"Purchased custom system 02/22/06.

System has been in phase 2 of production for 8+ business days (when they state it should take "1 or more days"). I emailed as to why this is so, but no reply.

They initially said system should ship around 03/15/06. Now either they don't update the online status, or they're going to be very late (there are 7 stages of production).

Either way, least they could do is return an email. Regarding communication, very dissatisfied so far.
"

"They ran a great deal on dual core opterons, so I picked one up. I was very weary about my decision after reading some of the horror stories, but they are either false or Monarch really cleaned up their act. My order was placed Saturday and shipped Monday morning. VERY prompt. The customer service through e-mail isn't too hot, but other than that I have nothing but good things to say about these guys."

"--update--
A representative form monarch called me, explained the delay, and then upgraded my order to overnight shipping so that it would arrive on time. I was originally upset over it taking so long to ship, but monarch really bent over backwards to make it right. I should also point out that they did this before my original review posted, so it was not just in response to bad feedback. My order arrived as promised, very well packed, and works perfectly. The only suggestion I have at this point is that they try to improve their stock tracking system. When someone places an order on an in-stock item, they expect it to be in the warehouse- not in the manufacturer's. If you are purchasing an item on a deadline you may want to call and verify that it's actually in stock. Otherwise I'm quite happy with monarch's customer service and will probably do business again.
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I ordered an x1900xt video card on 2/16 for a custom pc I am building for a client. This build must be completed by 2/23, so I selected 2 day shipping. I became concerned when I had not received a shipping notification by 2/20, so I used their e-mail form to request a status update. I informed them that I would need to cancel my order and find another vendor if it did not ship immediately. I received a response assuring me that the card would ship on 2/21 and arrive by 2/23. It is now the evening of 2/21 and I have not received a shipping notification and the status page still show my order as "processing." I submitted another status request but have not heard back yet. I can only assume that my order did not ship out as promised. From looking at other reviews on this site, it seems Monarch does care about their reputation and responds to reviews, so I am hoping someone will read this and try to make it right. I will withhold judgement for now and hope for the best."

"I placed an order from their website on 2/16/06. All items I ordered (Video card, processor, and power supply) showed as in stock and ready to ship within 1-2 days. After the third business day and no shipping confirmation, I called them to make sure everything with my order is alright. The person I talked to told me that the video card for my order wouldn't be available for a couple days and their next shipment of processors for my order wouldn't be there until maybe the first week of March, nearly 3 weeks after my order.
The video card had a rebate for it that would have been void if not sent within 15 days of purchase date. So I would have missed that deadline because Monarch didn't notify me that the item I ordered, which was supposedly in stock and ready to ship, was not in stock for my order.

This was my first ordering experience with Monarch Computer and probably my last."

"Great source for computer hardware and finished computer systems. Highly recommended, top noch on line computer needs store."

"Three years ago after doing massive online research for the purchase of my new computer, I chose Monarch Computer Systems. They built me a custom system and worked with my needs. Their tech support team has always been hugely patient and supportive. I cannot see ever going elsewhere for another computer (except for when I ultimately add a Mac to my network) for as long as I have computers in my life. The prices cannot be beaten, and warranties and support is top notch. Anyone's dollar is best spent here. It will not be a waste because Monarch's team makes sure of it."

"I Ordered a Geforce 7800GS PCI-E from this company, and opted for the next day air shipping, the page for this card was listed in stock and normally ships within 1-2 days, at the end of business on the second day I attempted to call to get the status of the order, and the person on the phone told me I shouldnt call for order status and I should email them at the address on my invoice.
I was already frustrated I paid more for shipping and it hadnt been shipped but I was brushed off so abruptly I cancelled my order. The charge to my card was not cancelled, and it didnt occur to give a refund to my card until today when I called for the status of the refund, which I am promised it will be sent through tonite, (Monday)

I called them today and spoke with Brian, He tells me that thier policy is that it takes 10-15 days to process a return.. (Gee it only takes 1-2 days to process a purchase) so I look at thier long list of terms that basically says we can do anything we want and you cant complain. One of the lines say they only process returns once a week, and it will be returned to your card in 10-15 days and will be credited to your card in one billing cycle. This means they can keep your money for 30 days at least without any recourse on your part. Yet on the same terms if I owed them money for more than 30days they would charge me 1.5% interest.

They do have an 800 number which always has someone answer the phone instead of a phone system, so I plan to call Every day I dont have the money in my account to make sure they dont forget.

If you like to be treated like you are not worthy to be a customer of thiers, or have money you dont wanna see for 30 days give it to them, I am having them added from the restricted Stores list at my place of employment to keep anyone in the University from making the same mistake I did and order from this company."

"I ordered a video card with my credit card on friday (2/17). Within minutes, I got an email from them saying that they need to verify the addresses. I received an email from them today (2/20) stating that they cannot verify the shipping address with my card company. I checked my credit card online and low and behold, they charge has been authorized. Now I have shipped to this address many times before and there has not been a problem with it, and I even called the card company up to confirm. I have sent a reply back to Monarch, so we'll see what move they make.

EDIT: I just received a confirmation from FedEx about the product being shipped out and I will be receiving it on Friday. A few posts before, someone mentioned that the warehouse will take a few days to sort out the orders before shipping occurs, but they upgraded my shipping from 3 days to 2 days. Will do business with again!"

"monarch is a great company, especially in the enthusiast community. I would recommend these guys to anyone as they have great prices, great service, and great shipping. I have purchased 90% of my computer parts from these guys as of late and i dont see that trend changing. Good company, A+."

"I used Monarch Computer to order a fully customized desktop.. i believe this is their service that no other retailer can offer. They make it easy to select what kind of desktop you want [basic to advanced]. Once you select the processor, they provide a comprehensive list of off-the shelf retial parts that are fully compatible with your system. Then its up to you to add as much or as little as you want.

This is my second desktop and im really happy with their quality. They check the computer thoroughly before sending it to you ... and its perfect. you get the computer in a ready state ... ready for you to install everything you need on your pc [windows ready to go].

Their prices are competitive, so the only thing extra i paid was the minimal build and shipping fee. Im a computer enthusiast but i dont have the time or the propper knowledge to fully put together a computer. THis is where monarch comes in, they basically put all the parts that i see online... eliminating any hassle.

I've recommended monarch to 3 friends and each one has purchased a computer from monarch.

They are the only company i look to when i need a desktop or parts for the best price."

"I placed an order for a MB/CPU combo, but realized that I had chosen the wrong MB after ordering. So I sent an email to CANCEL the order minutes after I placed it. They do NOT have any way to cancel the order directly from the web site. They went ahead a charged my credit card anyway (the system does this automatically after you order, NOT when the item ships). I called the next day to confirm the cancel and the guy very rudely told me yes it was and that I would be credited in 10-15 business days and that I should have seen it on the web site and not wasted his time with such a phone call. I could NOT find that information on the web site even after I went back to look for it. 15 business days went by and still no refund. I sent them an email and asked why - they did not respond. I submitted a support request from their web site (now 3 weeks after the order) and they said I would be getting a refund, but would not tell me when. Bottom line: It over over 4 weeks - A FULL MONTH to get a refund for a $360 order that I placed and canceled within minutes of the order. So DO NOT order from these guys if you think you might make a mistake or change your mind. Your credit card will be charged instantly and you won't see the money back for a very long time. "

"Very fast shipping that was well packaged. They have some of the best prices and some of the best service. They also have certified technicians that will put together the parts you order from motherboard/cpu combos to whole computer systems to even servers. Can't ask for much more than that."

"I have absolutely no complaints about my order. The computer runs great and everything is exactly like I ordered it. There was a slight delay with shipping the computer due to high demand, but the wait was well worth it. The price of the computer was lower than anywhere else and the quality of the service was top notch. I can't ask for more, this company did an excellent job."

"My first sale with Monarch computers. I expected as their website said 1-2 day wait for processing then I purchased fed-ex 2 day shipping. I still have yet to see a change in the order status. I emailed for the status, and was told something was wrong with the inventory. All I hope is that I get my Processor before monday but I doubt that will happen at this point. I can understand a system to have await time, but not a single Processor that said was in stock. This will surely be my last sale with this company, I will be sure to save an extra penny to get stuff to my hands sooner. You get what you pay for obviously.

I finally recieved an Update on the status page. I purchased this order on the 12th. Status hadnt changed til the 18th. (site wait time was only 1-2 days, and still no notification"except for the email from Monarch about my review")

Fed ex tracking says tuesday by 7pm, I only hope thats true. Still waiting on my package....."

"I ordered a refurbished Maxtor SCSI drive from Monarch. I requested two of them. Monarch called me _less than two minutes_ after I submitted the order on their website to tell me that they only had one in stock and ask if it was ok to purchase one, which I agreed to. Despite the change in plans, my credit card was charged correctly, I received my item on scehdule, and I will do business with Monarch in the future without reservation."