Is it safe to buy a monitor online?

[ray1583]

I have been told by a good bit of people NEVER buy the monitor online. Buying parts and the like is perfectly fine, but when if comes to the monitor no. The odds of it showing up broken or damaged are very high. I am currently trying to build my 1st PC and all that's left to order is a monitor, & power supply. I would just go and find one I like at a store, but I am disabled and not really able to leave the house, that's why I wanted to ask. I get their is risk in shopping online period, and having things shipped. But is it worse for shipping monitors, if something does happen are the companies good at standing behind the product/customer. Is it safe to order a monitor online? or should I say away like I was told.

Thank You for helping with this I really do appreciate it
Ray

 

[vesp3r]

and whats the guarantee that other parts wont be damaged during the shipping?
My advice - order if you find a good one. If it turns out to be broken you can always return it

 

[Chicken-Select]

I've ordered 2 monitors and one pretty big TV in my time and not one has ever been damaged in shipping. If you buy from well known and trusted sellers you should have absolutely no problem getting a refund or a replacement in the event of shipping damage. Sites like Newegg, NCIX, Amazon, Tiger Direct, BestBuy come to mind in terms of trusted and well know.

 

[ray1583]

and whats the guarantee that other parts wont be damaged during the shipping?
My advice - order if you find a good one. If it turns out to be broken you can always return it

Thank You vesp3r that's what I kind if thought as well. But this being my 1st PC I really don't know much, and the amount of people that said never do it had me spooked about buying online. So I thought I would ask because if anyone would know it's you all this forum has helped me immensely. So Thank You

 

[ray1583]

I've ordered 2 monitors and one pretty big TV in my time and not one has ever been damaged in shipping. If you buy from well known and trusted sellers you should have absolutely no problem getting a refund or a replacement in the event of shipping damage. Sites like Newegg, NCIX, Amazon, Tiger Direct, BestBuy come to mind in terms of trusted and well know.

Ok great that helps a lot. Thank You

 

[kyzarvs]

I've ordered several hundred for my business over the last few years. I don't think I've ever had a shipping issue. Dead pixels are the same risk as buying in a store (you don't unwrap and test instore before leaving?) unless you pay extra for a 0 dead pixels service and any warranty issues are easily handled as long as you use a reputable supplier. In particular, the Iiyama's I've returned in the past have been extremely easy to RMA.

 

[dhvd79a]

Simple. The people saying never buy a monitor on-line are M.S.U.
(Making S$%^up).

Not only have I purchased several LED/LCD monitors online in earlier years I purchased CRTs online. Never had a problem but if I did it would have been replaced by the vendor or shipping company.

 

[spagalicious]

Well, I for one would avoid buying a monitor online if you are picky about quality. IPS panels with excessive glow/light bleed or a panel with dead pixels can be a hassle to pack up and return. There is something to be gained by buying locally. Especially if you have a microcenter nearby, they have a no questions asked 30-day return policy. I recently purchased an open box panel from my local microcenter for $420 but the monitor had bad pixels. Loved the panel so I took it back to the store to buy a new one but the new price had gone up to $599! However the manager not only lowered the price, she marked the brand new panel down to $420 and apologized for me having to come back up to return the panel.

This is something you will not experience at any online retailer. Want to return the panel because you don't like/changed your mind? 15% restocking fee and you have to wait 3-5 business AFTER they process your return to get your money back. Not to mention, you can see the panel you are looking to buy firsthand in a store. No amount of articles/videos/reviews can help you to make a monitor decision like seeing it in person can.

That said, no. There isn't a 'risk' involved in buying online. If the panel is bad or damaged, you will always get a full refund. Do not hesitate to buy a monitor online, especially if it is difficult for you to leave the house.