"I have 20+ reviews in RR and never before have I written a bad review on a company (especially not on one with high ratings)
I believe Monarch's high ratings on RR does not reflect the actual company quality, this is due to various tricks used by MCS, such as:
1. Sending all customers to vote on RR (so many successful small transactions are registered)
2. Filtering of non-complimenting reviews
3. Offering trades for good review postings
Not that any of this is horribly bad, in-fact if you are buying a single item from MCS you are probably getting a good deal.
However if you are buying a COMPLETE SYSTEM from MCS, you BETTER READ this review and save yourself some trouble! I fell into this trap and read the numerical rating w/o looking into reviews of people that actually got a full system from MCS. The complaints seem to be inline:
1. The machine took 22 business days to build (over a month!) rather than promised 8-13 business days.
2. The machine was shipped defective to me (was not damaged by FedEx, no broken parts inside, outside box was flawless). MCS told me it was "overlooked", yeah right.
3. There was no attempt to investigate the problem, compensate me on my lost time etc.
4. Replacement parts are shipped only if charged back to my CC (YOU damaged those parts, not me!) and took a week to get to me.
5. The refund on the card took two (2) weeks from the time of package reception!
6. Contacting service department is a hassle; emails are left unanswered or answered in haste without real investigation or attempt to help (I have to mention that sales was actually courteous and easy to work with)
7. Order progress notification and shipping notification is bad (basically non-existent) you have to log into the website and there is not enough information there.
Bottom line (in case you found my babbling too long :)
+ (good): prices, product quality, all accessories are shipped, working with FedEx
~ (could be better): website, product description, order notifications
- (bad): customer service, shipping, return policy, delays, dismissive staff
I would regretfully say that MCS are not consumer focused at all, valuing business customers over individuals and giving very little credit to customers. In that respect you will get better service from Dell, Circuit-City or any of the “lower rated” businesses.
I highly suggest that you buy your computer system from a different vendor and save yourself some headache; it is not worth the delays and the small difference in price.
"
"I ordered a xfx 6800 vid card and when packaged arrived the box it came in is not what you find when you look on internet for that model number. I contacted them about their 2 day shipping that i was supposed to get. Placed order on the 22nd they didnt send it till the 25th then had to wait till monday 29th to get it.And i had to drive to the FEDEX building to get it since i do have a job and work during the day and they require you to show id when u pick up your package. I emailed them about shipping and they did reply but said since it fell over weekend it was FEDEX fault. Then i emailed them about the box not looking like the ones on the internet and came home checked email and got no reply. I have to say with an attitude like that they wont keep their customers. People appreciate and expect a reply when they have a question about their money or order. Thats the least a company can do is send a reply. I feel as though i got a generic package with no demo disks that come in other websites package and like i said the box was not a big X package like others.######just an update ,i have sent these prics at least 5 emails and i did not get even 1 reply since packaged arrived.##### thats what kind of company these guys are.**UPDATE** In repsonse to their reply on this site.... Do you people really believe that i would ignore them after i have been trying to contact them since August 22 ? Come on get real. I have finally received a reply from RMA dept and two from customer service but they dont acknowledge what you say in your email. The RMA keeps asking me why i want to return it (i answer) same as on this site for misleading advertising, and the customer service rep blames it on XFX for changing the package to a generic box. It took them untill 9/6/05 to reply to this site so that should tell you something. Just read some of the people's negative comments on here. Cant get answers,refunds,replies to their emails etc. So dont think that it's me. I had nothing against this company untill i saw how they respond. And then i had the chance to compare them to NEWEGG since they contacted me right away to find out why i was so upset. I just wont buy from these idiots anymore very simple. But i dont like it when they put false information up on a public website like this. They say they tried to have XFX even contact me . Yeah ok. WHERE AND WHEN ? they claim to have tried to contact me and Verizon can vouch that i have had the same number since i got a cell and my address was same in NJ for 11 years, so it proves they are totally misleading."
"purchased custom AMD 64x2 system with three year 24/7 support."
"Great product a Geforce 6800. Best price on the market. Fast shipping. Will do buisness again."
"I just had a delightful experience with Monarch Computers. To be specific, it was an employee that made my day. A gentleman at Monarch who works in Order Status was extremely professional and considerate and POLITE. I love great customer service as I have worked in customer service for over 20 years. You can tell when someone is just earning his hourly wage or if he is truly compassionate and cares about his company and his product... Kudos on a job very well done. Definitely I will be back Michael Trimble"
"i was only contacted AFTER i posted this review..dont be mislead by monarchs reply
very poor email and phone customer service. many emails went unanswered and I will not do business at monarch again.
"
"had some trouble with my computer and had to rma it, monarch fixed the problem and even installed some extra parts free of charge.
if you have a problem they really do want it solved as much as you do. highly recomended."
"Order for Corsair RAM was received when expected, although the Monarch order took a day longer than two other e-tailers took (all three orders were submitted at the same time), I have no complaints. Would use them again."
"Monarch Computer Systems didn't quite live up to its promises, but ultimatly won me over.
The online status system didn't update and the e-mail queries went unanswered. I had to call them for status reports which was much more useful.
The computer was finished late, but Monarch upgraded the delivery to 3 day so that was o.k..
My computer arrived boxed in an unsealed plastic bag with packing popcorn all over the case (some slivers managed to get inside case). It was also slightly damaged with 2 rubber "feet" torn off the base. I searched the packing popcorn for them but failed (later I found 'em in the extras box indicating it was damaged BEFORE SHIPPING!). I'm not sure if I should rip off the other two feet, or find some way to glue the torn ones back on...
Monarch failed to send me a power cord for the computer; luckily I have an extra.
Monarch promises up-to-date drivers, BIOS, and software on its website, but they were out of date by well over a month; included with the computer is a sheet of paper with a disclaimer saying that Monarch doesn't necessarily load updated software if there are compatibility issues. I updated everything without any obvious problems.
Monarch loaded my computer with McAfee Security Center, which I didn't order. While I should be glad for the "bonus", McAfee is a poorly performing SYSTEM HOG that is hard to update and a pain to uninstall.
I'm not going to try and return this computer since it works fine, and is basically what I ordered.
ADDENDUM:
Shortly after submitting these comments, a rep from Monarch Computer Systems called and made a very generous offer for compensation. I've edited my post (without removing the facts) and slightly altered my rating."
"I'm very pleased with my custom built Monarch Furia Athlon64 3500+ system. Both salesman and tech seemed knowledgable and very interested to please. Computer arrived about 4 wks after ordering, complete with manuals, discs, and extra supportive hardware. Would certainly buy from Monarch again."
"I am A+ certified and work with industrial computers for a living. When replacing my failing home computer wanted to purchase an expensive customized system. Monarch Computer Inc and I worked together to resolve several compatibility issues until the system worked perfectly. The build and checkout they performed saved me days of headaches and weeks of waiting for RMA’s. I wanted a custom computer built right the first time and with the number of choices in the industry Monarch is the clear leader. "
"easy to order, received order quickly, but packaging was bad. merchadise was damaged, and customer service has been horrible. received a defective part to replace defective part, am still waiting for a good part 22 days later. i'll let you know how it turns out"
"I placed an order for a new top of the line pc at the end of June, after some worrying periods of non communication it shipped to me. Arrived doa and with wrong parts fitted, RMA'd it and waited. I worried and honestly started to get impatient when a tech @ Monarch by the name of Kevin contacted me and said that he would make sure things got handled. I told him im leaving it in his hands....and sure enough he delivered. There are some communication problems with Monarch but it seems they have passed and it is 1 guy that has reinstilled my faith in the company. The PC works flawlessly and im glad to say that although a little trying at times overall I will buy from then again. Its the way a company handles complaints, errors & such that shows the character and integrity of a business and Monarch's customer service was no exception. I highly recommend them and if you have any problems, then as long as they have Kevin in CS you'll be ok :)"
"At the time, they had the best price on pricegrabber that wasn't a shady store. The case arrived dented on one side, but the packing in the case protected the case very well. The shipping was fast and the processing was quick. Would do business with them again, however, the price dropped $40 a week after I ordered."
"Ontime delivery, parts are always correct and never needed to deal with customer support. A+ all the way and more than dependable enough for our large business IT department."