Scam of the week

[Lifted]

I just saw this company, PC's For All, advertising on TV. They are targeting people with no credit, etc., and say all you need is a checking account to get one of these. I just had to check it out.

They basically give you a $500 computer for 3.5x the price by offering it for only $35.99/week. I hate these companies that target people who are in financial hardship and rip them off. This is no different that those cash up front tax returns, high interest rate "all you need is a a job" car loans, and high interest "guaranteed" personal loans.


Here is the site. Feel free to buy the 2.4GHz Celeron, 256MB notebook with 1 year warranty for the low low price of $2400. You could get an IBM T42 pimped out at that price.

http://www.pcsforall.com/products.aspx

[Edit]

"Since we don't check your credit, we do ask that you build a short payment history with us by making three (3) months worth of layaway payments before we ship your computer. It's that simple!"

So they collect the total value of the computer before they ship it to you, the rest of the payments over the next 9 months are gravy. So, if the customer just stuck this money under their mattress, they would have enough after 3 months to buy this computer in full, which is what this company is doing, and they would get it in the same amount of time.

[Edit]

After some digging around...

http://www.pcsforall.com/Privacy.aspx

"Our Privacy Commitment

Your privacy is important to us. That's why we at Financing Alternatives, Inc.? welcome this opportunity to describe our privacy policies and the steps we take to protect your customer information."


http://badbusinessbureau.com/reports/ripoff99745.htm

"I was rippoff by another company like Blue Hippo

I am so sorry for what happpened to you. This company called Financial Alternatives, did the same exact thing to me."

 

[Chinoman]

Software
How do you fight against that pimped out bundle?

This package makes the choice simple. Equipped with a 2.4 GHz Intel® Celeron® processor, you have the muscle you need, along with a great PC value. Amplify your Web surfing with a speedy 56K modem. Download music from the Web or your personal collection to create your custom digital music library.


It's like they're making fun of their own products. If this was sarcasm, the man who wrote this is the god of sarcasm.

 

[Ken90630]

Those people ought to be in jail.

And can you imagine how many problems those machines would have if you installed all that junk software they bundle?

It's a shame that corrupt, ethically bankrupt people like this even exist.

 

[Chinoman]

I think my friend's mom bought one of those, now she goes on sayng that it's better than my Athlon 64 3000+ cause it basically cost double. CELERON RULES!!!

 

[NurseRN]

Caveat Emptor - Buyer Beware ! That's all I'm gonna say about this... This great country was built on this creed. God BLESS AMERICA and those who see the bliss

 

[VirtualLarry]

I heard a radio ad for those guys, some time ago. I figured that it was basically some sort of a scam-like thing. Even if the offer to get the PC is legit, it's way, way overpriced.

 

[Appledrop]

that is disgusting

 

[Ike0069]

Originally posted by: Azzy64
that is disgusting

 

[NurseRN]

It makes you wonder how many things WE take for granted

 

[Corporate Thug]

Originally posted by: Azzy64
that is disgusting

 

[suse920]

Originally posted by: Ike0069

Originally posted by: Azzy64
that is disgusting

 

[ssvegeta1010]

so morally flawed

 

[batmanuel]

Originally posted by: NurseRN
Caveat Emptor - Buyer Beware ! That's all I'm gonna say about this... This great country was built on this creed. God BLESS AMERICA and those who see the bliss

Actually the Republicans just changed the creed to: War is peace, freedom is slavery and ignorance is strength. Didn't you get the memo?

 

[fishmonger12]

cool. you pay for the computer, they buy it for you, then you pay them for 9 months for.... well we don't know what for!

anyone with half a brain could figure this out, so it doesn't disgust me that much

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: fishmonger12
cool. you pay for the computer, they buy it for you, then you pay them for 9 months for.... well we don't know what for!

anyone with half a brain could figure this out, so it doesn't disgust me that much

Yeah... and at least they tell you the specs, so anyone even remotely interested in not getting ripped off can just do a quick comparison to dell or somewhere and see what it should cost.

 

[Viper GTS]

http://www.bluehippo.com/

Another site that does basically the same thing.

I called them once after seeing one of their commercials (wanted to see just how bad it was), couldn't believe the prices they were charging. I literally laughed at them before hanging up.

Absolutely insane.

As others have said, though, caveat emptor. If you're too stupid to research before you buy something it's your own damn fault if you overpay.

Viper GTS

 

[Insomniak]

This kind of comes down to who is responsible to make a good buying decision, the consumer or the merchant?

I personally think it's the consumer's responsibility to find the best product. These guys put a product out there for a price - you can buy it or not, no one is forcing you to do so. Is it a rip off compared to other options? Yes. Is that illegal? No. Let us not forget that businesses are in the business of making money - if you will pay it, they will charge it. Most of them do not charge outrageous markups because the competition will undercut them, and word of mouth will spread.

Bottom line, I see the world like this: Educating yourself is always an option. If you choose not to, then the consequences can't really be blamed on anyone else. I would be especially leery of the claims of people who seek to profit from you.

Does this company breach ethics? No more than CompUSA does with their 600% markup on USB cables. Capitalism is an exploitationist economic system - people should realize this and act accordingly. The buyer SHOULD beware!

 

[ultimatebob]

Yeah, it's a rip off, but little more of a rip off than those $15 "premium" 6 foot Ethernet cables that they sell at Staples.

 

[Confusednewbie1552]

Originally posted by: Chinoman
Amplify your Web surfing with a speedy 56K modem.

LOL:beer:

 

[Ken90630]

This kind of comes down to who is responsible to make a good buying decision, the consumer or the merchant?

Actually, it doesn't come down to any such thing. What it comes down to in this particular case is the intent of the merchant, which is obviously to take advantage of unsophisticated computer buyers and, for all intents and purposes, steal from them by engaging in profiteering at their expense. This company, PC's for All, knows full well that if people know better, they won't buy anything from them -- they'll buy from Dell or any of dozens of other reputable PC vendors, many of whom offer "payment plans" so poor people can finance the purchase. So they put their products out there to knowingly take advantage of a certain number of people they know are out there: people who -- for reasons that most of the time won't be their fault -- don't know enough about PCs to recognize they're being ripped off. They are a predatory merchant, knowingly and intentionally ripping people off. They probably plan to milk this scam for as long as they can, then close up shop and ride off into their sunset with a wad of fleeced consumers' cash. This is dispicable.

No human being has the time or resources to be able to properly educate him or herself on every product out there. From cars to appliances to homes to insurance to health care to home furnishings to computers, and a zillion other products and services we need here in 2005, we should all have the RIGHT to expect all merchants and manufacturers to advertise honestly, treat us honestly, and conduct their business in an ethical manner. If I go to buy, say, a refrigerator for example, it should not be my responsibility to spend dozens or hundreds of hours learning everything about refrigerators so that I won't get ripped off by a dishonest merchant. It should be the merchant's responsibility to treat me, the customer, ethically by telling me the truth about the refrigerators on his showroom floor, educate me about them if I need it, and help me find the appropriate one for my needs and budget -- REGARDLESS of whether or not that choice makes him the most money or not on the sale. Is this reality nowadays? Of course not -- this world if full of corrupt, dishonest people who feel they have the right to take advantage of others and if people fall for it, it's their fault. This is morally and ethically indefensible.

Bottom line, I see the world like this: Educating yourself is always an option. If you choose not to, then the consequences can't really be blamed on anyone else.

What a shockingly flawed point of view. So, Insomniak, let's say that tomorrow you start having severe headaches. You go to the doctor, and he refers you to a neurologist who tells you that you need brain surgery. You have the surgery, spend tens of thousands of dollars of your own money, then find out afterwards that a particular medication would have cured you and you didn't need the surgery at all ... AND, you find out the surgeon knew this but didn't tell you. I suppose this will have been YOUR fault, and that it was YOUR responsibility to do whatever it took to educate yourself about the brain, anatomy, medicine, etc., and then make the proper "buying decision" about your surgery? NO -- the responsibility lied with the doctor -- the responsibility to be not only competent but also honest and ethical so that you could make the "decision" WITHOUT having to "educate yourself."

It is not only preposterous, but utterly impractical to expect every human that needs a computer to "educate" him or herself to the extent necessary to be able to protect him or herself from predatory PC merchants. Many senior citizens, housewives, teenagers, non-technically inclined people, people who work long hours to support their family, and a host of others may not have the time or aptitude to do what you're claiming is their "responsibility." The buying decision is theirs, but they have the right to expect ethical salespeople and merchants to aid them in that decision. This idea of "yeah, so I'm a crook, so what? If you fall for it, it's your fault" is utterly dispicable. The aforementioned people don't deserve to be ripped off -- they deserve to get a good computer at a good price from an honest merchant who can make an honest, reasonable profit on the sale. (Not a 10 zillion percent profit on the sale.)

Does this company breach ethics? No more than CompUSA does with their 600% markup on USB cables.

Another display of shockingly poor critical thinking skills. If, in fact, CompUSA marks up their USB cables 600% (which I kinda doubt), how does that make it okay for PCs for All to behave unethically? So if one merchant behaves unethically or engages in profiteering, then others can do the same and that somehow no longer makes it unethical? Justifying bad behavior by pointing to other bad behavior is the sign of a weak mind. I guess if some crack head breaks into your home, Insomniak, and steals your computer, that gives you the right to do the same and break into a neighbor's house and steal his computer, huh? You sound like the socialist political science teacher I had in college. :roll:

Capitalism is an exploitationist economic system - people should realize this and act accordingly.

Undoubtedly the most patently inaccurate statement so far (and that's saying something). Capitalism is the most just, fair, uplifiting and empowering economic system this planet has ever known. Socialism (which I assume you endorse?), communism and "progessivism"are exactly the opposite -- they are designed to enslave people by making them dependent on government, stifle their creativity and individuality, take their hard earned wealth away with crushing taxes and then redistribute it, and force everyone to have a standard of living determined by the lowest common human denominator. Take from the haves, give to the have-nots, and make everyone the same. Pathetic. Like any economic system, capitalism has its flaws because some humans are corrupt -- but that does not make the system itself "exploitationist." Wanna see the most "exploited" human beings? Take a look at a non-capitalistic society. This is way off topic, so that's all I'm gonna say on this tangent.

The buyer SHOULD beware!

True (to an extent). But wouldn't it be an amazing world if we didn't have to? As long as merchants like PCs for All can fleece unwitting or unsophisticated buyers and people like Insomniak will say it's the buyers' fault, we never will live in such an amazing world. And Insomniak will get the world he deserves. Unfortunately, the rest of us too will have to live in the world he deserves.

Okay, Ethics 101 class dismissed. Flame away .... :laugh:

[Edited to fix a typo.]

 

[BrokenVisage]

Originally posted by: Azzy64
that is disgusting

 

[MrCodeDude]

Originally posted by: ultimatebob
Yeah, it's a rip off, but little more of a rip off than those $15 "premium" 6 foot Ethernet cables that they sell at Staples.

I think I get spindles of 1000ft of Cat-5e cables for $40 at Fry's.

 

[0010010110]

Originally posted by: Chinoman
Software
How do you fight against that pimped out bundle?

This package makes the choice simple. Equipped with a 2.4 GHz Intel® Celeron® processor, you have the muscle you need, along with a great PC value. Amplify your Web surfing with a speedy 56K modem. Download music from the Web or your personal collection to create your custom digital music library.


It's like they're making fun of their own products. If this was sarcasm, the man who wrote this is the god of sarcasm.

rofl

 

[thegimp03]

that is disgusting

 

[GML3G0]

it's sad that there are people who don't know much about computers out there with financial trouble that are being taken advantage of by this company. they should be sued. this kind of stuff pisses me off. we try to help new people on these forums build good pc's for their budget, but we can't help everyone... who's gonna help those other less fortunate people. this company and other companies like it should have their a$$es sued.