Forums | MacLife

as they say

buyer beware.

m

Luca Rescigno wrote:

I admit I don't visit these forums often. However, the few times I do I am constantly depressed by the way people here give awful purchasing advice, never listen to the good advice, and always jump into buying stuff without doing any prior research at all. Just earlier today, someone asked about what RAM to get for a Mac mini. After several people gave somewhat good suggestions, he ignored everything and bought something much more expensive. Why? Hell if I know! He didn't even post to ask whether it was a good deal or not until AFTER he bought it!

I'm lucky I'm smart enough to avoid all this crap, but I see these forums as an upside-down piggy bank, constantly leaking money into a bottomless pit of despair. Someone here spent over $100 on a crappy old computer that most people could find in a dumpster. I see people making the stupidest product recommendations all the time. Why can't anyone recognize that if you're not super knowledgeable about this stuff, you shouldn't be giving advice? And why can't anyone who's asking the people here follow the good advice?

Again, I don't really care THAT much, but it's still frustrating. I would recommend that you don't give purchasing advice for things you don't know much about, and you don't ask for advice if you're not going to follow it.

links, plz.

The internet is full of bad advice from people who think they know what they are talking about. I don't use the net if I need advice

Alien wrote:

Mainwar wrote:

The internet is full of bad advice from people who think they know what they are talking about. I don't use the net if I need advice

Just like any other medium, the internet is also full of advice from people who do know what the hell they're talking about.

The trick is not to dismiss an entire realm of information-gathering, but to assess the value of every piece of information, regardless of the medium.

,xtG
.tsooJ

And to know who to ask.

Luca Rescigno wrote:

he ignored everything and bought something much more expensive. Why? Hell if I know! He didn't even post to ask whether it was a good deal or not until AFTER he bought it!
.

Hey [dingle berry]! I did get a good deal with my student discount and I am appreciative to others who gave me advice.

Do you live in Australia? Do you know the dynamics involved in many shipping companies especially the ones from US shipping to some Bum smurf area. No, you don't do ya?

And I did not ask if it was a good deal after I bought it. I just asked if it was one of those kernel panic prone ones.

Get ur sh*t strait!

What r u saying I

Last edited by MrJ in OZ (2005-05-19 5:25 am)

279 AUD
Australian Dollar
1 AUD = 0.7614 USD    
=
212.4166 USD
United States Dollar
1 USD = 1.3135 AUD

$212-$50 discount = $162 USD, for a 1GB PC3200 DDR400 SDRAM 184-pin DIMM

(included shipping)


$ US companies wouldnt ship it cause I have a different address for credit and they cant confirm it and our ebay has about 6 items on it. I am hesitant in ordering overseas e bay.

Last edited by MrJ in OZ (2005-05-18 1:12 pm)

Well, here's an example of "I just bought something, did I get a good deal?":

http://www.macaddict.com/forums/topic/60795

Poor guy paid almost a grand for a 667 MHz PowerBook G4.

There are more, and generally I'm not just referring to purchasing advice. It's just frustrating when people try to give advice and it's clear they don't know what they're talking about, and they're probably just making up half of what they're saying. I'll find some more links, because I know they're out there.

Oh, and MrJ, thanks for the explanation. I didn't know that companies that supposedly ship internationally are so picky about it. US$162 when you're in Australia is a pretty good deal.

Last edited by Luca Rescigno (2005-05-18 12:30 pm)

My thought is that if the person felt that the price was reasonable and they got what they wanted, then who are you to tell them that they got shafted?  I sometimes pay more for something than someone else might, but I do so because I feel that the price is reasonable and justified.  I shop locally, usually paying more than if I had ordered something online or gone to a bigger city to get it.  I feel that not only am I saving gas (both mine and the shipping company's), but I am supporting the local economy, which in turn helps me out.  Buy all the super cheapo crap you want, and I still believe that I am getting the better deal.  You are not factoring in things like warranty, ease of return or exchange, being treated like a person, not a number, etc.  I can walk back into the store with the item and they usually remember me and when I bought the item.  Some stores know me so well that they no longer ask for a receipt when I return stuff unless it has been some time since I bought an item.  The lowest price isn't always the best price.

Something shakespeare wrote about methinks and protesting.

Orion wrote:

My thought is that if the person felt that the price was reasonable and they got what they wanted, then who are you to tell them that they got shafted?

Amen.
Sure - you can often find a better deal. That often takes both time and research - time is money.

I recently ordered an exchange battery for my laptop - I expected it over a week ago, still hasn't arrived - I went with one if the cheaper places. I wish I hadn't.

Alien wrote:

Mainwar wrote:

Alien wrote:

Just like any other medium, the internet is also full of advice from people who do know what the hell they're talking about.

The trick is not to dismiss an entire realm of information-gathering, but to assess the value of every piece of information, regardless of the medium.

The fact remains that there is still a lot of bad advice out there, and since most content and opinions on the net are unedited, I'd rather trust a magazine or a book or something.

Suit yourself; your loss.

,xtG
.tsooJ

Personally, i'd trust the people on here more than someone gettting paid to tell me about a product. Of course, it also depends on the product, and the people.

macfiend wrote:

i agree id rather go with information around here than some stupid magazine. that may test the product for a week then write a review.

The Colt Vista got rave reviews from Consumer Reports in the late 80's.
Lots of people including my parents bought one based upon those reviews.

Turned out to be a trash car.