[ The PC Guide | The PC Buyer's Guide | Understanding PC Sources, Vendors and Prices | Vendor Evaluation Factors ]

Pricing, Selection and Stock

Price and selection are two of the most important factors for selecting a vendor or manufacturer. While intangibles such as service and support are certainly important--and I emphasize them because they are normally under-emphasized--they usually don't compensate adequately for a company that has horrible pricing, or never has anything in stock!

In this section I discuss some of the basic evaluation factors related to the pricing provided by companies, including some of the more esoteric nuances of pricing that exist in the online world. I also look at selection and inventory issues, including how companies deal with being out of inventory. Finally, I explain two important policies increasingly being used in the market today: price matching and price protection.

Note: Also see the section discussing factors that affect pricing. Some of these can dramatically change the picture when comparing two vendors.

Next: General Pricing

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