In January 2000, we decided that our ageing Cyrix 133mhz computer would not stand up to any more use, and we wanted to get onto the internet. So we chose the obvious solution of buying a new computer, with the Cyrix going upstairs into my bedroom.
As we were on a tight budget and wanted a custonm build, we saw Protek advertised in a magazine in a no-frills, clear advert. It told us the exact prices for what we needed, so we could get calculating straightaway. Our requirements were this:
- No monitor, just a box! - About a 450mhz processor - over 32mb ram - a 15gb hard drive - a decent graphics and sound card (NOT onboard sound) - keyboard, mouse and speakers
Protek quoted us £527 inc delivery for a Celeron 466mhz processor, 64mb Ram, 17gb Hard Disk, Modem, 16mb Voodoo3 Graphics and soundblaster sound. This looked a very good specification for the price so we decided to go ahead and buy it. When we did, we wished we hadn't gone and bought it.
When we ordered it, we bought it with Visa card, so we would have their insurance to fall back upon if something went wrong. The salesman was very clear and well mannered when we bought it, explaing us through all the options and gave us a reference number in case something did go wrong. As it happens, things got very ugly in the space of a week!
They quoted us a delivery date of the 24th January, with the promise that they would phone us to confirm the day before. On the 23rd January, we didn't recieve a phone call, so we phoned them and were told the computer would be delayed for five days due to the USB card not being in stock. This we didn't mind.
After six days we received no word from Protek about our computer, so again we phoned up. Again, we were fobbed off with another story, about no processors being in stock. We were fuming!!! They had delayed it twice without a decent explanation and we had to phone up to find out about it.
One month came and went and we still didn't have any computer, nor any explanation. We were just about to contact Visa to claim our money back when word came through that the computer had been dispatched a couple of days earlier. This happened when Dad and Mum was at work, and I was at school. I came back from school and found the computer on our doorstep, for the whole estate to see. Anyone could of stolen it, and this was the final straw for us.
We complained and complained again to the company, but we got no response. Then the vision I had been having happened for real. On the 19th of June, when I logged onto their website, it showed that Protek had gone into liquidation, with the receivers being BN Jackson Norton of Bristol. To me, I think that thye deserved it, as not onyl us, but hundreds of people were complaining about Protek's dreadful customer service.
The computer ran decently fast, but it was shoddily built. The company used a very cheap motherboard and unbranded modem, and only built it in an AT case, when ATX cases where becoming standard, so this restricted the upgrade potential very seriously indeed!
My advice is when buying a computer use a top flight manufacturer who are reptuable, in which more that a couple of maganzines have recommended. Do not use a cheap assembler like we did!! Someone like Dell or Mesh are very good.
More details
Reliability
Poor
Memory / capacity
Satisfactory
Range of Extra Features
Poor
Instruction manual
Good
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