Chaos Computers

[Faille]

Hi

I have been a customer of Chaos Computers for some time now. The system I purchased in September 2004 is still running smoothly, though a mp3 player I acquired from them has needed replacing 3 times :(

Their service was excellent at the beginning, but recently I have been hearing rumours of their standards dropping.

A friend of mine is planning to buy a new system for gaming purposes. He has a budget of +- R7500.

Is Chaos still dependable and should we consider them as a supplier?

We both live in Cape Town, Western Cape.

Thanks in advance guys
Faille

[daysleeper]

I've had great service both from chaos in Kentrige and Kenilworth. They went out of their way on two occasions for me to replace parts and so forth.

Another very good techie is Danie from Cafe Java. They are in Wynberg and in Durbanville.

Had great service from both of these folks.

Lanworld in N1 city is also great. They swop MSI products same day!

[ch4os]

i bought a pc from them +- R5000 for the lot and so far i have had no troubles except for the LCD that i got from them, if u take it out at the wall socket and put it back in again it stays off for a while but its no big problemo

[tibby.dude]

I buy all my stuff from Cafe Java in Claremont ... good pricing and they know their stuff.

[MaD]

Chaos is good, I recommend them to friends often.. I get my stuff from Rectron tho, never had a problem there but many ppl moan about them for some unknown reason.

[Kalvaer]

Chaos is good, I recommend them to friends often.. I get my stuff from Rectron tho, never had a problem there but many ppl moan about them for some unknown reason.The queue at dispatch.
Send out a pricelist this morning, and 5 min later.. They dont have stock.
Sell you the wrong memory, and then a techy tries to BS his way out of it, and gets caught lying after you go direct to the manufacture.
Report a broken vid card, takes three months for them to find the problem.. Then wont replace it since its 3 months old already, even though its been in their lab since the day you bought it. (try explain that to a client)

I'm sure there are many more.. However.. Still get most of my spares there, since the others can be worse

[killadoob]

also remember one thing is your mp3 player breaks 3 times it aint the computer shops fault

they dont make the stuff they just sell it, if they fixed or replaced without moaning or complaining then you know they are good

[mccrack]

I buy all my stuff from Cafe Java in Claremont ... good pricing and they know their stuff.

Hmmmf,

I've had ghastly service from Cafe Java, i'll never return.
I've also ensured that 2 of there regular internet users wont return
based on my experience.

Chaos has been good, have'nt had a bad experience barring waiting for about 20 mins to be helped in Kenilworth, in there defence they were quite busy that afternoon ;)

[photonman]

java cafe, vefa, chaos, lanworld, pryor computers, jaytech systems, mtec... are all good!!

ive dealt with them all and they all have given great service majority of the time!!!

only on a rare occasion or 2 are they full of $hit, but they make up for it

[flutterby]

Hi Chaos has slacked allot. They used to be the best. My friend also worked for them and apparantly the reason for their bad service is because they really treat their staff bad. He now workes for Just PC's in Montague Gardens. I purchased a computer from them in August and it is running very whell.

[photonman]

chaos's staff seem abit backward sometimes!

i went there looking to purchase some modding accesssories they advertised, but their staff knew nothing about it...all they could say was.."um, um"

[EchoDown]

Not to mention they SERIOUSLY need to update their website and/or get some NEW hardware.
Emphasis on NEW

[photonman]

they arent to bad - give them some credit!!!

1 shop which seems very hardcore is PC Gameworld!

tehy are thermaltake suppliers/resellers etc and they sell some hardcore pc's but their website is utterly and pathetically disgusting.

I dont know how they survive with that website!

just check it www.pcgameworld.co.za

[DarKWateR]

I must agree with flutterby....never really liked Chaos...Very unfriendly staff...and every time i go back to give them another go it seems there's new staff working there again....I take it the staff is unhappy there....probably the reason your friend left there flutterby...and i must also agree on the Just PC's point, they have managed to beat any quote I recieved from Chaos so far....

Echodown has got a point with the website...realllllly outdated.
www.justpcs.co.za looks much better

I'm not trying to diss Chaos but facts are facts...and it's the service u get at the end of the day that counts.....
Hey mayby i'm just straightforward....but forums are about opinions right.

[killadoob]

i just went to pc world wow that site is so doff lol looks like someone did it for free

AMD K64 3000 512K 800Fsb S939 *

MSI K8N Neo 2 Platinum, nForce3 Ultra, 8CH Audio, Dual Gb LAN, 1394

512 Ghz Mem (2x256Mb)400Mhz DDR *
17" L.G CRT BLACK Monitor *
L.G. 52x32x52x16 CDRW/DVD Combo
56k V90 PCI Modem / 1.44Mb Stiffy
80.0 Gig 7200RPM H/Drive *
ABIT ATI X600XT 128MB 16x PCI EXPRESS
ANTEC Superlanboy Alluminium Case+ANTEC 400W Quite Power Supply 2*
Logitech MX-510 Optical Mouse
Logitech Deluxe Keyboard
Labtec FX:1 Gaming Headset 2*

Cash Price: R8,599


5 Year Guarantee *

pcgamestore they say

what game in the next 2 years is gonna work well with 512 meg ram?

the largest pc they have has 512 meg ram!!!!


ok im sure you can add but when they using up 2 slots for 512 meg ram?

crazy i tell you

5 year gaurantee wow thats along time

[Ekhaatvensters]

The best prices in Cape Town are probably from Vefa, in Wynberg and Durbanville. Not shure about service though.. bought a "9600 vanilla" from them, the box was all in chinese and the card turned out to be clocked like a 9600 pro but overheated so i had to underclock it, still better than a 9600 but not what I really want to have to do when buying a card.
Also dont really like cafe Java, not the best prices either.

[mic_y]

they arent to bad - give them some credit!!!

1 shop which seems very hardcore is PC Gameworld!

tehy are thermaltake suppliers/resellers etc and they sell some hardcore pc's but their website is utterly and pathetically disgusting.

I dont know how they survive with that website!

just check it www.pcgameworld.co.za

Photonman, PCGameWorld is pretty good, but they are just Thermaltake resellers. They deal with Rectron, and its subsidiary Corex, who is Thermaltakes supplier...

[Ratwiz]

I have had very good experiences buying parts from Cafe Java Claremont. Good prices, service and helpful staff. Bought a Logitech Z5600 sound system from Chaos, they have reasonable prices and I was happy with them. Vefa I wouldn't reccommend though. Though they may be cheaper in some cases they are really dodge, ie: They usually sell the worser brands of components, I didn't find their service or professionality to be good at all. Would not go back there.

[photonman]

I have had very good experiences buying parts from Cafe Java Claremont. Good prices, service and helpful staff. Bought a Logitech Z5600 sound system from Chaos, they have reasonable prices and I was happy with them. Vefa I wouldn't reccommend though. Though they may be cheaper in some cases they are really dodge, ie: They usually sell the worser brands of components, I didn't find their service or professionality to be good at all. Would not go back there.

i agree almost totally.

vefa are only good for ram...512mb kingmax ddr400 = R350
vefa werent to bad with their service - i bought a pc for a family member and ordered 512mb ram etc , but they accidently gave 256mb .i went back about a hour later and np probs - they gave me a 512mb and a sincere apology.

java are very good and so is chaos, but like i states earlier - chaos's staff seem abit backward sometimes

[flutterby]

I went to PC Gameworld's site. It takes for ever before anything happens. I don't have enough patience to sit and wait so long for a page to open. Darkwater, I just went to just pc's site. I agree looks nice and YOU DO NOT WAIT FOR-EVER TO OPEN A PAGE!!!

[photonman]

I went to PC Gameworld's site. It takes for ever before anything happens. I don't have enough patience to sit and wait so long for a page to open. Darkwater, I just went to just pc's site. I agree looks nice and YOU DO NOT WAIT FOR-EVER TO OPEN A PAGE!!!

ya u gonna wait for nothing! - its utterly weak! - nothing useful

[dannyboy22]

PCgameworld site took 20 seconds to load so i don't know what you guys talking abouy

[The_Assimilator]

Vefa SUCKS ASS. Their prices look good but they sell crappy components and they don't keep their promises.

The first experience I had with Vefa was when I wanted to buy a 9800 SE last year. I made 3 trips to Vefa and each time the card wasn't in stock; the 3rd time the manager said he'd phone me when the card was available. He never did, and I refuse to buy anything from Vefa.

As for Chaos, I bought my first PC there in 2002 and forget to ask for the harddrive :/ (yes, I was a n00b). When I went back they gave me the drive, no questions asked; when the harddrive failed a few months later they replaced it, again no questions asked. However, lately their service has gone downhill and of course, their prices are no longer as attractive.

Also, earlier this year I took a faulty LAN cable to Chaos. They tested it and told me it was okay, but I KNEW the cable was faulty and protested until they redid the test. Guess what - the cable WAS faulty, and my confidence in their technical skills is now zero.

Cafe Java get top marks in my books. The fan on my 9800 SE (which I bought from them) failed, and since they no longer stock the 9800 SE I was worried about getting it replaced. However, they have managed to source another fan for which I am very grateful.

As for purchasing, I prefer to buy from dealers (Rectron, Frontosa etc.). Not only are the prices better, but you get a much wider choice.

[killadoob]

yup but if you dont sell computers you really shouldnt be buying from dealers

all i know is the dealers dont give a crap about their computer shops they will sell to anyone

im not venting lol i dont even own a shop :)

[Garro]

The best prices and quality service you will find at Laser Computers.
I run an Internet Cafe and have purchased from most outlets in Cape Town.
These people are simply the best.
Download their pricelist: http://www.lasercomputers.co.za

[master]

Hi Chaos has slacked allot. They used to be the best. My friend also worked for them and apparantly the reason for their bad service is because they really treat their staff bad. He now workes for Just PC's in Montague Gardens. I purchased a computer from them in August and it is running very whell.

They do treat their staff very bad, they even show them the stacks of CV's of potential staff members so as to instil in them the fear of being fired. The building has cameras in every location, even across the toilet doors to time staff rest room breaks. A staff member even found a mic in the workshop under the work bench. Riaan the owner has no interest in the personnel or the actual running of the business, he leaves this up to his Nazi mother, who even stated that black people have inferior brains and cannot function in positions of great responsibility. She picks a different staff member daily to terrorise, until they crack. Believe me, they only interest is in their own pockets, just push them really hard on an issue and you'll see the dragon unleashed.

Their prices are good, but their people skills suck! You will never see the same staff there for long.

[Jeeva]

i just went to pc world wow that site is so doff lol looks like someone did it for free

AMD K64 3000 512K 800Fsb S939 *

MSI K8N Neo 2 Platinum, nForce3 Ultra, 8CH Audio, Dual Gb LAN, 1394

512 Ghz Mem (2x256Mb)400Mhz DDR *
17" L.G CRT BLACK Monitor *
L.G. 52x32x52x16 CDRW/DVD Combo
56k V90 PCI Modem / 1.44Mb Stiffy
80.0 Gig 7200RPM H/Drive *
ABIT ATI X600XT 128MB 16x PCI EXPRESS
ANTEC Superlanboy Alluminium Case+ANTEC 400W Quite Power Supply 2*
Logitech MX-510 Optical Mouse
Logitech Deluxe Keyboard
Labtec FX:1 Gaming Headset 2*

Cash Price: R8,599

Those specs are end of line, as in, its an OLD PC!

And Nforce 3 = AGP , not PCI-express - the pc wouldn't work to startoff with :P

512 Ghz Mem (2x256Mb)400Mhz DDR ? lol @ Ghz Mem.

To play battlefield 2 now, you need a recommended of 2048mb Memory, 512 ftl.

[RVFmal]

You could always try Dot Computers. ;) :D

[Jeeva]

Hi

I have been a customer of Chaos Computers for some time now. The system I purchased in September 2004 is still running smoothly, though a mp3 player I acquired from them has needed replacing 3 times :(

Their service was excellent at the beginning, but recently I have been hearing rumours of their standards dropping.


*sigh* It is NOT THEIR PROBLEM That the MP3 broke, since they didn't manufacture it!

Ahh, one of those people that "listen to rumours", grow some grey matter.

On another note, I think retailers should charge for the time to replace a faulty part, thats what they do all over the world except south Africa. Check amazon.com / Newegg.com. If something breaks it has nothing to do with them, you have to replace it yourself BUT you can BUY extra warranty options for them to replace it.

I think that same structure should be implimented by Dealers in SA.

[rwenzori]

On another note, I think retailers should charge for the time to replace a faulty part, thats what they do all over the world except south Africa. Check amazon.com / Newegg.com. If something breaks it has nothing to do with them, you have to replace it yourself BUT you can BUY extra warranty options for them to replace it.

Retailers may limit the rights we have under common law to some extent, but we are hardly likely to flock to retailers who do so if normal common law rights are available from their competition. A brief description of our common law rights when purchasing goods:

http://www.wylie.co.za/Site/CMS/Article-Body.asp?articleID=42

In short, I don't like your idea at all.

[DarKWateR]

Well i'm glad my friends left Chaos. Mrs Swart (Riaan Swart aka The owner's Mother) is a problem to all. Currently the count is about 12-20 odd Employies who have resigned and not recieved any payment at all. How professional can you get?
Think of Chaos this way.... It's Big Brother all over again with some added extras. Big Place - Cameras and Mics everywhere - You are not allowed to leave....etc.....with added extras like Mrs Swart assaulting you, and like Big Brother,Chaos has all the drama...unfair dismissal, no salary, no overtime, constant shouting, mayby even a smack against the head or so.
The working hours is also a bit steep 7:45-17:30 (err. cough cough 05:00-20:00)
If you ever think of working @ Chaos you might aswell just go join the army...yes it's really that bad.
The future in the company is Hell.
Think of it this way...Mrs Swart has already been arrested on assault charges a few times already...so to those working @ Chaos....goodluck my friends.

[Sapphiron]

The queue at dispatch.
Send out a pricelist this morning, and 5 min later.. They dont have stock.
Sell you the wrong memory, and then a techy tries to BS his way out of it, and gets caught lying after you go direct to the manufacture.
Report a broken vid card, takes three months for them to find the problem.. Then wont replace it since its 3 months old already, even though its been in their lab since the day you bought it. (try explain that to a client)

I'm sure there are many more.. However.. Still get most of my spares there, since the others can be worse

Same story here. I'm a Value added Reseller and I have stopped dealing with them because of their terrible support. if you guys are looking for a Dealer who really cares about their clients and have some great products, look at www.frontosa.co.za. i love that when i walk into the storefront the people know my name.

[Sapphiron]

Regarding your MP3 player. Chaos Computers buy their equipment mainly from Pinnacle Micro. They have got some good kit and some bad kit.

Buy good quality stuff and you will never have to worry about where you got it from.

[ziglit]

Well ive been going to chaos for many years , since they are close and quite cheap compared to a various other pc sellers, One thing i found out is that chaos never have stock , i mean i go there every week and they keep telling me they dont have stock. i also try phone and i get through to the Kenilworth venue and they tell me the other one has stock , so i go there and i get told it was a mistake , i mean 1 hour drive and i get told that.
l2p pleash

Things must change or im going to he papers !!!

[Silver X]

Vefa SUCKS ASS. Their prices look good but they sell crappy components and they don't keep their promises.

The first experience I had with Vefa was when I wanted to buy a 9800 SE last year. I made 3 trips to Vefa and each time the card wasn't in stock; the 3rd time the manager said he'd phone me when the card was available. He never did, and I refuse to buy anything from Vefa.

As for Chaos, I bought my first PC there in 2002 and forget to ask for the harddrive :/ (yes, I was a n00b). When I went back they gave me the drive, no questions asked; when the harddrive failed a few months later they replaced it, again no questions asked. However, lately their service has gone downhill and of course, their prices are no longer as attractive.

Also, earlier this year I took a faulty LAN cable to Chaos. They tested it and told me it was okay, but I KNEW the cable was faulty and protested until they redid the test. Guess what - the cable WAS faulty, and my confidence in their technical skills is now zero.

Cafe Java get top marks in my books. The fan on my 9800 SE (which I bought from them) failed, and since they no longer stock the 9800 SE I was worried about getting it replaced. However, they have managed to source another fan for which I am very grateful.

As for purchasing, I prefer to buy from dealers (Rectron, Frontosa etc.). Not only are the prices better, but you get a much wider choice.

I bought stuff at Vefa,3 months later i had problems with it.The owner Mr. Mehmet(Muhammad) Vefa Dag told me warranty is void as he no longer deals with some suppliers.I looked into the matter & found that he still has outstanding balances at that suppliers & refuses to pay.Why do we as consumers have 2 suffer?I will never again buy from Vefa International or the owner as their service sucks.I think we should nominate Mr.Mehmet Vefa Dag as ******* of the year 2006/2007.

[Silver X]

They do treat their staff very bad, they even show them the stacks of CV's of potential staff members so as to instil in them the fear of being fired. The building has cameras in every location, even across the toilet doors to time staff rest room breaks. A staff member even found a mic in the workshop under the work bench. Riaan the owner has no interest in the personnel or the actual running of the business, he leaves this up to his Nazi mother, who even stated that black people have inferior brains and cannot function in positions of great responsibility. She picks a different staff member daily to terrorise, until they crack. Believe me, they only interest is in their own pockets, just push them really hard on an issue and you'll see the dragon unleashed.

Their prices are good, but their people skills suck! You will never see the same staff there for long.

That's nothing the owner at Vefa International treats his staff the same. One off his staff members assist me when he start shouting on the guy and boby search him in front of me and then told him to leave his company. I told the owner " Mr. Muhammad Dag" if that is how he treat his staff I will never buy from him again. He then told me he does not need my business and gave my money back to me and told me to left his shop. He advertice on his web site that he is a doctor I wonder it what he can't even spell. I do feel sorry for his pregnant wife. How does it keep up with such a man?????????

[Silver X]

The best prices in Cape Town are probably from Vefa, in Wynberg and Durbanville. Not shure about service though.. bought a "9600 vanilla" from them, the box was all in chinese and the card turned out to be clocked like a 9600 pro but overheated so i had to underclock it, still better than a 9600 but not what I really want to have to do when buying a card.
Also dont really like cafe Java, not the best prices either.

That is nothing one evening I went to Vefa to buy a dvd writer the owner sent one off his staff to the internet shop where he took one out off the pc.s the i.t. guy download the drivers for me.I went back 2 days later and told them it is not working and they send it to the supplier. When it came back a week later I have been told my waranty is void. I told him how can it be I bought it and work for only 2 days.The owner then told me to take him to court. He sells second hands items as new products. Do not even go to the internet shop in the mall you will die off the heat.

[Ekhaatvensters]

I buy all my stuff from Cafe Java in Claremont ... good pricing and they know their stuff.

I dont know hey, they do have good prices, but the staff aren't always that great.

That Danie guy is good though, spoke to him a few times. But a lot of the other guys there, mostly the Asian ones, don't know much and aren't very helpful at all. They generally just say almost nothing and I doubt they would ever get into a technical conversation to help you buy anything..

But they are the ones that get them those great connections.. Java always has these weird little Chinese brands that they start selling every month or so.. often very good prices on that unknown stuff though.

[Ekhaatvensters]

That is nothing one evening I went to Vefa to buy a dvd writer the owner sent one off his staff to the internet shop where he took one out off the pc.s the i.t. guy download the drivers for me.I went back 2 days later and told them it is not working and they send it to the supplier. When it came back a week later I have been told my waranty is void. I told him how can it be I bought it and work for only 2 days.The owner then told me to take him to court. He sells second hands items as new products. Do not even go to the internet shop in the mall you will die off the heat.

Oh, I see this is a old thread.. i thought it was new :o

Ja, VEFA are terrible, screw what i said earlier about the prices, they may be okay for some stuff, but not worth it dealing with that Muhammad guy..

He can hardly speak English at all and they have the dodgiest parts.. I mean taking a DVD writer out of a PC and downloading the drivers! LOL. Thats really funny... and then the warranty is void..

Ja, I once saw someone just laying at one of thier PC's.. he wasn't even using it, just sleeping under a newspaper :/ I think he might have been dead... who knows.

[Buddha]

Same story here. I'm a Value added Reseller and I have stopped dealing with them because of their terrible support. if you guys are looking for a Dealer who really cares about their clients and have some great products, look at www.frontosa.co.za. i love that when i walk into the storefront the people know my name.

yep... frontosa ROCK the world! ... but the thing is chaos sell to the public,.. frontosa sell to dealers only.

-buddha

[Exemp]

JA Chaos use to be a bit of a drag to work for , but they have jacked up since then. There service is not that bad now. I still have a friend that works there and he seems quite happy.( "" ) sort of. He says the place could do with a bit of an attitude ajustment. ( Managment ).

[Piesang]

I think most of the guys working at these computer stores don't know enough to work there.

Like the one guy once told me that I can't buy a SATA2 drive because my Motherboard only support SATA1. "It just won't work", was he's exact words.

Well, I was desperate and bought myself the SATA2 drive from another computer store and it is working perfectly.:D

Maybe he must leave the computer business and work as a waiter for the Spur or something.;) :rolleyes:

[FxpForce]

Chaos is k@k place, no sales peeps on floor just one long queeeee, and when u get to the front after 45min, "sorry we dont keep stock, only if order is place" WTF damm i just wanna buy a ADSL modem!!!! not R30 000 PC

*spit*

[XCalibre]

I agree, their service is useless

[Ripped]

Dont let them get away with treating you unfairly they are acting out of the law and legally have no stand point. They make racial remarks they threaten you with your job. They are a bunch of unethical unlawfull creatures who need to be stopped. Stand up to them go to the ccma or even the scopions dont let them treat you like s***.

Go seek professional help they can not keep doing this over and over again!!!

[PeterCH]

That's nothing the owner at Vefa International treats his staff the same. One off his staff members assist me when he start shouting on the guy and boby search him in front of me and then told him to leave his company. I told the owner " Mr. Muhammad Dag" if that is how he treat his staff I will never buy from him again. He then told me he does not need my business and gave my money back to me and told me to left his shop. He advertice on his web site that he is a doctor I wonder it what he can't even spell. I do feel sorry for his pregnant wife. How does it keep up with such a man?????????

I'd definately avoid a seller like that. Thanks for the info about Chaos and these "Vefa" guys. Will avoid BOTH.

[Juggy]

I buy all my stuff from Cafe Java in Claremont ... good pricing and they know their stuff.

I agree, they're very cheap. Some items are cheaper than Rectron.

[jetpacman]

I had an issue with a product from them a while ago and I hassled the hell out of them and they kept dancing to the tune

[gdiza]

Let me let you guys in on a secret regarding VEFA International.

1. He is heavy into his porn and such, check the 'community' web site he runs.
2. He used to advertise alot in local newspapers, and now he doesn't, he owes alot of money!
3. Yes, he treats his staff like crud, but also remember, he pays them nothing and he can barely speak english so I wonder how he does his job interviews.