Can anyone here vouch for the legitimacy and reliability of www.wegenermedia.com? I'm in the market for a used ibook, and they seem to have good prices. But I've never heard of them before, and I'm worried about spending a few hundred dollars on a used laptop from a place I know nothing about. If anyone here has had any experience buying from them, I'd really appreciate hearing about it.
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Used ibook - can I trust this place?
- Thread starter Invizzible
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Well, given the fact that their store is located about 20 minutes from where I am sitting right now...they're legit in my book 
No, seriously, I've bought random drives/parts from them and never had problems. Granted, a computer is a much bigger and more expensive item, but if they shaft you, just say the words and I'll drive my car through their front window
-S
No, seriously, I've bought random drives/parts from them and never had problems. Granted, a computer is a much bigger and more expensive item, but if they shaft you, just say the words and I'll drive my car through their front window
-S
A company that used to be quite innovative back in the TiBook days, when they would manufacture some of their own OEM replacement parts and tools for repairing the PowerBooks.
Been around quite awhile, and done quite a bit of business -- so they aren't just a pretty webpage (actually horrid and ugly right now.)
Been around quite awhile, and done quite a bit of business -- so they aren't just a pretty webpage (actually horrid and ugly right now.)
Thanks for the opinions both of you, and the kind offer for revenge assistance! I will order the ibook from them, and expect a good purchasing experience that will not warrant my needing your window driving-through services.
hahaha
haha. glad to know you are there for us.
bigsteve3 said:Well, given the fact that their store is located about 20 minutes from where I am sitting right now...they're legit in my book
No, seriously, I've bought random drives/parts from them and never had problems. Granted, a computer is a much bigger and more expensive item, but if they shaft you, just say the words and I'll drive my car through their front window
-S
haha. glad to know you are there for us.
bigsteve3 said:Granted, a computer is a much bigger and more expensive item, but if they shaft you, just say the words and I'll drive my car through their front window
Every forum needs a member cast in the mold of Charles Bronson, Clint Eastwood, John Wayne or Kirk Douglas. You go, Big Steve ... I love it!
bigsteve3 said:Granted, a computer is a much bigger and more expensive item, but if they shaft you, just say the words and I'll drive my car through their front window
-S
You're a valuable ally, bigsteve3.
Well, I guess you'll have to drive your car into their front window for me. I ordered the ibook last week by phone, after an email from them in which they told me I should order by phone. Here's the email:
--We usually ship within 12-24hrs of receiving an order. However, standard shipment will take 4 days or so. I'd recomend that you ring us and do the order on the phone-we'll be able ot make sure we get it there fast enough for you--.
So when I ordered by phone I told them it absolutely HAD to get to me by Wed. the following week, and I was told it would be. Then I responded to the above email, and received another response from them. Here're those two emails:
--Thanks. I ordered it today by phone. I was surprised to hear it wouldn't ship until next week Monday, but I was assured that it would be here by Wednesday, Sept. 14th. Thanks again for letting me know that ordering by phone was fastest!--
....and their response...
--thx for the note.
We try as fast as we can, but we'll get it done in time for you. We've got a massive order being processed rightnow, which should be done by the end fo the week.--
So today (Mon) they call and say it won't be here until Friday! This sucks because it's for a friend who flies back to Japan on Wed. What sucks even more is my friend sold her PC a couple days ago (a Japanese laptop with Japanese Windows ME installed) with the expectation that the ibook would be here in time to go back to Japan with her.
When they called today to say it wouldn't be here until Friday, I told them I was assured on the phone and in email that it would be here by Wed. Their response was "We didn't guarantee that to you".
Apparently intergrity is somewhat lacking at this place. I cancelled the order. I will never use them again.
--We usually ship within 12-24hrs of receiving an order. However, standard shipment will take 4 days or so. I'd recomend that you ring us and do the order on the phone-we'll be able ot make sure we get it there fast enough for you--.
So when I ordered by phone I told them it absolutely HAD to get to me by Wed. the following week, and I was told it would be. Then I responded to the above email, and received another response from them. Here're those two emails:
--Thanks. I ordered it today by phone. I was surprised to hear it wouldn't ship until next week Monday, but I was assured that it would be here by Wednesday, Sept. 14th. Thanks again for letting me know that ordering by phone was fastest!--
....and their response...
--thx for the note.
We try as fast as we can, but we'll get it done in time for you. We've got a massive order being processed rightnow, which should be done by the end fo the week.--
So today (Mon) they call and say it won't be here until Friday! This sucks because it's for a friend who flies back to Japan on Wed. What sucks even more is my friend sold her PC a couple days ago (a Japanese laptop with Japanese Windows ME installed) with the expectation that the ibook would be here in time to go back to Japan with her.
When they called today to say it wouldn't be here until Friday, I told them I was assured on the phone and in email that it would be here by Wed. Their response was "We didn't guarantee that to you".
Apparently intergrity is somewhat lacking at this place. I cancelled the order. I will never use them again.
You did the right thing, i would have done the same...I hate dealing with companies who don't keep there word,
ShadOW
ShadOW
Oh, the other thing that ticked me off that I forgot to mention in my previous post - They said for an extra $25 they would ship it out Tues, overnight, and get it to me by Wed. I said I felt they should pay for the overnight shipping since they had promised it would arrive on Wed when I ordered it. They refused to pay the $25.
It's really sad. Seems like these days people will not honor their word if it means that doing so will cost them a few extra bucks. I would expect any business to be more image conscious than that, since this kind of bad experience will spread via word of mouth (and internet) and probably cost them more money in the long run.
It's really sad. Seems like these days people will not honor their word if it means that doing so will cost them a few extra bucks. I would expect any business to be more image conscious than that, since this kind of bad experience will spread via word of mouth (and internet) and probably cost them more money in the long run.
Looks like this never ending story might have a semi-happy ending after all. My friend called the place back to bitch, and was told "Send us the emails in which we promised to get it there by Wed." So I forwarded the emails back to them, and they apologized and have apparently sent it by DHL overnight, with no extra shipping charge to us.
So I guess integrity isn't as lacking there as I thought. I'm still not thrilled with the fact that it took some haggling to get the deal that was originally agreed to, or with the fact that when I originally read them their own emails over the phone they still wouldn't honor their promise. But thanks to my friend not giving up, it looks like the ibook will be here in time to go back to Japan with her.
A word to the wise - if this place doesn't honor whatever purchase deal you make with them, it might be worth your while to do a little bitching.
So I guess integrity isn't as lacking there as I thought. I'm still not thrilled with the fact that it took some haggling to get the deal that was originally agreed to, or with the fact that when I originally read them their own emails over the phone they still wouldn't honor their promise. But thanks to my friend not giving up, it looks like the ibook will be here in time to go back to Japan with her.
A word to the wise - if this place doesn't honor whatever purchase deal you make with them, it might be worth your while to do a little bitching.
unfortunately that is what it takes at many places. Sometimes just talking to a different person helps. I needed a check to clear at a bank once and it seemed like it was taking forever, I was told that was too bad. After calling again, desperately needing this check to clear, the nice woman at the bank went ahead and cleared it - where others had just been kind of mean.
I'm glad you got the laptop
I'm glad you got the laptop
Sheesh....I shoulda known this saga wasn't over yet. Right now it's Wednesday evening, a few hours before my friend flies back to Japan, and the ibook is DEAD! It booted up fine the first couple times, and now it just chimes, displays the apple for a few seconds, and then goes dead as I hear the hard drive wind down. Does basically the same thing when trying to boot to an OS X install disc. My neighbor, who works as a repair tech for an Apple certified computer store, is convinced it has a motherboard problem.
So, the Great Used Ibook experiment is a flop. I've emailed Wegener Media, and tomorrow I'll find out how much luck I have with returning it for a refund. Their policy states they can exchange it if they have the same model in stock, but if it's not on the plane to Japan tomorrow it's useless to us. I'm gonna press for a refund, and even try to get my credit card to back me up if necessary. But even if I get a refund, their policy states they charge a 15% restocking fee and that the shipping is non refundable. So this whole experience is probably gonna cost me about $100, and my friend is left with no computer because she sold her pc laptop expecting to be going back to Japan with an ibook.
I was kinda leery about going the used laptop route. Guess I learned my lesson. What a bummer.
So, the Great Used Ibook experiment is a flop. I've emailed Wegener Media, and tomorrow I'll find out how much luck I have with returning it for a refund. Their policy states they can exchange it if they have the same model in stock, but if it's not on the plane to Japan tomorrow it's useless to us. I'm gonna press for a refund, and even try to get my credit card to back me up if necessary. But even if I get a refund, their policy states they charge a 15% restocking fee and that the shipping is non refundable. So this whole experience is probably gonna cost me about $100, and my friend is left with no computer because she sold her pc laptop expecting to be going back to Japan with an ibook.
I was kinda leery about going the used laptop route. Guess I learned my lesson. What a bummer.