dabs review

This last week I decided to upgrade my PC. I'd been collecting a list of bits for a while, and made the decision to go on Monday. I checked round and found that dabs.com had (in stock) most of what I wanted. The case came from Scan, the PSU from Novatechand the memory from Crucial. Dabs got the rest of my custom. Five items, one order.... until I remembered the DVD player/writer. That went through as another order.

I'd requested delivery at work since I couldn't know when they'd deliver. It was Wednesday, two days later. The case, psu and dvd unit arrived. Nothing else. My wife was home and spent time on the phone trying to work out where it all was. The address had been 'transcribed' as name, street, town. Very helpful. The courier? Dabs? I don't know, nor do I care.The phonecall advised it would be sent again the following day, Thursday. No mention of where to. I tried to phone them, but like many online sales outlets they don't seem to do phones. Eventually fed back to them that I'd not received the order. The money had gone from my account, but that seems not to be their concern. A feedback email from them (we value your custom etc., how'd we do?) on Friday let me elaborate. Another means of getting through... when they have time, (Live chat) is a kind of one way IM system. If they aren't available it kicks off to a 'send us a message' HTML form. Good for simple questions, but it appears that the operators have targets to meet. I was brushed off after one question, given couriers@dabs.com as the contact point, seemingly for delivery queries. A response to my enquiry asked 'which' of my items hadn't arrrived. Friday stalling? Anyway, no response as yet. It's now Saturday and I'm still waiting. I'll think twice before buying at Dabs again.

Some sunny day the online merchants will realise that the delivery service is seen as a part of their service. One happy day in the past I was asked if I was prepared to pay a few pounds extra for 4-8pm delivery. I jumped at it. Seems it didn't catch on though. Their logic seems to be that whenever they are about to make a delivery, we'll be at home. They work. We don't.

Minor aside on pricing. Twice now I've purchased a flat screen monitor. Twice I've had to go out and buy a DVI cable. Twice I've cringed at the price. Worse since it's rarely advertised as being 'cable less'. Same goes for dabs.com and the Samsung DVD (dabs link). No cables at all! Nor any software. But it was a pound or so cheaper! I guess this is a new sales technique?