Is Malibal a builder?

IS Malibal a builder or a reseller? I've read a couple conflicting threads on the topic. Perhaps a Malibal rep could clarify?

 

I'm wondering the same thing. I PM'd a Malibal rep earlier today but haven't gotten a reply.

 

A reseller. The builder (manufacturer) is Clevo.

 

Well Clevo just manufacturers the chassis+mobo, they're not builders (assemblers), which is I think what the thread is asking. I assume that they assemble themselves, yes, if no other builder is specified. I haven't dealt with them though I.e. Sager is both, Xotic is just a reseller for Sager, etc.

 

It's a question of terminology...

I personally would rather associate the term "builder" with "manufacturer", but I guess the topic author did mean "assembler". In the latter case your answer would be the correct one.

 

Clevo is the manufacturer, Sager is the builder and seller, Malibal is a reseller.

 

Yep, me too actually, but these forums have their own usages of some words heh. People elsewhere look at me oddly when I call a laptop a notebook, etc

Yep, the above's right; I wasn't aware of Sager having other resellers, but my knowledge is three years out of date (also looking at upgrades).

 

I see people using the word builder here. Maybe it's the wrong word. What I want to know is if they assemble the laptop using the Clevo chassis, or if they just resell laptops that were assembled by someone else. I see a lot of people saying that they're resellers, and a few people saying otherwise. If they're Sager resellers, why do they offer options like the 6970m which Sager no longer offers?

 

Malibal uses Clevo model numbers on their website, not Sager's. Maybe I missed it, but I couldn't find Sager mentioned on their website either. The warranty support page talks about the "Malibal warranty", not Sager as resellers do. Someone posted today that their notebook was shipped from New York, not California as Sager's are. This is why I'm confused about whether Malibal is a builder/assembler, or a reseller. I wish a Malibal rep would clear this up for us.

 

They, like Mythlogic, assemble their own machines using Clevo chassis/motherboard.

 

I think you're right. For some reason I always assumed Mythlogic was the only builder on these forums.

 

I think Malibal assembles them since they have their own branding (as opposed to xoticpc who uses Sager), plus the shipping label on my laptop said Malibal.

 

Why would this really matter? Should'nt we be more concerned about whether Malibal sells Clevo or Sager?

 

Isn't that the question posed by this thread?

 

I don't know; I interpreted the question as one about whether Malibal is a "builder" or a "reseller" rather than does Malibal sell "Sager" or "Clevo".

 

If they're a "builder", they most likely sell Clevo. If they're a "reseller", I think the odds are they're selling Sager. But that's just my take on it so far....I could be wrong.

 

they are a reseller.

they buy from sager without branding.

then malibal puts their brand.

afaik

 

Malibal is not an assembler or a builder.

They are a reseller.

 

This is what I thought they were doing. 0.o

 

Then it's interesting to note that they have different deals and better prices than Sager and able to customise certain components from time to time.

 

Malibal uses the Clevo barebones. They have said this in the past. They are NOT a Sager reseller. They do their own thing, just like Mythlogic. You don't "buy" unbranded "Sager" machines. If you want to get a Sager branding off your Sager machine, I believe it actually costs more to do so. I vaguely remember seeing that option on XoticPC's build setups, but I can't remember for certain. I'm also not going hunting to prove this, you guys can check it for yourself.

 

NO it costs nothing to remove branding. Malibal is a reseller. They brand it as their own because they offer warranty and service. Certain component options may be customized by them but they are not the builder Clevo manufactures and Sager finishes off the build with the rest of the components. Sager machines are often unbranded for resellers it seems, just like how a Clevo barebone notebook is unbranded when you purchase it. Correct me if Im wrong though..

 

You just told me I'm wrong, and to correct you if you're wrong? First off, Sager doesn't simply sell unbranded notebooks to resellers. The resellers simply deal with Sager. You pay the reseller, they order the laptop, make sure it's done, use their reseller-level influence to make sure things run smoothly (as Sager is bad with customer service, as per reports by the dozen about them here), and then you get your machine from Sager. My Sager was ordered through XoticPC, and came in a Sager box. The Warranty came from Sager, with a certificate to prove authenticity. When I had to replace my keyboard and 1 hard drive on warranty, it was Sager's tech support I had to call and deal with.

Malibal buys the Clevo barebones, JUST LIKE MYTHLOGIC, then puts it together themselves with their own offers/etc, with their latest trend being prices that even best XoticPC's low low prices, as well as free shipping to the US/40% off international shipping. XoticPC already sells for less than Sager's website directly sells for, and Malibal bests that. Malibal isn't a long-standing, 10-year-or-so-old company that has amazing reputation and a ton of clout for good deals/pricing/support like XoticPC has. There would be no way for them to do that if they bought Sager's already pre-built.

Please don't tell me I'm incorrect then say to correct you. That's just annoying. If you aren't sure what you're saying you shouldn't try to tell me off. I've seen them post multiple times on these forums that they don't resell sagers, but instead build on Clevo barebones. If those posts were a figment of my imagination (not likely) or they recently changed their minds, then they're welcome to come here and tell me personally. Until then, I know what I saw.

 

So how do they go about with their 100% perfect laptop guarantee such that should you have any QC issues they overnight you a brand-new replacement?

If they can do that as a "Sager reseller", branded or not, I believe that the other Sager resellers should be able to do that too.

Their pricing strategies are different from the rest of the Sager resellers across the board as well.

 

Well, oddly silent they are...

 

If they told you, they would have to kill you.

Malibal is usually around here and answering questions almost instantly.

To the one's that said it doesn't matter, it does. There are pro's and con's to both and some people would prefer a reseller and others would prefer buying from a builder. I wont get into all the reasons, but they are there. Like so many things, it all comes down to personal preference again.

 

... just a small question, Malibal seems to be active in every other thread.. Why not answer this one directly?

 

Apparently Malibal doesn't want us to know. Mythlogic's post explaining exactly what Malibal is has been deleted, and my post quoting Mythlogic has been deleted.

 

Yes I believe the forum rules are that Resellers for sure cannot comment on things regarding other resellers and the like.

-

 

Ahh...okay, thanks for clearing that up.

 

Why not put it out right?

I mean I know that Eurocom holds a bad name on these forums, but if you guys come forth and say you vouch for them on your behalf and you would take care of whatever issues arise, wouldn't the forums trust you guys even more for being candid and outright?

We all know that Eurocom has a price advantage over Sager, so I totally understand the business going on here, but things like this can't hide forever.

Avoiding this thread won't really be helpful, as I think most of us saw what mythlogic posted and would like a clarification unless there is something shady going on here.

 

Unfortunately, I did not see that post. And yes, deletion. That's all I will say or else this post will get deleted too .

Since you, and others have seen this post. Would you please explain, in your own words, what mythlogic explained. Or at least PM me .

 

I see no reason for this thread to get deleted unless other resellers chime in.

As long as this thread is controlled by us the users, it should violate no rules unless we make false accusations to Malibal,

and that's why I'm waiting for their official opinion on this claim.

 

OT, but thought I would ask...

Is AVA-Direct represented here? If so, then that is another "builder" for Clevo systems. I couldn't be happier w/ my purchases from them.

 

Just like we can't find service manuals for some notebooks, when we can find schematics, and vice versa with manufacturers like Clevo there will always be information meticulously chosen to be withheld from the consumer.

Theres not a question of terminology in the sense that Clevo is the manufacturer, builder/reseller are different things, but if someone doesn't want us to know the details we'll just have to gather for ourselves and accept to call companies builders based on how they seem.

I can say for a fact rjtech is a builder. One of the only companies that will sell barebones without GPU.

I personally think there are a few levels in between, since there are probably even companies that rebrand barebones but offer warranty through sager.

My question...

Why does the other thing matter? SHOULD we be concerned? period?

Helpful towards WHAT purpose?

I think anything that would be useful is something that is truly clevo confidential, I mean the stuff I'm thinking of is fan control, locked BIOS options, MXM support etc. As far as knowing about these things rather than reverse engineering them you can already research and test that which I think is very helpful to the overall question of who is the best manufacturer.

 

Helpful towards better understanding of how Malibal works and who we get our machines from? Helpful in establishing trust?

You may find those more useful, go ahead and research about them. I truly appreciate your contributions in testing MXM compatibility, BIOS options, etc, but if a handful of people are asking a question and they refuse to answer, doesn't it give rise to more questions?

We're curious as to why they would simply avoid this thread, and I just asked for a clarification. Is that too much to ask?

Forums are meant to be a place to ask questions, not just a place to share what someone thinks as 'useful'. I simply just want to know as I have questions now for various reasons including something of the past as well.

 

It's less of a concern and more of a curiosity.

I thought I had every company on these forums pinned down. Malibal being one of them, I assumed they were just a reseller of Sager and rebranded their products, but if I'm wrong, I'd simply like to rectify that error. I'm not talking about what they do with the models after the assembly (in-house testing and the sort), just want to know if they assemble the machines themselves or receive them already assembled.

I've never seen an AVA-Direct representative/represented here, at least on the Sager & Clevo section of NBR. I'm pretty sure they've been represented on other parts of the forum though.

 

Is this thread going to be gone like this again like the last few times?


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If no one from Malibal provides an answer, then probably yes, it will be gone, which might be what they're hoping for. I had a PM discussion with MALIBAL about a similar question that was raised (i.e., do they resell machines built by Eurocom), and MALIBAL reported to me that Malibal are builders, like Mythlogic or RJ Tech. That said, the tone of the conversation went south kind of quickly and it took a while to get anything approaching a straight answer. It left me with an uneasy feeling to say the least and I'm still not quite sure what to believe.

I was hesitant to even post this here as I was told by MALIBAL that there may be legal action pending to address the "lies" and "hearsay rumors." Hopefully, I won't get involved in any such legal action, but I thought it important to share the information I had been given (both that Malibal is apparently a builder and that there are lawyers involved so you may or may not want to pursue this question further).

 

This thread totally confuses me. Well, maybe not the thread itself, but the cloak and dagger business that seems to be involved.

 

Thanks for chiming in.

I'm deliberately avoiding mentioning my thoughts and ideas about what MAY be going on here, and am instead trying to make them respond. If indeed the rumors and lies aren't true, why haven't they responded at all?

Yeah, lawyers. I want the other resellers or any one related to any other reseller to stay out of this thread to prevent such things, we as end-consumers have the right to know. Maybe some don't, but I do, as well as based on the 1k+ views of this thread, a good few others.

 

Agreed, which is why I had thought to go directly to Malibal themselves. As I noted, this led to a possible clarification (said they're builders, not resellers) along with confusion about the way in which information was presented and the tone/approach to a customer.

That said, this has been the first time I've had such concern about reseller vs. builder vs. whatever. When buying Dell, Compaq, Quantex, whatever, in the past, I've done some research/looked into reviews, but something about this whole process has really got things spinning with regard to Malibal and Clevo/Sager in general. I'm curious about that fact too. Why has this become such a big deal?

 

Libel is tricky in the US. How are they going to prove "harm" from this information? I wish their lawyers good luck pursuing a libel case.

Regardless, I would recommend building out a system, and then compare that against a system from AVA-Direct, RJTech, or Mythlogic. At that point, you can see what options are available from all types of systems.

 

Woah what the hell man?

NOTHING is going on here! Things are clearly going on in your head, I've noticed.

Again... to know WHAT? What is a system builder? If that's you're question then you are picking out Malibal among too many others.

Trust is a choice but should be a commodity. Regardless, it RARELY helps anyone in this day and age of simple online transaction when it comes down to brass tacks.

Business have every right to withhold how they function internally.
So do individual people unless they have been committed to a treatment center for mental health. Why are you trying to suggest that Malibal poses a serious enough threat to be interrogated?

Many aspects of many businesses involve NOT having the right to disclose certain information especially when you are a small company affiliated with a much much larger one.

Unfortunately questions are not always useful, and usefulness is really what answers are in an ideal situation. Unless you are just curious. Take a look at yahoo answers instead of the forums sometime.

I am someone who is very interested and more than curious about the electronics and PC industry. I have DOZENS of questions that I will never ask here because no one cares and no one knows the answer. But the real single reason for those 2 of course is that many of the answers would be confidential to some ODMs or Nvidia.
You can't just ask a manufacturer about their R&D process. And apparently, you won't get an answer if you ask about Clevo and Sagers business model along with contract terms for resellers and builders. But it doesn't mean they are s who deserve to burn in hell any more than the guy who decided reverse Asus MXM cards or the guy who decided to lock all Core Duos to 6x when overclocked with a BSEL mod...(!!!)
I fully accept that I think all of these things are very important and I'm not exactly sure why. I also fully accept that manufacturing, business and industry is inherently shady and there is nothing anyone can do about it unless they want the economy to crash.

By shady, I mean of course they aren't telling us everything. But then again who does that?

 

@Niff

I don't understand the defensiveness of your post. All of the other resellers / builders on here will tell you whether they resell Eurocoms, resell Sagers, or build their own Clevo laptops. Malibal apparently won't since they haven't replied to this thread. I could personally care less as I have already got my laptop from the awesome BUILDER Mythlogic. I am just curious. But as I stated in my previous post on this subject, there is a difference between being a reseller and being a builder. There are pros to both and cons to both. I see no reason why a potential customer shouldn't have the right to know which of the two they are buying from. A builder or a reseller.

Like I said, I've got my laptop now so I don't really care which they are and am done posting in this thread. Hopefully Malibal finally replies to this thread for the rest of you though.

 

Can you clarify what you meant by this (not what malibal meant)?
It sounds like you're saying they were confused which I doubt.

I'm guessing there is general confusion on the part of Clevo and Sager as to what their exact contract terms mean and when they can be explained.

I think whats interesting about this thread is when buying from Dell/Quanta which is equivalent to Sager/Clevo, neither company would answer any questions regarding their contract. In fact I doubt they would even acknowledge it. Clevo owners are so ungrateful.

@luke, I'm not being defensive, I'm responding to aggression. Who will defend malibal if they aren't allowed to post in this thread? They are obviously being accused of shady/unethical business on totally ridiculous grounds.

They will tell you if you ask them in PM, doesn't that mean something? Maybe they just don't feel the need to waste their time replying in absurd recursive flame threads like this one.

OK maybe I'm being a little defensive and this would be why:

 

There can be many possible reasons for them not to comment on things, legal or other reasons. I would not worry so much about this, the actual reason most likely is much more silly than any conspiracy thinking as to why they purposely withhold information

 

My understanding is that Malibal subcontracts with Sager for Sager to build the Clevo-based machines to Malibal's specifications, but then offers a manufacturer's warranty in Malibal's name to the consumers. So the work is still being done in the Sager factory, but it's not quite the same relationship that a true reseller like XoticPC has, where they're selling machines with Sager's chosen specs. Malibal is choosing the specs, but Sager is the one physically making the machines.

If this is wrong, a Malibal rep should correct me, but that's what I've been able to piece together.

 

I found a post from another thread mentioning that Malibal builds their systems from barebones.

 

Hi niffcreature,

To clarify: the tone of the PMs resulted in ME being confused, wondering why a customer service rep would be writing the things that were written and acting both aggressively and defensively towards me. I guess we all have our bad days and it seemed the person was quite stressed....

I don't know what the response would be if we asked Dell or Alienware or whomever if they build their own computers or if they're resellers, but it also doesn't seem like it should be some tightly guarded secret. Is it "ungrateful" to want to know what we're paying over a thousand dollars for?

I can't speak for others posting, but I'm sorry if my posts led you to feel that this was meant to be an "interrogation" of Malibal or that I believe they should "burn in hell' as neither is the case. But again, this seems to be another case of emotions running higher on this topic than I would expect. Am I just a naive, new forum member or is this a bit out of the norm?