Looking for a new hardware supplier. suggestions?

[Uplift]

I'm looking for a new hardware supplier for my school, the company we usually use has gone right down hill.. we're being told something will be here next day and end up waiting 2 weeks and there is no communication. I've looked really bad the last few month ordering things in for my boss telling him it would be here within a day when he's actually receiving it weeks later.

 

One thing i did like about this company is that we had a dedicated person to deal with, if i wanted something i could browse the website and then email the account manager, she would process everything and it would be here the next day.

 

So i'm looking for something like that and just a generic store i can order anything from quantities of 1 to many more. printers, inks, components, notebooks, laptops, etc..

 

any suggestions?

[north-ict]

I use misco and haven't had an issue with them and have a dedicated account manager if anything goes pear shaped (which hardly ever does) it gets sorted and delivery is usually next day. They also price match for me as well where possible.

 

Misco.co.uk - Computer Hardware, Laptops, Notebooks, Desktops, TFTs, Printers, Servers, Wireless Networking, Software

[featured_spectre]

@CPLtd are pretty decent and are quite honest about lead times for delivery if it will not be next day! Edited October 3, 2011 by featured_spectre

[RTFM]

We use @Millgate who are v.good for delivery times, communication and price.

 

Luke is a decent bloke so there's one option for ya.

[captaincharisma]

We use Misco and recently Stone, who have both been very good.

[RTFM]

We use Misco and recently Stone, who have both been very good.

 

We've had issues with both, Misco refused to do us free delivery despite us being a frequent purchaser from them (our account manager kept telling us it was company policy to charge for delivery) but then on here other people have said differently and they always get free delivery (paying for delivery is a pet peeve when your spending thousands of pounds, other people seem to be able to do it for free....).

 

Stone, well, they sent us a trial PC, we sent it back (using their courier) then 2 months later we get a bill to say they are charging us for the trial unit and a monitor we never even had as neither had been returned? This happened on 2 seperate occassions a year apart........we havent used them since for anything.

 

These are just incidents we've run into, its quite possible they are isolated and we've just been unlucky.

[Uplift]

Misco is who we are with now, been with them for years and very happy but last few orders have been way too long i can't risk ordering anything else incase it takes the same amount of time.

 

I ordered a monitor and tower thursday 22nd september, it was listed in stock and was told it would be here next day . it's now 3rd october and it's not arrived and not had a single email. The last order was exactly the same, i only ordered a bluetooth headset and 5 cat5 cables.. nothing turned up and i was forced to send an email asking what was up, i was told the items were on back order and would be sent out asap.. i waited and waited.. sent another email saying cancel order as i would buy locally as couldn't wait any longer, at this point i was told the headset was EOL would i like something else, i picked something else and it turned up a few days later... then the cables a few days after that.

 

it's a complete nightmare when it's something you really need.

 

Also misco delivery charges are quite high, i regularly have the business manager coming to me and saying is this right as sometimes it costs more than the item itself.

[plexer]

We mainly use wstore who are part of the same companu as misco but Dan Whittaker is great, always free del.

 

Ben

[Duke]

Have a chat with Wayne Overton at CCS Media - they're very highly regarded on here and we've used them for years with no complaints (hardware, software licensing, as well as random bits and bobs). I'll PM you contact details.

 

Chris

[ravens]

We have used Misco for the last 7 years. Even though we do tender for larger amounts, they always seem to offer the best price and value added service. I have never been charged delivery for anything and they will price match or better almost everything. My Account Manager is Carl Singh. He may not be the most technical person I have met but he tries hard all the time and is honest which is enough for me. Perhaps those people that are getting the run around from their Misco account managers should ask for their account to be moved to Carl. The request may be enough for your account manager to change his ways.

[RTFM]

Perhaps those people that are getting the run around from their Misco account managers should ask for their account to be moved to Carl. The request may be enough for your account manager to change his ways.

 

Whilst that would potentially have solved the issue, it shouldnt be necessary. If one account manager is giving out free delivery to customers then another shouldnt be telling people it's 'company policy to charge for delivery'.

 

Like i said, it was a pet peeve with mine about Misco and obviously we just got unlucky with the account manager we had doing the dodgy on us.

[bandgeekmafia78]

ERGO Computing. Excellent company to work with and their after-sales support is really good. Not pushy in the slightest.

[Uplift]

thanks for the suggestions received a few PMs i'll be going over later.

 

I'm shocked that some of you have been getting free delivery from Misco.

[Iain.Faulkner]

ERGO Computing. Excellent company to work with and their after-sales support is really good. Not pushy in the slightest.

 

+ 1 for Ergo and CP LTD

[ben604]

Shout for CPLtd and CCS here. Ebuyer are also great for little bits and bobs, you can order up to 11pm for next day delivery, even on a Sunday...

[speckytecky]

I'd endorse that: And add they are even helpful on leaning on manufactures as well. I'm pretty miffed with HP not supplying a Windows 7 32 bit driver for their relatively new Laser Jet 3600 and have been complaining about that - our account manager at Misco is also chasing them. No joy so far but I have made it clear we won't be buying any HP kit unless they sort it. Delivery from Misco is hard to beat as well. I ordered 32 workstations and TFT's at 1600 hours one afternoon they arrived at 0730 hours the next morning.

 

I use misco and haven't had an issue with them and have a dedicated account manager if anything goes pear shaped (which hardly ever does) it gets sorted and delivery is usually next day. They also price match for me as well where possible.

 

Misco.co.uk - Computer Hardware, Laptops, Notebooks, Desktops, TFTs, Printers, Servers, Wireless Networking, Software

[Domino]

We use CAE here, they're not major players in the education market, but they do dabble. Home | CAE Our knowledge. Your business. It works

 

Been amazing help for us, often fighting bid procedures and going above and beyond to meet our pricing/supply requirements

[ravens]

I'm shocked some of you are not getting free delivery.

[36Degrees]

We buy a lot from Probrand. Standard carriage is £5 but a comparison of prices (they give you a login for Public Sector pricing) often means that the carriage charge isn't worth worrying about. Deliveries normally take about 3 days but we have paid extra in the past for next day, again the overall price making it worth doing.

[ravens]

I gave Proband a try some years ago. They sent half the order a week later, then the rest two weeks later and tried to charge me delivery twice! The account manager went on holiday and the interim one threatened to take us to court but finally "did us a favour" and waived it. On top of everything, they forgot to register the extended warranties so we ended up with 1 year warranties instead of 3. Never again.

[Hightower]

We tend to order direct from Dell nowadays, at least for desktops/servers - nobody can seem to get close to their special education pricing. After that, we've ordered a few things from CP Ltd and can recommend them. We also use Misco, and not really had a problem with them. Handy for small items like cables etc.

[andyturpie]

Viglen, we have just replaced all our RM machines with their omnino 4s and the staff and pupils are over the moon with them. We did go through a sort of tender with a few other companies mentioned in this thread and Viglen were so aggressively priced, no one could compete with the cost on a like for like basis.

[sonofsanta]

Insight have always worked very well for us, educational pricing and a huge range. Or, as others have said, CPLTD are very friendly and certainly do the work to fulfill your requests!

[Duke]

We tend to order direct from Dell nowadays, at least for desktops/servers - nobody can seem to get close to their special education pricing.

 

If you go to Dell education you may well end up dealing with CCS Media anyway. I think they became such a big partner that Dell moved part of the educational sales straight to them. CCS generally do charge delivery, but it's a fixed rate so you pay £8 for a printer and £8 for 200 PCs, which I can live with. They'll usually waive the delivery charge if it's a deal-breaker. One company we got quotes from over summer (who have been mentioned in this thread) were charging something like £5 per PC, so wanted £1,000 delivery cost0 for 200 machines - and this was non-negotiable!

 

Chris

[Disease]

We order from BT Business Direct formerly Dabs.com free next day delivery or Novatech who are local to us. Both give good prices, forget what it says on the website.