Argh!
So I have been looking at desks over the last few weeks. A desk is the last item on my "Furniture I'd like..." list - after that, there's vague ideas but nothing tangible.
Googled for random sellers of desks this evening.
Found one company that seemed to have a decent selection... Saw one I liked, more expensive than I'd have liked (just under £200), and a bit bigger than I'd been thinking... But looked good. Primarily, I want my computer and all its bits to be able to sit neatly on it. After that, is the storage issue. I don't want bloody shelves all over the place. My desk is untidy enough as it is, without having extra surfaces to be all untidy over. But the desk that caught my eye had drawers on one side, and a cupboard (including space for computer - nice and tidy in there) on the right, and a slidey drawer thing for the printer and for the keyboard.
Ok, so, it was a bit bigger... But more storage will be useful... Thought about it, Googled some more, continued to be tempted... Realised that £200 price didn't include delivery. Add ten percent. Oh... and then add the VAT. Another 17.5%. Ok, much less sure now. Much more Googling and looking around.
Much repeated measuring of random directions in my room and hmmming and looking thoughtful.
Realise that I keep coming back to it, and I'm clearly probably (hmm, clearly probably? :) ) keen on it, so, I eventually decide to go get my wallet.
"Oh," I think, "I'll just Google the company, see what comes up."
Bollocks. That was a mistake ;) Ok, well, it probably wasn't, but still :)
"This company," writes one reviewer, "is what barge poles were invented for."
Another: "I am extremely disappointed..."
Another: "I ordered a desk... after three weeks, e-mailed them... they said I had already received the desk two weeks ago... funny that, as I don't remember taking it."
Another: "Really bad at customer care, shoddy communications, and delivery times don't tally with what they promised."
Bugger it! :)
Now, normally I know that with random web reviews you can expect bad things... But "Average ratings from 41 reviews" - "Quality of service 0/10".
GAAAAAAAH! :)
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Whatever you decide, make sure the desk IS tangible, otherwise it could be disastrous!
ReplyDeleteZeb.
You could always have a look for second hand ones?
ReplyDeleteY'd be supprised what you can find in the classifieds...
You could also have a lookee on EBay - do an Advanced Search and specify within x miles of where you live. I did it just now for within 25 miles of where you live and over 370 hits came up. You'd have to pay for delivery, but you never know, you might get a bargain.
ReplyDeleteZeb.
At least with a second hand desk you'll know it was built to last, if it lasted this long.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't go for second hand as i usually want something quite specific if i'm looking for an item of furniture.
ReplyDeleteNot sure where i'd look for a desk though, sorry to be quite so unhelpful :)
Some of us don't have the luxury of being able to buy everything new! Second-hand rocks IMO!!
ReplyDelete(and second-hand desks too ;o) )
Zeb.
I think there's much to be said for both approaches. My desk is second hand and I wouldn't move house without it. It's made from solid wood and while it's been mine for 13 years, it's seen a friend through her degree and Yummy Mummy through her PhD.
ReplyDeleteI've recently forked out an amazing amount of money for a new leather sofa (it had to be leather because of the puddy tat).
I think the most important thing is to know what you want and be realistic about your budget.
After Ing mentioned 2nd hand, I did think to consider eBay.
ReplyDeleteAfter seeing some of the "workstation" style that is available, rather than just plain "desk", I suspect finding something I liked 2nd hand would be tricky.
As the last item on my "I want" list of furniture, I don't mind spending a bit to get the right thing - I would rather pay a bit more and get something I like, than pay a bit less and get something I'm not sure about.
I did used to like 2nd hand stuff in general, but I must admit that I seem to have gone a li'l bit "snobbish" in such regards over recent years :)
I think so long as I can find an item that meets my expectations of value (cost vs. quality), then I am happy, and that value works to a sliding scale considering what it is that I am after :)
(The more I want it, the more I will be willing to pay for better quality / meeting my requirements - the less I want it... meh :) )
I do need to get this desk bought and then start really paying attention to what I spend though.
Having not done so in a few months, it's really time I began doing so ;)
"snobbish"?? More money than sense, you mean? ;o)
ReplyDeleteShoes, undies/sox, beds, upholstered furniture, carpets and hats are about the only things we always buy new (for hygiene reasons). We bought this PC etc new as well (with redundancy money)as it was for the business and needed to be reliable.
Proper desks *do* come up on EBay from time to time - it depends on whether one of those times happens to be when you're looking.
I think the last time we bought a desk, it was either through an ad in the local paper, or from a furniture auction in town. Do you have any auction rooms where you live? You can pick up some great bargains.
Zeb.
You know, I once remarked of a friend, a little harshly I admit, "He's got more money than sense. And he doesn't have a lot of money." ;)
ReplyDeleteStrangely enough, my current desk was made by Mrs M's Dad, and the desk/cupboard/shelves I had before that was made by my Dad, so I've never actually chosen one before.
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ReplyDeleteYou've been spammed!
ReplyDeleteAhhh, so getting a new desk isn't just about getting a new desk, it's about a cry for autonomy and independence, yes? ;o)
ReplyDeleteZeb.
Interestingly, regarding those spam ones, they appear to be made manually by people recently.
ReplyDeleteSince the Blogger updates several months ago, I've not had any "real" spam comments (time was before, I'd get stung by like 90 in a single hit)
I assume that with people doing it, it works around the image verification that most people have turned on.
To those who have the verification turned on, how much of a problem did you have with spam prior to turning on the verification, and to what degree was it reduced?
"Some of us don't have the luxury of being able to buy everything new!"
ReplyDeleteI don't think i said "everything", did i say "everything"?
It isn't always a luxury to buy something new, often times it's as a result of hard savings and necessity.