Conics or PriceJapan

I really like how small the ac adapter is and the littel travel plug they send with it is a nice touch.

 

I ordered mine on 7/13 from pricejapan.com
I email them yesterday for ETA and go end of july...
I can't wait that long...SHould i cancel and order from somewhere else???
what should I do??? anyone have TZ in stock??

 

At the time when you placed the order, the leadtime (2-3 weeks from payment/order) was stated on their website. I assume you missed that.

Don't count on it arriving sooner. You could always get lucky though. Alternatively, you could get it from Dynamism, Geekstuff4u or Icube instead. I know that Dynamism carries stock. Not sure about Geekstuff or Icube.

But in any case, if Pricejapan has already ordered the notebook for you (and I assume they did after you paid on July 13) then you can't cancel the order according to their policy.

 

actually, I saw the leadtime (2-3 weeks from payment) when I ordered...
I was hoping that they're wrong...and I just can't wait any longer..
I could always call my credit card and tell them that the vendor won't refund my payment. but i know that's not right..

 

That's seriously a bad thing to do. If enough people did that, it would cause them to raise their prices to recoup their losses. I'm in the same boat as you. I ordered it on the 13th of July and I can't wait either!

Regarding the price differences, Isn't PriceJapan the cheapest for a maxed-out TZ? With 1.2ghz/2 gigs ram/SSD/DVD/standard battery/shipping/credit card fees, it only came out to $2,670 USD. I tried pricing it at Conics and it came out to $2,700 without fees and more than 3,000 after fees/shipping. It seems like it would even be cheaper to import from PriceJapan than buying from SonyStyle US.

 

I know the feeling of not being able to wait and yes I agree it is not right to just cancel your credit card purchase when you were already informed about the leadtime.

However, should you decide to do so anyway, just keep in mind that it may prove more difficult than you think to get your money back. I assume you paid via Paypal or Moneybookers since Pricejapan does not accept direct credit card transactions. Hence, you/your creditcard company might be in for a lot of hassle and unresolved disputes if you choose to challenge the purchase at this point.

 

I am going to do that...I just can't wait for my TZ..

 

Im wondering can you activate your windows with the japanese cd key?

 

Hay people I’m also in the same boat Conics or PriceJapan? , On a Red TZ with SSD Promised the laptop for my daughter? I would like to find out who is the most reputable, Before I shell out my hard earned!!!

 

Can't speak to pricejapan but conics was very responsive and delviered as advertised within the time frame (it arrived one day after they recieved ti from Sony, with English Vista installed shipped EMS)

 

I ordered the TZ90 from Dynamism and received it by overnight fedex. The total cost (no shipping charges) was $2,977.00.

My computer has 2GB of ram, 32GB SSD and 160GB HDD, standard battery and the 3 yr Dynamism warranty. The color is premium carbon fiber. I didn't get the 802,11n because that would have meant waiting at least another 2 weeks for the computer.

This price was negotiated with Dynamism and I felt that the savings from Conics or PriceJapan was not worth it especially after the shipping charges and the charges for using a credit card were factored in.

Eddie G.

 

Mine shipped, and paid by credit card from conics for the ssd/dvd (with wireless n) cost 2700 - its still nearly 300 cheaper than Dynamisms best price to me.

 

The SSD option being almost $600 is a killer... are the 4200 rpm HD's that horrible on Vista?

 

If you can't take SSD, go for the 160 gb 5400rpm instead of the slow 100 gb 4200rpm. In my opinion is just too slow for Vista this 4200rpm HD.

 

anyone received their tz from pricejapan or conics which was ordered around 7/13 yet?
they said 2-3 weeks and they're not lying, huh?

 

It is no tyet two weeks from July 13th so I don't see how you can conclude they were lying.

Sony did get a lot of orders for it at that time because of a promotion so it is possible it was delayed but the time between when Conics recieved mine from Sony and I recieved it from themwas just two days.

Have a little patience and you will get your computer.

 

Thanks avalpert...I never said they're lying...I was kinda wish they were about 2-3 weeks....

 

My colleague ordered the exact same spec as me via Pricejapan (Carbon Fiber, 1.2GHz, SSD/DVD, 2GB RAM, Wireless N) on July 10. He was told that Pricejapan expects to receive it at the end of July - meaning 3 weeks leadtime. Then you have to add maybe 2 days shipping with DHL and customs clearance, depending on destination.

So yes, there is definitely a delay. And 3 weeks seem more likely than 2 weeks at the moment

Zukbang: I assume you didn't cancel your order anyway?

 

no..I didn't cancel my order...I really wanted to and I should've...I'm going to Japan on 9/3...maybe I should wait couple more weeks and just buy when I get there...

 

do any of them(conics,pricejapan, dynamism) offer the tz with xp preinstalled?

 

I don't think any of them offer xp
I know pricejapan doesn't...

 

spectra- not that I know of but it couldn't hurt to ask Conics since they do a clean isntall of English Vista they may be willing to do XP instead (though you may have to pay or provide a liscense)

 

Has anyone else ordered the Sony TZ from pricejapan around first or second week of July and not received theirs yet? I orderd on 11 july and have not gotten a clear delivery date yet...

 

I ordered mine from PriceJapan on July 13 and still nothing. The last I heard was "end of July." I bet that means July 31 if we're lucky.

I wonder if they order them to be shipped in batches. It seems like lots of us ordered them around the same time (mid July)

 

Hi Everyone, I also ordered a TZ90 from pricejapan on 17th July, and I have also been told that the laptop will be ready from Sony at "the end of July"

I really pushed them on this, and they told me that this is what it says on the Sonystyle order site

So I guess we have to be more patient

BTW I got tz90 + 32gb SSD + 160Gb + external DVD + carrying case + cover+ light battery

 

faicalc, now that I recall I was also told by PriceJapan that that's what it says on the Japan SonyStyle site.

I can't find it anywhere, though! Maybe someone fluent in Japanese can confirm this. Or maybe someone who has ordered directly from SonyStyle Japan can confirm. Here's the translated SonyStyle order page.

 

Well, considering we're pretty much at the end of July, maybe the clause has already been removed?

 

jc4ho, the pages are identical to the way they were mid-july. I've been checking like crazy

The only difference is that the 10,000 yen discount has been extended to August 3rd (the main page used to say July 20).

 

but I thought they find the cheapest place in Japan to order, not from Sonystyle, no? when I ordered mine, it wasn't showing sonystyle japan. It was some other web site who had the cheapest price.

 

Yep, they pick the cheapest place in Japan to order. But since early July or even earlier, SonyStyle Japan is the cheapest (mainly because of their 10,000 yen discount).

 

Since sony is the only place where u can custom order a tz, where else would pricejapan order it from?

If you want to the get cheaper premade version, then pricejapan can shop around for the lowest price.

 

Just to let you guys know, the "end of July" status was last confirmed by pricejapan for me on Tuesday....

 

Email sent from pricejapan on 24/07/07 11:45

' Not changed from "the end of July" '

Short and sweet as usual (in this case for us, the answer is not so sweet of course ;-) )

 

I talked to my colleague today and he is quite upset with the fact that someone ordering 1 week later (July 17 vs July 10) still gets the same leadtime (response).

I can't really figure out what PriceJapan is up to. Maybe Sony is really producing them in batches. Either way I can sympathize with those who have been waiting for quite a while.

 

I'm just gonna wait til 7/31 and if Pricejapan doesn't come up with anything, I'm just gonna cancel my order...they should at least email us with some kind of excuse besides " the end of July"

 

Guys - Don't forget that pricejapan can exert NO influence over the time it takes to deliver the TZ90s

They simply have to wait for Sony to deliver it to them first

Of course it is then up to pricejapan to send the goods as quickly as possible once they receive them

I too am getting very impatient, however I will not start to worry until the end of July, after which I will push them if I do not hear anything

 

Does anybody know if you can order from SonyStyle Japan if you live in the US? Will they ship to here?

 

No, they don't directly ship to the U.S. Why else would businesses like Dynamism, Conics and PriceJapan exist?

It'd be nice if they did so we could save a bit. Its cheaper to buy the TZ from Japan than to get the North American models, plus you get more options. If you want the premium carbon color here, you need to get the most expensive option with SSD but in Japan, you can get it with options like a Celeron M processor and 160gb hard drive in place of the optical drive. Those lucky guys.

 

Exactly, rahulnirmal. Darn those Japanese for having more options, and items being so popular it takes longer to get built. Wah! iCube, Conics, Dynamism, GeekStuff4U, et al., provide a great service for us. All are reputable. They are at the mercy of what the Japanese vendors (in this case, Sony) can give them. If it is delayed at Sony, you're not getting your laptop faster. The store you bought it from is not to blame, and to cancel makes no sense.

As an aside, I know some people haven't bought from Dynamism because of higher prices in some cases , and hedging they won't need service. Seeing the one post here that his TZ90's 32GB SSD failed and now had to send it back via PriceJapan, I can say that for one reason or another, a lot of my laptops have developed problems due to normal wear and tear. Dynamism dealt with each one (all covered under warranty) and in about a month (round trip to/from Massachusetts), I had my laptop back. Sony Japan does a wonderful job in fixing things and the peace of mind I've had with Dynamism is more than justified.

I'm just as price conscious as anyone, but sometimes I value more than just the physical price. If I feel it's too high, I won't buy.

I have no agenda here. I don't work for Dynamism, but I sure as heck wouldn't hesitate to use them again if I was in the market for a laptop from Japan. My G1 is the 4th laptop I've received from them (U70, JVC 741, SZ90). The G and the SZ were special orders with some slightly different options than what was posted.

 

Thanks, Fender. It's a little bit unsettling for us first-time buyers. I'm really impatient and can't wait to have that tz in my hands

I can understand that, but the delay seems artificial, whether it be imposed by Sony or the reseller. It would make more sense if we were told "X weeks from the day you ordered", but everyone is being told, "end of July", regardless of whether they ordered at the beginnning, middle, or late July. So it doesn't seem to be a demand issue unless Sony is hoarding product for release in the US or other markets.

What's the difference between Dynamism and PriceJapan when it comes to warranty? I know that PriceJapan also supports the Sony 3 yr warranty (you have to pay shipping both ways).

 

It's a lot of money and totally understandable.

I'm not saying Sony isn't hording or doing something else - I mean, the TZ *is* being introduced in the USA soon, so they may be cranking out US laptops. Who knows. They also may have had higher than anticipated demand on the sale at SonyStyle Japan, or had a shortage of a component common to all TZs. We can only speculate.

At least in the USA, Dynamism takes care of shipping to/from Japan, and generally doesn't make you pay to ship the laptop to them to get to Japan. I think outside the USA you have to pay to get it to Dynamism, but it's the same process after that. So let's say you have one problem and it costs you $100 round trip to send your laptop to Japan. If Dynamism's price is, say, $150 - $200 above somewhere else (just picking a number out of a hat), it almost paid for itself AND you don't have to worry about things. It's what they do. My SZ is going in for the second time (1st time was my "accident" on the plane; this one is wear and tear).

Also consider that Dynamism (and similar companies - not PriceJapan) sells laptops and gadgets, so they can also provide some tech support on the products they sell. So beyond them dealing with Japan, they can help in other ways.

I'm not saying you don't pay a slight premium for that stuff. You do. But you're also buying something you can't walk into BestBuy and get, either.

Another thing to consider is that the pricing of the TZ from Dynamism (32GB SSD, DVD) is about the same as or cheaper than SonyStyle USA depending on the options. So it's all relative. If I was going for support, I'd rather have Dynamism and Sony Japan vs. some of the horror stories I've seen about SOny USA.

 

Well said.

Interestingly though, I noticed on Sony Style USA that with the premium TZ models the VGP/CKTZ2 leather sleeve/case is included in the price. This option alone costs 199 dollars if you buy it via Dynamism.

PriceJapan is cheap if you only look at base price but service is not really part of their business concept. I bought the TZ via them due to:

Pros:
- Low prices
- Ships worldwide
- Can get a hold of rare Japanese items
- The Vaio TZ was not available outside Japan at the time of purchase
- Acts as a shopping agent


However, I will not be buying from them again, due to:

Cons:
- Only contact via e-mail
- Their communication style is short but not necessarily concise
- Mediore English skills
- I find them to be a bit arrogant sometimes
- They do not provide English software installation
- Broken notebooks have to be sent to Japan in case of warranty issues
- Payment is a hassle (for me). I prefer to pay directly via creditcard. Not paypal, moneybookers or bank transfer.


At the end of the day, it's all up to preferences. In the future I will be buying directly from Sony Style stores or online. If they do not carry the item or if the version the local Sony Style outlet has is lower specified than the Japanese alternative, then I will probably try Dynamism, Geekstuff4u or Icube instead.

 

Did anyone who ordered from pricejapan asked them to underprice the package ?

 

Yes, they undervalue the item if you asked them. Of course the insurance will be equal to the price that you declare.
Finally my TZ shipped from Japan at 4/7 so i will have it soon. I can say that i wasn't so satisfied with conics.

 

exetlaios, can you please tell more about why?

 

Yeah, that's why I still can't decide, but on the other hand nobody from the board has had a problem with TZ delivery so far. Do you have an idea what the tax would be for $3000 TZ in EU ?

 

Mandersen, i still believe that the price of conics is very good and for sure much better than the european prices (but the service no). Brett from conics was very responsive at the first e-mails, but slowly slowly and specially when i transfered the payment by bank wire, he made a lot of days to respond to my questions. I understand that conics has a lot of job to do these months, but couldn't they hire other stuff to work, except Brett, to cover all the demand?
The taxes to EU is different from country to country,but for sure you pay the 20% VAT of the price declared in the invoice.
So, i thought for avoiding these taxes to tell to conics to write in the invoice that is a returned good with no commercial value.The reason that i sent it to Japan was to repair the LCD, under warranty. Brett was positive about that so we had an agreement and all this two weeks before the shippment.
12 hours before shipping he contact me telling me that was difficult to demonstrate that was a retutned good and UPS would put for sure some taxes. Nice things to say few hours before shipping eh? These issues wasn't clear before?
James tomorrow i will tell you how much taxes i will pay.

 

Thank you, sorry to hear to about their service.

If you want to buy the laptop either from pricejapan or conics (not using paypal) first you have to send them the money directly through a bank account transfer and then just wait until it arrives ? Sounds kind of risky.

 

Anybody heard from Pricejapan yet about end of July orders??

 

yeah, thanks exetlaios, sorry to hear. Thanks for sharing your experiences.