Pc World / Currys / Dsg - £30 Million Loss

[shindigger]

I remember them, are they still going? Showing our ages here.

Kaput. Like a kaput thing. About 7 years ago. I always thought they were ok meself.

Got your money back?

I got some of mine today.

[monks]

I posted on here this time last year of walking into my local Swansea PC World to spend about 500 quid on an X-box and some games only to be asked to leave because I was wearing a rucksack. I subsequently went to about 10 different major stores to check out X-boxes and not one was bothered that I was wearing a ruck-sack.

I run an IT business and had spent thousands of pounds over the years in that PC World branch but oddly, since then, I have not spent a penny there and never will again.

The day they go bust - and IMPO it may well be the New Year - I will be stood outside laughing my balls off. Well, metaphorically speaking as I need me balls.

Did the fact you were wearing a rucksack and NO CLOTHES have anything to do with it?

[fluffy666]

What is his hourly charge?

I'll have to convert from £sd..

[The Masked Tulip]

Did the fact you were wearing a rucksack and NO CLOTHES have anything to do with it?

No, as I am free spirit and if I want to run around naked then that is my business. I find it so, ah, liberating. You know, like when Lieutenant George did a drag act in Blackadder and put on a dress

[Badger]

I posted on here this time last year of walking into my local Swansea PC World to spend about 500 quid on an X-box and some games only to be asked to leave because I was wearing a rucksack. I subsequently went to about 10 different major stores to check out X-boxes and not one was bothered that I was wearing a ruck-sack.

You should have got yourself one of these

[DementedTuna]

I can at least see why the PC business is doing okay... I just bought a new one for £400 out of currys. 3 gig RAM, 2.4 gig quad core, 640gb hard drive. Integrated graphics aren't too bad... can run Command & Conquer 3 on low settings. Good deal.

Even then, it's silly to spend £400 on a PC. I'm using mine for video editing on a daily basis, if I wasn't, I'd have only spent £200. Computers are really fast these days for pretty much everything. I'm not planning on getting a new one for at least 5 years, there's now very little point in chasing the new tech that comes out.. the improvements are marginal compared to the big leaps in performance of the last 10 years.

High street PC retailers are good for people who aren't comfortable with building their own, or don't want the hassle.

The other big advantage that retail has over online is the delivery. I was going to buy a complete system from an online retailer, but the delivery came to £40, for 7-10 working days. Much easier to nip out to currys, take it back in a cab for £6, and get it up and running the same day.

Edited November 27, 2008 by DementedTuna

[renterbob]

I can at least see why the PC business is doing okay... I just bought a new one for £400 out of currys. 3 gig RAM, 2.4 gig quad core, 640gb hard drive. Integrated graphics aren't too bad... can run Command & Conquer 3 on low settings. Good deal.

Even then, it's silly to spend £400 on a PC. I'm using mine for video editing on a daily basis, if I wasn't, I'd have only spent £200. Computers are really fast these days for pretty much everything. I'm not planning on getting a new one for at least 5 years, there's now very little point in chasing the new tech that comes out.. the improvements are marginal compared to the big leaps in performance of the last 10 years.

High street PC retailers are good for people who aren't comfortable with building their own, or don't want the hassle.

The other big advantage that retail has over online is the delivery. I was going to buy a complete system from an online retailer, but the delivery came to £40, for 7-10 working days. Much easier to nip out to currys, take it back in a cab for £6, and get it up and running the same day.

Yes, but it was Vista too.

Oh, what fun you're gonna have.

[dave]

If mr DSG is reading this, I know the answer to your problems, stop sending your returns through to the auction houses, you are losing way too much money. For example Apple laptop sold at auction last night £500, buyer had to pay a further 36% in fees, so the buyer was willing to pay £860 for a returned laptop worth £1400 new. The auction house charges the seller for selling + VAT on selling fees. I do not know this precentage, but I bet you are looking at 20%.

I can see where the losses are, I am sure these returns are making there way back to DSG shops, ie currys. Someone will buy new and return there junk they got from the auction house, do this a few times during the year, they will rip off Mr DSG a few times a year.

[gilf]

I can see where the losses are, I am sure these returns are making there way back to DSG shops, ie currys. Someone will buy new and return there junk they got from the auction house, do this a few times during the year, they will rip off Mr DSG a few times a year.

One thing that gets me about PC world is their bargin basement returns section. You get the chance to purchase a second hand item, often with some vital component missing link the power lead all for about 2% less than the full price, it's ridiculous. I have little doubt every single item on that table could be purchased somewhere else, brand new for a minimum of 10% cheaper.

[frozen_out]

One thing that gets me about PC world is their bargin basement returns section. You get the chance to purchase a second hand item, often with some vital component missing link the power lead all for about 2% less than the full price, it's ridiculous. I have little doubt every single item on that table could be purchased somewhere else, brand new for a minimum of 10% cheaper.

have you ever been in IKEAs 'bargain' corner? You can tables with a leg missing for about £5 less than a pristine one. Me and the mrs. always make a point of having a look round for a laugh.

[jungllie jim]

Could do with a bigger beer fridge, anyone know if Currys have a decent sale on?

[DementedTuna]

Yes, but it was Vista too.

Oh, what fun you're gonna have.

Vista's alright, with a few tweaks.

I disabled a ton of services (search indexing is the main one to ditch), installed a thin taskbar tweak from the 'net, stopped UAC, Defender, automatic updates and a few other things from running at startup, removed every single piece of crap software that came pre-installed, installed all my stuff and made a backup disk right after.

Running full aero with everything turned on, works great. I agree that it would suck for the vast majority of people who have absolutely no idea how to do any of the above things... before I disabled indexing the hard drive was getting the f*** hammered out of it almost all the time, would have failed within a year if it kept that up.

[YoungFTB]

And don't forget, if you buy anything from currys, and it goes wrong, such as 100% of HP stuff, you don't deal with currys, they tell you to fkc off and deal with the manufacturer.

Wrong, but that's what happens.

Yep total scumbags! I welcome the day they go out of business

[contractor]

Yep total scumbags! I welcome the day they go out of business

I could do them a business plan that would guarantee their survival but I cannot be arsed

ed: sp

Edited November 27, 2008 by contractor

[BXLONDONMAN]

I posted on here this time last year of walking into my local Swansea PC World to spend about 500 quid on an X-box and some games only to be asked to leave because I was wearing a rucksack. I subsequently went to about 10 different major stores to check out X-boxes and not one was bothered that I was wearing a ruck-sack.

I run an IT business and had spent thousands of pounds over the years in that PC World branch but oddly, since then, I have not spent a penny there and never will again.

The day they go bust - and IMPO it may well be the New Year - I will be stood outside laughing my balls off. Well, metaphorically speaking as I need me balls.

good on you..let the baskets go bust,,no bail out i hope..

[Mancghirl]

Its OK, I have saved DSG, as I went and bought the new netbook I have been waiting for today (Samsung NC10 -I recommend) . That £300 should see them right.

I used to work in Currys when I was a young student. They were an utterly shite employer, so I do have some sympathy for anyone trying to scratch a living by selling dubious extended warranties. You need to know what you want and just go in and buy it though, as the staff have zero product knowledge.

I agree that they are pretty screwed, for reasons we previously discussed in this and other threads. For many people, they represent a lovely showroom, where they can eye up Plasma tellies before an online purchase.

For the products I bought today, they were price matching all online retailers on the netbook and the new wireless mouse I wanted was a couple of quid more than online. Factor in £15 for a Saturday delivery and hanging about the house waiting for CityLink against walking the 100 yards from my work to Currys and they won. The boy on the till still tried to flog me 'laptop insurance' with a stupid name ('What If?' or something) at £5 a month though - pointed out it was covered under my home contents insurance - he seemed perplexed by this shocking turn of events.

[Scunnered]

Oddly enough, I was very chilled that day, out for some Christmas shopping having decided to spend some of my STR fund and this oik manager ego type was just plain rude. I did actually get a tad miffed inside but was actually more shocked and decided that rewenge is a dish best served cold. Us Poles are like that - even if it take 50 years we get our rewenge.

Maybe I will return this week and see how keen they are to sell me something. Victor Meldrew buying a PC springs to mind.

I thought for a moment it said "a tad milfed". "Oh no, I've just been milfed in Currys!"

[messychopper]

Perhaps they should blame the fact they charge way more than the internet retailers do?*

Regardless of price reductions people are lot more clued up than they used to be about the way the retailers trick them, getting "exclusive" models for example so you can't compare prices directly when all that's different is a bit of plastic on the front.

Over here Best buy and circuit city stock different models so its almost imposible to compare like for like, I like circuit city because they are cheaper and way way cheaper than Comet or Currys in the UK. I always get the sales talk of you must buy our insurance at the check out but for almost 50% of the product price for insurance if it breaks out of warranty I will bin it.

edit for being drunk in charge of a computer and not making sense

Edited November 28, 2008 by messychopper

[Walton Goggins]

... I like circuit city because they are cheaper and way way cheaper than Comet or Currys in the UK.

Apart from Circuit City firing all their " good " staff to replace them with muppets, resulting in their present trading under chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, is it not true that if you are earning US$ and paying US$ the prices are pretty similar to Comet and Currys ?

Obviously brits visiting ( used to ) take advantage of the currency difference to make savings.

Quite agree if you can't have your faulty plasmas / lcds serviced promptly when buying from Currys / Comet, it makes more sense to buy them as cheaply as possible online or from supermarkets , still no prompt servicing but at least you have paid as little as possible before throwing them in the skip when they go wrong.

We recently used a Currys superstore to check out fridge freezers before buying online. Saleslady in Chester was very friendly and helpful, we thought we wanted a Hotpoint she sold us up to a Miele. Who's going to do that when the shops have gone ? The manufacturer provides the after-sales care anyway, so why on earth pay more. Can't see any point in retailing white goods whatsoever, except at the budget end to octogenerians sans web, and surely no money in that.

Next time, with no Currys to look in, will probably just buy something as cheaply as possible and take a chance. Maybe it will be worthwhile buying it in Poland ?

[Walton Goggins]

Perhaps they should blame the fact they charge way more than the internet retailers do?

Their problem is the fact they are a splendid showroom and sales machine for people to buy from somebody else online.

If I ran DSG I would immediately stop selling any brand that was routinely cheaper online from lock-ups on industrial estates, even if it meant filling floorspace with unknown Chinese rubbish.

Why pay for all that floorspace and sales staff ? Makes no sense.

[Guest sillybear2]

Its OK, I have saved DSG, as I went and bought the new netbook I have been waiting for today (Samsung NC10 -I recommend) . That £300 should see them right.

Order it from Dixon's online, it's £293 with free delivery and use the code 'SAVE5' to bring it down to £288.

Amazon UK are charging £350 for the black model, cheeky f****rs.

Edited November 28, 2008 by sillybear2

[SNACR]

Apart from Circuit City firing all their " good " staff to replace them with muppets, resulting in their present trading under chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, is it not true that if you are earning US$ and paying US$ the prices are pretty similar to Comet and Currys ?

Obviously brits visiting ( used to ) take advantage of the currency difference to make savings.

Quite agree if you can't have your faulty plasmas / lcds serviced promptly when buying from Currys / Comet, it makes more sense to buy them as cheaply as possible online or from supermarkets , still no prompt servicing but at least you have paid as little as possible before throwing them in the skip when they go wrong.

We recently used a Currys superstore to check out fridge freezers before buying online. Saleslady in Chester was very friendly and helpful, we thought we wanted a Hotpoint she sold us up to a Miele. Who's going to do that when the shops have gone ? The manufacturer provides the after-sales care anyway, so why on earth pay more. Can't see any point in retailing white goods whatsoever, except at the budget end to octogenerians sans web, and surely no money in that.

Next time, with no Currys to look in, will probably just buy something as cheaply as possible and take a chance. Maybe it will be worthwhile buying it in Poland ?

A lot of people on here do seem to have a bit of a tendency for wildly extrapolating their own online buying habits to the whole population. Mail order has been around for years the fact it's now on an interactive flickering screen doesn't mean it's going to take over everything.