I am not a rich man. Pretty run of the mill, I would say. And my computing needs reflect this well, I believe. So when I found myself in a position to begin thinking about purchasing a new computer, I initially started off on some of the most common tech related shopping engines.

After locating some fairly reasonable deals for motherboard combos, bare-bones, etc., I then began doing what I always do: research the heck out of the company! Boy, am I glad that I thought to do this early on. Almost immediately I found entire threads showing just how easy it is to be suckered into buying open box items being sold as retail. This might not sound like a huge deal, but who wants to buy a “used” product being sold as new? Not me!

To wrap this up, suffice it to say that when you are looking to purchase a new computer (or build one from parts) online, consider the following.

• More often than not, you will get what you pay for. Saving a few bucks now might very well cost you much more later on.
• Purchase your findings with a credit card, NOT a debit card. Because if something goes horribly wrong, you are much more likely to be able to work it out with the bank if a credit card was used. AmEx is the best, in my opinion.
• Repeat your buying habits. If you purchased from a vendor in the past and had a good experience, chances are it is worth repeating rather than “hoping” to not be ripped off by another.
• When utilizing shopping engines such as PriceWatch.com or eBay power sellers, buyer beware. Neither engine/site has any control over who is selling to you really. So when in doubt, err on the side of caution.
• Reasons I avoid TigerDirect myself: Systemax, Cybertron, Visionman. People want computers, guys, not Transformers…

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