Conics or PriceJapan

The final result has already been posted, PhilFlow:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=2280082#post2280082

I think I will stick with Conics for future purchases. Brett always lets me nag him on Skype.

 

Maybe I was not clear, I know how they handled it in the end,

what I meant was i wondered why he never got replies, since they seem so accurate with replying to me, every single time.

 

Nanaki, I have PMed you, check the mail

Conics seems sweat!, but did you guys realized that I've paid quite a lot for TZ ? its was about 2800USD. All I did was 2GB + 32GB/160GB + small-battery.... (and plus some Eng-keyboard, minor ones)

 

My experience with PJ has been somewhat mixed. Initially when I was inquiring about a price quote for the tz90 they were prompt in responding to my emails. I placed my order on July 11 and sent them money via Paypal. I didn’t receive an acknowledgement of my money transfer until I emailed them, in which they replied that they have received the money and to expect delivery within 15-20 days. So I waited patiently for 15-20 days and resisted the urge to check if it was delivered any earlier. On July 31, I emailed them just to get an update and they said Sony informed them it will be delayed till Aug 3. I know the delay is probably due to increased demand and Sony's inability to meet it. So up to this point, my experience with PJ has been positive.

However, assuming that Sony came through on its promise and delivered on Aug 3, I thought I would be receiving the notebook sometime this week or at least getting a shipping confirmation. This week has come and gone and still no sign of my tz90. Repeated emails to PJ inquiring about shipping status and DHL tracking number have gone unanswered this week. Does anyone know how long it should take them to ship from Japan to US? Hopefully they didn’t forget place to the order…like the other incident. I'll update when I hear from them but as of now my opinion of PJ is decreasing.

 

I would say no more than 3 days.

I don't think PJ have the best system for keeping track of orders and their status. But, everything should be fine.

 

I have been checking my email quite excessively, but still no reply. If they forgot to place the order I definitely dont think I can wait another few weeks =/ Hopefully I hear from them soon.

 

Ai, I thought the other order was the only incident. Now there may be two.

I hope everything works out for you MP. Keep us updated plz.

 

maybe price japan has so many customers that its hard for them to keep track of all emails daily? Conics seems to me a smaller company and feels like they can answer personal emails quicker and more efficiently. (I know it should be the other way around and that price japan should answer more because its bigger company with more people.) Maybe conics is just more dedicated with Brett being more dedicated.

As for my experience 2 weeks before ordering from conics, I checked around price japan and conics web site to see which one I'd like to choose from to order. And after asking a question via email to conics and price japan, I still have not received my email from price japan and its now 4 weeks but conics answered my email the next day and updated me so far step by step (3 times so far) about my status on my order. Once the payment went through the same day, they sent me an email saying that they placed my order and thus sony's status on my order is "last half of august". and then 3 days later another update came from conics stating that my order would take 1 extra week longer than expected because of the obon festivals.

 

Well to follow up, PJ finally got back to me and informed me that they ordered the incorrect specs. They offered to

1) Refund my money + $100 to compensate
2) Immediately ship me the tz90 configured with the default specs listed on their webpage
3) Have the correct specs ordered, wait another 15-20 days, and they will throw in the leather case

Since the only differences between my personal specs and the defaults were the color (black vs carbon fiber), memory size (1gb vs 2gb), and the fingerprint reader, I opted to take immediate delivery.

So I guess my suspicions were correct that something was wrong with my order. I applaud them for acknowledging their mistake and giving me a number of options and I do feel that they properly compensated me.

Hopefully this was an isolated incident and by next week I'll have my TZ90!

 

They offered my colleague the same options (not getting the default spec immediately though). He ordered one day before you (July 10).

I think it is fair to say that this is not an isolated case as a similar thing happened to him. They ordered incorrect specs for you. In his case, they never ordered it.

It seems I was right about PriceJapan sometimes not being able to cope with the amount of customers. It also seems that their "ordering system" (or maybe lack thereof) is less than adequate. I think it is alarming that the same pattern was apparent in your case, i.e. not responding to e-mails until the very last minute only to disclose the bad news. Had they reacted earlier, you might have been able to get your exact spec earlier than 15-20 days from now.

In any case, I hope everything turns out fine and wish you good times with the TZ when you get it.

 

either way I want my tz now!!!

 

one week gone by so far.. now only 2 more weeks...

 

did anyone try buying VOS at Price Japan?

PJ website:

 

VOS cost is under 6000 Yen, which is about $45-50 US. If they are going to charge you $90, then they would want to do it. That's a nice profit margin.

 

Can we order VOS ourselves?

 

If you can call them, speak in Japanese, have a CC handy and a Japanese mailing address for them to sent you for VOS sticker and information too.

Granted, a price of $US90 is not too bad, considering they have to spend time calling and organising, and, if they ship your notebook first, there's the additional postage cost of the VOS sticker, etc.

 

Here how good is Brett from Conics:

"Hi there,

the recovery image we made for your PC has been lost (it was on a USB hard disk that has died)

now it's not possible for us to make a custom image for your computer without having your PC back here.

so I would like to refund the money you have paid for that.

I could offer a generic recovery image for free...
however if you need to use this you will need to change the product key to the one you have everytime you restore the PC, you will need to email us, as it will need to be activated with Microsoft over the telephone, and maybe quite difficult for you to do... so we would need to talk you through it over the phone as you do it (we can call you if you specify a time / day).

what I recommend is:
#1 we refund you for the image DVD
#2 you purchase TrueImage 10
#3 we send you the generic image on DVD
#4 we talk you through the recovery and activation using TrueImage
#5 we talk you through the backup process using TrueImage so you can make the image yourself

let me know if you have any Qs or suggestions

regards,
-Brett"

Great!! Ant suggestions guys? Is it important the recovery DVD image?

 

You don't really need an image, but it would come in handy if you ever have any issues.

To use the image they give, they state this on their website: Note: to use our TI recovery image DVD you will need "Acronis True Image Home version 10". If you need TI to use the image anyway, then you should let them run you through the process of creating an image. You end up saving on the cost of the image, and you learn how to make future images as well.

 

I fear he can't do that because Conics has already deleted the (japanese) recovery partition on his TZ.

Normally there are two partitions on your TZ90:

- one primary partition (with Japanese Vista) which will be created out of the recovery partition the first time you boot your TZ

- and the recovery partition itself which will remain unchanged on the hard drive as a second and hidden partition.

I think Conics has deleted both partitions and created one new partition with English Vista... not so good in my opinion. I would leave the choice if the Japanese recovery partition should be deleted to the customer. I would only delete the first partition with Japanese Vista and leave the second partition (Recovery) untouched.

It is said that Sony Japan will only accept notebooks for warranty issues which have Japanese Vista or at least a valid Japanese vista recovery partition (so Sony Japan can restore a Japanese Vista out of the recovery partition). Notebooks with English Vista and no Japanese recovery partition won't be accepted.


@exetlaios:

I don't understand why you should buy additional software to redeem their mistake (Acronis TrueImage 10 isn't that cheap at all)?

You have paid good money for an image of the Japanese recovery partition of your TZ! If you have to do this work now (work you have paid for) they should grant you the necessary software for free... and an appropriate refund for the time you will have to spent as well.

 

That's my point Mr.Bonk.
I already sent him an e-mail asking exactly the same questions you did. I should pay for the additonal software because they lost my recovery DVD? No way!

@ Nanaki.
You need the Acronis software when you want to do on your own the recovery dvd. But, in my case they made a recoery image dvd but they lost it! I purchase it together with the TZ so it is their responsability to send a generic image dvd and the software.

 

Hello,

please fee free to call me or chat via skype to discuss this or any other matter.

sometimes it's quicker to reply via voice if we have a backlog of current orders to process.

[if you are wanting an order update via email, please reply to one of our emails if possible so we can get to you first]

(I don't want to sound rude, but we try to satsify paid customers first)

regards,
-Brett
--------------------------------------
skype: conicsnet
--------------------------------------

 

I would like to call you, please send me an email with a time and date I can reach you.

regards,
-Brett

 

actually this is not true...

they will take a PC even in Linux

so basically do what you like to the software, the warranty covers hardware.

regards,
-Brett
--------------------------------------
skype: conicsnet
--------------------------------------

 

good to know =D and that's what I thought as well =) ... and thus the obon festivals begin....

 

Date Ordered: Thursday 02 August, 2007

The comments for your order are

Hi Yong,

your PC has arrived this evening, we should be able to ship within the
next few days.

update soon with tracking

regards,
-Brett
--------------------------------------
skype: SARUTEK
Japan: +81 90 6653 0557

CHAAA CHINGG!!! =D

 

Congrats. Now you can only whinge about not having your laptop for a few more days.

 

Great to see you posting here Brett.

Although I never ordered from you, I can only give you praise for your fast and professional replies to my inquiries.

 

I would also like to praise Brett for super fast delivery and quick responses, my TZ90 only took 3 days to reach the UK and that was by EMS

Mark

 

hmm.. hopefully the ems shipping will get to me in 3 days... hmm to the uk it took 3 days maybe 3 days to the united states as well?

 

EMS for me (east coast us) was shipped from Japan on Friday and I receoved it on Sunday.

 

wow that's fast!! hopefully I'll get it in 2 days but then your in the east coast... I'm in the central time zone in texas so maybe 1 more day 2+1=3.. that would be awesome. So tuesday they'll ship it japan time and friday japan time should arrive here in the united states but then that should be thursday usa time =D please please god!!! please lord!! i've looked at this tz online for so many hours and hours and I just want it in my hands!! I'm just soo curious what this laptop looks like in person as well!! Hope it doesnt disappoint!!

 

wait avalpert.. so they do deliver in the weekend?? I thought the usps dont deliver on sat. and sun.?? I hope so because no one will be home... and rather receive it on monday.

 

You could always ask for it to be shipped later?

 

Brett was great and responded like 1 minute in between 3 emails in a row and it was japan time 4:00am!! Anyways he said it usually takes 2-3 days and usually 3 days in most cases and if no ones home to sign for the package it will go to the usps and I can just pick it up there.. I guess if on saturday I missed the package, I can just go pick it up on sunday morning if its open.. But hopefully it will reach me on thursday or friday. I'm betting my money on friday I will receive it.

 

And when you get it, you'll annoy us even more. Sigh....calm down jeez.


I finally saw it in person in Sonystyle in NYC, I'm vacationing there, wasn't on display anywhere in Houston. The screen is incredible, even better than a TX right next to it, perfect color reproduction, the other Vaios and even the TX model's colors looked bleh in comparison.

And when I had a TX, it blew away the other laptop screens I compared it to. So it really has a jawdropping screen, once you look at it, you almost can't look at another screen. Its so bright, crisp and brilliant color saturation. I could barely get my hands on one, everybody was wanting to try it.

But I do like the TX's keyboard more than the TZs however. Plus, the fingerprint reader really shouldn't be between the two mouse buttons, while normally using it, I sometimes hit it by mistake and got the authenication error.

 

If the keyboard is anything like the macbooks I'm all up for it. I love the macbook's keyboard and the new imac keyboard (ordered one and got it today).

 

I figure i'll chime in here as I ordered from conics a few years back.

I ordered a Libretto L5. I sent Brett a bank wire, which took about 2-3 days to clear. He then obtained the machine and shipped it out via USPS Global Priority. It seemed to set in a customs office for a few days before finally being shipped overseas. Once it arrived in the states it went through US customs quite quickly. I didn't have to pay any import taxes, and the postman actually made a second trip out to my house the afternoon that it had arrived (he already delivered our regular mail for that day)

The machine ran well (well as good as a Crusoe processor could run...) and didn't have any issues and didn't appear to be opened either. I didn't request an English OS so everything was just the stock Japanese setup. Anyways I can definitely recommend conics and I am glad to see that they have been in operation for a few years now.

 

Yes, killer screen. Now you know why I had to return the Dell M1330, no contest. And you can turn the fingerprint reader off.

I love the keyboard feel, and it looks cooler too.

 

I didn't think USPS delivered on Sundays either but apparantly for EPS shipping they do

 

so the delivery options from conics and price japan are ems and not eps right? So they dont deliver on sat. and sun?? or...?? i'm just very confused now can anyone clear this if ems delivery is delivered by usps on sat or sun or will they just wait till monday to do so?

 

Also when you receive mail from ems, do you have to sign to receive?

 

My experience with PriceJapan has been very good.
Order date: 7th of august
Left Tokyo: 13th of august
Arrived at DHL Amsterdam: 14th august
Delivered to my house: 15th of august

Expected delivery was 29th august.

And now, it's playtime!

 

philflow, congrats. you're one of the lucky ones..
it takes about 4~5 days to order from US sonystyle and deliver to US address.
you only took 8 days...tokyo to amsterdam..WOW

 

thanks man. yeah this is so fast i even wondered if it is really my order. but everything seemsto be perfect so i guess it is.

 

PhilFlow,

You are lucky because I ordered the same time as you from Pricejapan and my notebook hasn't shipped yet.

It is still being built according to pricejapan. They said it was because of my specs. The only difference between yours and mine was the dvd drive and the 1 gb ram.

 

Yeah I think yours is on normal schedule. I propably got lucky that someone canceled a similar config, otherwise I can not explain a production time of 3 days.

 

Mine was ordered on the 2nd of August and arrived at Conics on the 13th. I believe both PJ and Conics received a number of notebooks on the 13th, so I am glad they worked hard to get some extra orders ready before their break.

 

mine was ordered on the 2nd of august as well and its been shipped yesterday =D hopefully I will receive it by friday usa time

 

You people are killing me! I ordered (from Dynamism) on July 24 and still have not received it. I was contemplating the Conics route. Maybe I should have gone with them.

 

You might receive it around the same time we do, maybe its because pricejapan and conics is in japan and thus receiving their bulk of machines quicker but takes 3-4 days for the us customers to receive their machine after they ship because its far. But dynamsim is located in the united states and thus have to wait a for the bulk of shipment that's from japan which is still far away and takes more time to receive but will only take 1 day to ship to the us customers once they receive it. So it could be about the same time you will get it when I do.