Probrand/The IT Index

[Norphy]

Anybody else use this lot?

We started using them last year. We buy the vast majority of our computer components, printers and consumables through them. Their prices are always excellent. Their website, although not particually well designed, is intuitive enough and has a vaste range. Delivery is generally quick and they have a single fixed delivery charge. We must have bought more than £30k of stuff from them and they always been good. My contact is always quick to reply to emails and returning stuff is relatively painless. If you can't find stuff on their website email them and they'll find it for you. For example I wanted some Tyan Opteron boards. They went out and found them and they were about £30 less than the competition too!

I admit I've not tried their PC systems or their AV installation services but everything else from them has been excellent. Highly recommended.

http://www.theitindex.co.uk

[mark]

I was a customer for many years, but the sales manager was incredibly rude to me once regarding a return. Fair enough they have to be strict but there's never an excuse for rudeness like that. Personally I can never use them again, lots of nastiness after too - and I'm known for my placid nature with suppliers, so this was really bad.

[SpuffMonkey]

Yeah - I use them too - the prices are very keen - but I've found they're a bit sluggish in sorting out cockups - oh and invoicing for little bits of big orders as they are dispatched really pisses off the finance people.

[GrumbleDook]

They have made 4 attempts to set up a site for me to get prices ... and it still doesn't work ... 2 changes in account managers and then hassled when we don't use them (call on monday and i say we are not uying anything for the next month .. then a call on Friday askign if there are any needs?)

[richard]

I've just dumped Insight after a series of dodgy quotes. The main company I use at present is Kelway. www.kelway.co.uk been using them for a couple of years and find them very good. Also just started to use PC-Ware they seem ok but it is very early days.

[Ric_]

@richard: So it wasn't just me that Insight pissed off!!!

[Netman]

I use them too... at first did get silly phone calls every two minutes saying ' you were just on our website - did you find what you were looking for?' but after I barked at them, they soon quit that. I do like the way that their pricing is set at cost + 4% for schools. It's nice to know their margin. Have found delivery is not that fast though. Quoted at 48 hours at checkout, but averaging 72 hours +.
Overall, highly recommended though... I combine tham with ebuyer and sometimes insight and have it pretty well covered... 8)

[Rozzer]

We use them and we have had no problems with them. THey always beat quotes from anyone else.

[Face-Man]

We use them loads especally website and they are really good but are only getting 5% ... I feel a call to our rep coming on... :twisted: the delivery time is long as they seem just to ship stuff from other suppliers and not have any stock.

[mark]

Yeah - I use them too - the prices are very keen - but I've found they're a bit sluggish in sorting out cockups - oh and invoicing for little bits of big orders as they are dispatched really pisses off the finance people.

Yuo can ask for single invoices - I do everywhere.

[krb548]

Yeah, I use them quite a lot.
I find that is also good to talk to the rep because you cannot always find what you are looking for, plus if you speak to them you can try and twist their arm a bit more for a better price.

They tend to beat Dabs now on most products.

[Simcfc73]

I use them because I hate talking to reps and I can do 99% of this without speaking to anyone
I've started using them for my consumeables too now as they seem to beat any of the prices that I've been given before.
I agree that the website is pretty awful to navigate (took me ages to find TFT montors the other day) so I end up just searching for stuff rather than browsing.
Our delivery seems okay although the delivery driver is a bit of a moron who seems to not care that he's carrying £2k worth of IT components when he throws it around.

[russdev]

been looking at there site after getting login last yesterday one thing that this site would be good ot have is some kind of api/ i hate this term web 2 interface so could intergrate it into your existing systems.

maybe a page that you pass your username and password to and search term and outputs results as rss feed...


Russ

[Nij.UK]

I have started to use the IT Index now, and i have to say they are very good with there prices. i did use Insight a lot before, but i am starting to move away from them are more towards Proband now

I would recommend them to anyone willing to move suppliers

[Simcfc73]

I fell out with them as they only use one delivery compnay and the guy who delivers treats the boxes like cr@p.

I've started using Dabs again. Slightly more expensive on some stuff but the delivery is miles better.

Still use Probrand for toner and ink though.