Newspapers are bursting with computer ads this time of year from stores like Best Buy, Circuit City, Office Max, and CompUSA. But Consumer Reports says you're generally better off ignoring those tempting offers and buying a computer from a Web site or catalog."We surveyed 78,000 of our subscribers who bought a computer in the past year or two and found that stores, as a group, rated lower than manufacturers and online merchants," says Rosalind Tordesillas of Consumer Reports.The survey asked about overall satisfaction, as well as selection, service, and prices. Two of the biggest sellers of computers, Best Buy and Wal-Mart, were rated relatively low.
"Our survey found people got the best prices for computers from Web sites like Amazon.com and PC Connection," says Tordesillas. But if you want to customize your computer, Consumer Reports says you're usually better off buying directly from the manufacturer. Apple.com and IBM.com were among the top-rated.A heads up from Consumer Reports: the return policies on computers can be very restrictive. So before you give your credit-card number, check the return policy carefully.You can get free advice on what to consider before buying a laptop or desktop computer, including which features matter and which don't, by clicking the link on this page. The information will be available free of charge from Dec. 6, 2005 to January 9, 2006.
