Where Do You Order Your Stuff From?

[stevenlong1985]

Hey all,

I've started a new job a primary school & been there three weeks. I've been asked by the school to find quotes for PC & Network etc, the school isnt allowed to order anything online so it has to be paper order?! (I KNOW) If you now any good places to order please let me know?

 

Thank You

[Michael]

There's nothing stopping you contacting online companies. Just request they send a quotation by e-mail and it's problem sorted

 

I can recommend MicroDirect who are very good, large or small orders.

[Elky]

SCL Online accepts purchase orders ;-)

[Joanne]

CPC - Over 100, 000 products from one of the worlds leading distributors of electronic and related products. | CPC

Computer hardware and software at amazing prices, available online from Scan Computers UK

 

they do education with purchase orders and stuff...

 

infact, most of the big internet ones will accept purchase orders. Then they send an invoice and it gets paid.

 

voila!

[tri_94]

We use dabs.com - PC Hardware, Components, Software, Digital Cameras, MP3 Players, or also Ash distribution and Bigpockets.com

 

 

My best supplier is A2Z computers. contact there "Chirs Shier and if you mention that Nick Arter referred you, he will give you a good deal"

[FN-GM]

We use these companies mainly:

 

eBuyer

CPC

Misco

Dabs

[eean]

Ebuyer have good account managers. Seem to be helpful on the small stuff as well as the big orders.

[GrumbleDook]

We also use these:

Dell

Stone

Toshiba

The Cutter Project (Sun / Thin Client / Terminal Servers)

Solutions Inc (Apple Solutions Expert)

 

We have a company we use for our network infrastructure after running a mini-competition 3 years ago. They came second but the original company was bought out 9 months into the partnership and the prices went up whilst the quality went down (no names mentioned but those local to me can guess who I mean!) We now work with CAE, a Cisco Gold Partner (and they also partner up with XMA and Dataspire on Academy work)

 

General bits and pieces (consumables, printers, IWBs, etc) from this lot.

Panacea

IDNS

Dabs

Misco

 

We also have another 10 or so on the books that we rotate in when handing out our shopping list.

 

We put together all the things we need, we send the shopping list out to 3 of the above and to 3 more from the 'extras' list ... they send back their prices. They get one shot to bid and we say that we may pick and chose what we get from them. They have 2 weeks to get it back to us and then we take 2 weeks to go through and check it all.

 

Best price does not always win but it is a high factor. Reliability on delivery and quality of support (including returns) is important. This is why we don't use certain suppliers anymore or will not even have contact with some of those that now have bad reputations (see the bad experiences forum for examples).

 

Software is via Ramesys unless we have the option to go direct to the company (and we tend to compare it against Ramesys' pricing too).

 

The only other company we always use is Lapsafe. We haven't found another product out there like the kit we get from them.

 

I hope this helps. If you need direct contact details for any of the above please PM me.

[john]

CCL Computers - Awarded Best Online Retailer 2007 & 2006 for Laptops, Desktops & Computer Hardware and http://www.insight.com/uk/ are also both worth a go, and for consumerables I use Action Aid Recycling as they are by far the cheapest place, I've tried loads of others and they are brilliant on price, and every ink I buy donates money to charity same with toner and when you return the empties they get a few p more so over a year in a school you can raise probably a few hundred pounds without spending more on your supplies or having fancy dress days.

[dhicks]

If you now any good places to order please let me know?

 

I know there's been comments as to otherwise, but personally I've found Insight to be absolutely great - pick up the phone, order what we want (sometimes as late as 4:30pm), stuff turns up next day.

 

--

David Hicks

[powdarrmonkey]

Insight have a schools discount of (I think) cost + 4%, and deliver next day free. Unless it's something unusual, we use them for most things now because other people just can't compete.

[TheFopp]

We've been using Insight for the last year or so. Great prices (Catalyst) - when you get an account you get better prices than you see on their website without. You can order online (still on Credit) or via paper and have access to your account manager who can sort out very good deals (as Kieron did with our last batch of HP tower PCs).

 

And to top it off, free next day delivery.

[Ric_]

Also pay attention to some of our advertisers and sponsors - the majority are ethically run, smaller companies... ICT Direct are particularly competitive and can source pretty much anything and more!

[TheScarfedOne]

Anyone in the midlands area would be worth looking up Laptop House. I know Im down in Devon, but Ive worked with them for a few years now and they've not let me down. Like ICT Direct, who I can heads up too - small company, reliable and can source pretty much anything. They are at Laptop House Ltd

 

The usual cuprits of DABs, Misco, Printware and Insight for hardware. Ramesys and Pugh for software.

[jmcdermott]

IDN

Insight

Ebuyer

CPC

[acrobson]

I agree with eBuyer and Misco, personally had really bad experiences with Insight, wouldn't touch them with a 10ft cat5e cable! The education contact at Misco was a chap called Mark Conway. decent fellar.

 

It may also be worth contacting your LEA, they can sometimes get things such as printers cheaper as they may be buying 50-60 for the LA as appose to the 1 or 2 you may require. We do that on bulk orders and some consumerbles. We have saved a packet. All they do for us is invoice our school and it's sorted from there. All in house really.

 

The LEA may also have a list of 'preferred' suppliers/contractors, as we have discovered, often just in time, some can be listed from previous bad experiences etc. Kep your own back covered.

[localzuk]

European Electronique is my main supplier. They bend over backwards to give me the best prices.

[russdev]

Well most of our computers come from RM (well kind of obvious). As for Toners andOther bits we use AMC, Halcyon and RM.

 

All our Networking/AV these days comes from Ralco Mcneils.

 

If need any details of contacts let me know and will send them over.

 

Russ

[Simcfc73]

Use Dabs mostly, superb delivery and good prices. Never had a bad experience yet. (sorry online)

Also use IT Index (pretty good for the hard to find stuff) online too sorry and Misco.... ermmm onine too but they all do purchase order if you want.

For the little bits I use CCL as its just up the road from me and I pass it on the way home.

[Geoff]

Dabs/Misco/Ebuyer. Sometimes get the odd hard to find item/refurb from ICT Direct too. We also buy stuff sometimes from our network install contractor, but generally we prefer to taunt them with the prices we've found elsewhere.

[Haptic]

Hi Steve,

 

I should imagine that you have been looked after by now but its always good to have a few different suppliers to shop with , Computer Products Ltd is a educational Hardware,Software and Consumable specialist that will go the extra mile for its customers with price and service in mind and we currently have a superb promotion on at the moment for a chance to win a 42" Flat Screen TV for your School or College no purchase required so be sure to make your way to our website and register for a chance to win,

 

We also work on email and faxed quotations and Purchase orders,

 

Best Wishes

[matt40k]

I agree, Insight do suck. We had a good accounts manager until he left, the new one sucks.

 

We use a company called 4 Way Solutions, they're good for building an IT room, if you want the odd little thing, they will normally even send you a linky to someone else who's cheaper

[OverWorked]

Hey all,

I've started a new job a primary school & been there three weeks. I've been asked by the school to find quotes for PC & Network etc, the school isnt allowed to order anything online so it has to be paper order?! (I KNOW) If you now any good places to order please let me know?

 

Thank You

 

I don't know if this helps you or not. Officially we're not allowed to order online either, but we get round it by me writing out the purchase order, getting it signed by the Head and Finance Manager, then ordering online, quoting the purchase order number in the ordering page or email.

 

Misco and other have a field on the order form for purchase order number, which they print on their invoices. Others probably do the same.

 

We don't actually send the paperwork to the supplier. The supplier gets the online order they prefer, and we get the paperwork in order for the files.

 

I agreed this with our finance manager a while ago and it works (as long as I don't add a bit to the online order).

[Gatt]

We use Capella Pro and Business IT Support Team for most of our IT Kit, got our M$ licences from Direct-IT..

 

Capella are based in Manchester and 9/10 everything we buy is delivered to following day!

[ahuxham]

CPC - General Stuff, Printers, Consumables, Peripherals.

DABS - As Above (Do nice Toshiba laptops at a fair price)

Insight - Bulk of our PC orders, superb account manager, discount as a school, recently bought 12 Smartboards from here, best priced of any company. (Quotes always come back with 5-12.5% discount on items)

Videk - Cables, extensions, patching stuff.

 

Pugh and Caretower for Licensing, including Microsoft Schools Agreement, Insight quote MS licensing as well

Edited August 10, 2008 by ahuxham