]

No AtW price controls on Dixons are not necessary. If you notice we do not have price controls on consumer goods

Oh really? How about price controls on rail fairs? How about price controls on BT charges? The whole idea of anti-monopolistic regulation is to protect consumers - I assert that Dixons in general and PC World in particular are monopolies that have to be regulated until they get competition in this market - retail high-street/out-of-town.

I don't want to regulate everything - only monopolies, this is acceptable practice in all civilized countries.

[DodgyAgent]

I was building a system in the UK last year and someone forgot to order some SLT tapes. Over the road was a PC World so I popped over, found a young assistant and it went like this:

DA: " Do you sell SDLT tapes?"
PC: "Eh!"
DA: "SDLT tapes for computers. To make backups on."
PC: "Sorry, don't understand you."
DA: "A bit like DAT tapes but bigger and hold more data. You have a tape drive on the PC, put a tape in and backup your data to tape. Do you sell tapes for computer systems?"
PC: "Do you mean cassettes? They're over there."
DA: "Diptulip."

Went to another one a few weeks later when I had to give a training course and someone had forgotten his power supply for his Thinkpad.

PC: "Don't do IBM or power supplies. Try Maplins for something like that."

Went to Maplins who do universal power supplies but suggested not using them just in case (this was a US model from Israel.) Got one down the Tottingham Court Rahd for next to nuffing.

You propellor heads just love your secure little world of jargon. when will you guys learn that the reason for your existence is precisely because the rest of us dont understand technology. PCworld shop assistants are trained to serve techknownothings like me. You should be pleased.

[AtW]

PCworld shop assistants are trained to serve techknownothings like me. You should be pleased.

I hear those assistants are particularly good at pimping overpriced insurance policies.

[bogeyman]

You propellor heads just love your secure little world of jargon. when will you guys learn that the reason for your existence is precisely because the rest of us dont understand technology. PCworld shop assistants are trained to serve techknownothings like me. You should be pleased.

And also 'techknownothings' like them!

Otherwise, why would they even bother speaking to the PCW staff - other than at the checkout?

Bogey

[DodgyAgent]

Oh really? How about price controls on rail fairs? How about price controls on BT charges? The whole idea of anti-monopolistic regulation is to protect consumers - I assert that Dixons in general and PC World in particular are monopolies that have to be regulated until they get competition in this market - retail high-street/out-of-town.

I don't want to regulate everything - only monopolies, this is acceptable practice in all civilized countries.

Three points there:

You and I are not free to set up our own rival networks so they are indeed true monopolies and are not therefore subject to capitalist market led competitive dynamics. There is nothing preventing competition to Dixons which means that the consumer market is quite happy (even if you are not) with the way things are. Again command economies do not work

Secondly they are prime examples of just how efficient govt is whenever it does try and do something.

Thirdly I am not sure that you understand what a "consumer good" is

[Mustang]

Where do people shop for their PC related quipment then? I buy major items on TCR. Do most people buy on line?


Btw, check your VAT receipt if you do buy at PCW. They charge a "card handling fee" this is payable - even if you pay by cash!!! Work that one out! It is not shown on a normal receipt but has to be itemised on a VAT receipt!!

[AtW]

Simple question is this - is IT retail on high-street/out-of-town competitive? The answer is clear no - there is nobody apart from Dixons who sells the stuff, and this makes them de facto monopolies. High price differential only supports this assertion.

Consumers benefit from lack of monopolies - if BT had its way there would be no broadband in this country as near as much as it is present now, I remember clearly how BT execs wanted to charge more money for overseas traffic, this sort of backwards crap is actually happening in some 3rd world countries, but luckily Govt made sure BT won't take the piss.

[Fungus]

ATW: Jesus wept. If you like PC World, buy from them. Otherwise don't. Easy. Next.

I bought my iPod from PC World because:

1) The price was not much higher than the best on the web including P&P.
2) In case of trouble it's easy to return it.
3) I can see the item first hand before buying.

It's the same all over the place. People pay through the nose for convenience in a shop that spends huge amounts on advertising and sells to the masses. John Lewis also sell computer kit at similar prices. Look mate, people decide whether or not something survives. It's not a monopoly cos you can always buy on the net, at computer fairs and so on.

If you want rip-off take a look at Jessops. They often sell kit at significantly higher than RRP.

Fungus

[AtW]

ATW: Jesus wept. If you like PC World, buy from them. Otherwise don't. Easy. Next.

I don't buy from PC World - this is not the issue however, the issue is that due to Dixons monopoly I have less choice - I'd prefer to buy from local shop if prices were competitive, however they ain't and the reason is monopolistic position of PC world.

What's worse Dixons exploit their monopolistic position with suppliers too - they get special SKUs and bigger discounts then others, this means that manufacturers have to charge more other places - places where _I_ buy.

This is how monopoly of Dixons directly affects me even though I don't shop there!

Of course one has to be non-retarted in order to understand economics involved in this matter - so do yourself a favour Fungus/bogey, just feck off if you can't present a good arguement.