Has anyone ever bought from Elara online computer hardware store?

LittleMc95

Hi there,

i was recently looking for some new computer hardware and found this site http://www.elara.ie/ and there stuff seems good an prices aren't too bad.

i was just wondering if anyone here has bought from them and if you could provide me with some feedback about your experience there, such as delivery times etc..

thanks, Jack.

cookie1977

I've bought from them and have never had problems. Delivery was prompt, but I had it sent to a work address

Purchased many times, never had any problems.

Delivery is quick also, I've purchased items and received them the following day by courier.

DrGreenthumb

yea there good and reputable

Random

i bought from them, maybe 12 months ago, delivery was prompt and no issues.

NeoRox

Bought off of them loads of times, no hassle. They have a Rep on boards.ie too that you can talk to.

Linky

leahcim

I've used them many times as well with no problems.

You can collect your order from their office in parkwest and save yourself the delivery charges.

LittleMc95

Thanks for the quick feed back.

has put my mind at ease about ordering with them.

3010

LittleMc95 wrote: »

Thanks for the quick feed back.

has put my mind at ease about ordering with them.

Unfortunately, I have the opposite experience with Elara. I bought a USB adapter from them for my Mac.

The thing is an absolute nightmare to install and it has not yet worked, but they never warned me when they sold it that it was totally complicated.

When I got onto them now to complain, their response was 'well, you never asked', which I find to be totally disingenuous. The sales guy I spoke to just now even said the USB I bought was 'a pain in the ass' to install quote unquote but could not see how one of his colleagues would not warn a customer about this.

Avoid this company like the plague. I am now going to have to make an official complaint about them..

Krusader

Do you expect them to hold your hand in installing the hardware, you should of done a bit of research into it before purchasing

dulpit

3010 wrote: »

Unfortunately, I have the opposite experience with Elara. I bought a USB adapter from them for my Mac.

The thing is an absolute nightmare to install and it has not yet worked, but they never warned me when they sold it that it was totally complicated.

When I got onto them now to complain, their response was 'well, you never asked', which I find to be totally disingenuous. The sales guy I spoke to just now even said the USB I bought was 'a pain in the ass' to install quote unquote but could not see how one of his colleagues would not warn a customer about this.

Avoid this company like the plague. I am now going to have to make an official complaint about them..

If you bought the same item in a large brick & mortar shop, do you think they would have walked you through it? The purpose of a shop is to sell you items that you want in an efficient, timely & cost-effective way. It is not their job to also be your tech guy...

3010

Crosáidí wrote: »

Do you expect them to hold your hand in installing the hardware, you should of done a bit of research into it before purchasing

no, but I expect them to sell products that are user-friendly to a normal punter like myself. Ans no, I don;t expect them to hold my hand - I am not a complete novice but I'm not a network engineer either!

I also did some research into it beforehand with Elara, surely there is an onus on them to flag to people that a certain product may be complicated - especially if a techy who works with them subsequently admits that the product is a 'pain in the ass'? Also, if you look up the relevant consumer law you will see that there is an onus on a company like Elara to sell a product that is fit for purpose - something by their own admission this product is not.

3010

dulpit wrote: »

If you bought the same item in a large brick & mortar shop, do you think they would have walked you through it? The purpose of a shop is to sell you items that you want in an efficient, timely & cost-effective way. It is not their job to also be your tech guy...

no, of course not, but they might have had the decency and honesty to say 'look, this is a very complicated product'. I know it's not their job to be my tech guy, but equally it is their job to comply with the relevant consumer laws - see last post.

dulpit

3010 wrote: »

no, of course not, but they might have had the decency and honesty to say 'look, this is a very complicated product'. I know it's not their job to be my tech guy, but equally it is their job to comply with the relevant consumer laws - see last post.

An iPod can be complicated, a laptop can be complicated, a TV can be complicated. Do they have to say that too?

3010

dulpit wrote: »

An iPod can be complicated, a laptop can be complicated, a TV can be complicated. Do they have to say that too?

possibly - according to the consumer law of the land anyway. I think it's a mistake on the part of a company like Elara to assume that everyone is as technologically minded as they are.

Like I said originally, I'm certainly not a technophobe and the guy in Elara admitted the product was 'a pain in the ass'. That leads me to believe that the product his company sold me requires a far greater degree of technology savvy than say turning on a TV or a laptop.

Maybe Elara should consider that they are selling products that appear to require a deeper knowledge of technology than flat screens or laptops and should act accordingly so that they don't end up with frustrated customers who a) will never shop with them again b) make complaints about them c) warn other potential customers about shopping with them.

formysins

I've been using elara.ie regularly since about 2007 - I generally make between 3 and 6 purchases a year and have always found them to be very easy to deal with and knowledgable.

3010 wrote: »

Also, if you look up the relevant consumer law you will see that there is an onus on a company like Elara to sell a product that is fit for purpose - something by their own admission this product is not.

There's a difference between not being able to install an item and that item not being "fit for purpose" as you claim. The time spent researching the product prior to purchase may have been better spent trying to find an install video on youtube that you could watch and then decide for yourself if you were capable.

Sorry but I just don't see how it's the fault of a company from whom you bought a product that YOU were unable to install.

3010

formysins wrote: »

I've been using elara.ie regularly since about 2007 - I generally make between 3 and 6 purchases a year and have always found them to be very easy to deal with and knowledgable.



There's a difference between not being able to install an item and that item not being "fit for purpose" as you claim. The time spent researching the product prior to purchase may have been better spent trying to find an install video on youtube that you could watch and then decide for yourself if you were capable.

Sorry but I just don't see how it's the fault of a company from whom you bought a product that YOU were unable to install.

I don't mind repeating myself but once again I will do it for your benefit. I expect as a consumer to be able to purchase technology that fits the purpose I require it for.

I also, not unreasonably, expect it to be easy to use. I also expect, if it is complicated - a fact borne out by an admission by a techy at Elara that the technology is question is a 'pain in the ass' - that there is a duty on the part of the vendor to alert me to that fact.

If you look up the relevant consumer legislation, you will see quite clearly that there is a duty of care on the part of the supplier to ensure products sold are fit for purpose, eg they work in an uncomplicated, straightforward way. Therefore, I do expect a firm like Elara to alert its customersto the fact that some of the products it sells require a high degree of technology knowledge. This expectation is enshrined in Irish law.

I do not expect that I have to go off and research a product in the way that has been suggested and, for the final time and in reply to the OP, yes I have bought a product from Elara and NO I will NEVER buy anything from them again, nor would I recommend that anyone else use this company.

Regards

3010

3010 wrote: »

I don't mind repeating myself but once again I will do it for your benefit. I expect as a consumer to be able to purchase technology that fits the purpose I require it for.

I also, not unreasonably, expect it to be easy to use. I also expect, if it is complicated - a fact borne out by an admission by a techy at Elara that the technology is question is a 'pain in the ass' - that there is a duty on the part of the vendor to alert me to that fact.

If you look up the relevant consumer legislation, you will see quite clearly that there is a duty of care on the part of the supplier to ensure products sold are fit for purpose, eg they work in an uncomplicated, straightforward way. Therefore, I do expect a firm like Elara to alert its customersto the fact that some of the products it sells require a high degree of technology knowledge. This expectation is enshrined in Irish law.

I do not expect that I have to go off and research a product in the way that has been suggested and, for the final time and in reply to the OP, yes I have bought a product from Elara and NO I will NEVER buy anything from them again, nor would I recommend that anyone else use this company.

Regards

also, the item can be installed but is not working, eg it is not fit for purpose...

ressem

I've made 40+ purchases from Elara without any problems.


Re:3010. based on your post history, you're looking to get it working with a power-PC OS-X 10.3 based apple mac?

Based on the amazon.com comments, the install process is ok for windows, but on mac is problematic for this product.

But it's understandable that the sales person didn't know that this combination didn't work, and trusted the spec that Asus provided. Asus let you both down and either Asus support (Networking_Support@asus.com) walks you through installing it, or you return the device to Elara for a refund.

Did Elara refuse to accept a return?

3010

ressem wrote: »

I've made 40+ purchases from Elara without any problems.


Re:3010. based on your post history, you're looking to get it working with a power-PC OS-X 10.3 based apple mac?

Based on the amazon.com comments, the install process is ok for windows, but on mac is problematic for this product.

But it's understandable that the sales person didn't know that this combination didn't work, and trusted the spec that Asus provided. Asus let you both down and either Asus support (Networking_Support@asus.com) walks you through installing it, or you return the device to Elara for a refund.

Did Elara refuse to accept a return?

Hi Ressem, you are 100% correct, that's the OS I am trying to get it working on, thank you for checking back, you are very conscientious! I accept what you are saying about Elara as the live chat guy was convinced the product would work on a Mac with that spec.

This is where it gets difficult. Elara say they can only replace it if it is faulty. I can return it to them at my own cost and they can check it in their office on the OS I have. My concern is that the USB adapter will go back to Elara, a computer whizz kid there will get it working with great difficulty and they will then turn around to me and say, well it does work (but you need to be as good as us) and refuse to accept it as a return and then charge me to return it back to me. You can see the dilemma I'm in...

Elara: Kin

You were advised to speak to Asus to talk you through the installation as you said you were having problems. You were then told that if that still did not solve the issue to fill in a returns form and we would take the unit back(working or not) based on you having gone through troubleshooting with Asus.

3010

Elara: Kin wrote: »

You were advised to speak to Asus to talk you through the installation as you said you were having problems. You were then told that if that still did not solve the issue to fill in a returns form and we would take the unit back(working or not) based on you having gone through troubleshooting with Asus.

Actually, that's not what your colleague Chong Yu said when I called Elara. He told me that even if I went through the steps you mentioned above, Elara would not be under any obligation - he felt - to do a return as they item was not faulty.

As I have already said, he admitted that the item was 'a pain in the ass', but said as it was not faulty, he felt it would not be possible to return it.

Given the mixed messages I am getting from Elara, can I suggest that Elara employees have a chat among themselves and decide what exactly the company line is as it's getting confusing both for me and possibly for other potential customers and I feel it doesn't represent the company well.

Thanks

Venom

Elara: Kin wrote: »

You were advised to speak to Asus to talk you through the installation as you said you were having problems. You were then told that if that still did not solve the issue to fill in a returns form and we would take the unit back(working or not) based on you having gone through troubleshooting with Asus.

Posting the details of your companies interactions with a customer who is having problems with a product on a public message board is in very poor taste imho.


Be professional and at least use a PM.

Elara: Kin

3010 wrote: »

Actually, that's not what your colleague Chong Yu said when I called Elara. He told me that even if I went through the steps you mentioned above, Elara would not be under any obligation - he felt - to do a return as they item was not faulty.

As I have already said, he admitted that the item was 'a pain in the ass', but said as it was not faulty, he felt it would not be possible to return it.

Given the mixed messages I am getting from Elara, can I suggest that Elara employees have a chat among themselves and decide what exactly the company line is as it's getting confusing both for me and possibly for other potential customers and I feel it doesn't represent the company well.

Thanks

They are a pain in the ass to install, however if you can't get it working after help from Asus we would take the unit back based on that.

Venom wrote: »

Posting the details of your companies interactions with a customer who is having problems with a product on a public message board is in very poor taste imho.

Venom wrote: »

Be professional and at least use a PM.

The customer decided to air his grievances publicly, we have a right to respond publicly as well.

3010

Venom wrote: »

Posting the details of your companies interactions with a customer who is having problems with a product on a public message board is in very poor taste imho.


Be professional and at least use a PM.

It's a breach of data protection legislation and can incur severe fines (€3,000 per breach).

PM is welcome but I also see response below from Elara. The only reason I took this public is because I didn't feel satisfied with Elara's response.

3010

Elara: Kin wrote: »

They are a pain in the ass to install, however if you can't get it working after help from Asus we would take the unit back based on that.







The customer decided to air his grievances publicly, we have a right to respond publicly as well.

as I said, I only took it public when Elara were of no use. Customers should not have to resort to these measures. I think that's a pretty bad reflection on the company's lack of customer service. You could easily have offered a full refund given that you already knew it was a problematic product. The National Consumer Agency would have a field day with this if they found out.

Venom

Elara: Kin wrote: »

They are a pain in the ass to install, however if you can't get it working after help from Asus we would take the unit back based on that.







The customer decided to air his grievances publicly, we have a right to respond publicly as well.

The customer does not have to worry about giving you're company a bad image, I would of though you do tho :rolleyes:

The rather blunt reply to 3010 does Elara zero favours.

Elara: Kin

I have only repeated what the customer was offered, which we feel is more than acceptable. People can decide for themselves if they feel the customer or Elara have been unreasonable in this case.

3010

Elara: Kin wrote: »

I have only repeated what the customer was offered, which we feel is more than acceptable. People can decide for themselves if they feel the customer or Elara have been unreasonable in this case.

Kin, the problem lay in the fact that I was told 2 different things by 2 different members of staff. I only posted on Boards because this is where I had originally received a recommendation to buy from Elara.


I don't think it's about people deciding who is reasonable or not, but more to do with the fact that a company should not find itself in a position where one of its customers is complaining about it online after they got nowhere with the company itself. Surely that's a position no company wants to find itself in, especially in the middle of a recession?


Leaving aside the issue of you detailing Elara's private interaction with a customer in public, which is a breach of the data laws, I don't want to get into a tit for tat, pointless argument with you or Elara; I just want to get broadband working on my Mac! I have emailed Asus for support and I will revert to you as soon as I hear back from them (or not).

regards

Elara: Kin

The unfortunate fact is people make decisions based on threads like these. Since you came on here blaming Elara because you found it hard to install a part and felt you had no solution to you problem prompted me to make public the option you were given to resolve this. This is not in breach of data protection.

We do not feel it is our responsibility that you find the product hard to install, nor do we feel we should have to take a product back based on that. However if the item is faulty and determined by the manufacturer that it is then we will take the unit back for a full refund as mentioned previously.

howamidifferent

I've bought thousands of euros worth of stuff from elara over the past few years including 3 microservers, 14 x 2TB drives and lots of other raid cabinets etc just in the past few months and always found elara to be a pleasure to deal with.

Would heartily recommend them as one of the best online retailers.

EDIT: as for usb guy, dont think stupidity is covered under consumer law.