Experiences from Small Dog?

[c98ta]

Has anyone purchased from Small Dog.com? A friend of mine is wanting a Mac but the price of new models is turning her away - they have refurbished machines for about $300 less than new. Are they a reliable company?

[The General]

Originally posted by c98ta
Has anyone purchased from Small Dog.com? A friend of mine is wanting a Mac but the price of new models is turning her away - they have refurbished machines for about $300 less than new. Are they a reliable company?
Yeah, they are pretty good, and you get free little plastic dog toys with each purchase :)

[podmate]

I've bought various products (mostly refurbished) from smalldog for 4 years now.
Never a bad experience or even a tiny issue.
Well, I guess that there is one issue.
In order to buy a computer from them you must be a top dog member. This is some kind of BS that apple is throwing in their way.

To get around this, buy something small from them. You are automatically enrolled in the top dog club.
From that point on, you can buy whatever you want.

I buy from smalldog whenever I can.

[GraphicUmp]

Yep, I agree with podmate - I buy from smalldog whenever I can.

I've never had an issue with their support. I had one problem and they took care of it instantly

[gobble gobble]

I've never bought anything from them, but I've briely stopped by their facility in Vermont a couple of times. They seemed pleasant and their work environment professional, so I wouldn't hesitate to buy from them. They're a known quantity in the Mac community.

[Scott]

SmallDogs is great. I always buy from them when I can. I'm typing on a system that they shipped me.

You need to know one important thing about SmallDogs. They have this weird habit that shocked me the first time I encountered it. I sent them an email asking a question. The strange thing is that they replied to me in a short amount of time, like a day. They answered the question. Oh the other odd thing is that the answer was correct. :p

[Aquatic]

Whoa cool what were you doing in Vermont! Leaf peeping? :p Damn slow drivers...

I want to check it out sometime, seeing as it is so close to my house. I wanted to go their opening of their store but I was busy.

[BeigeUser]

I ordered from them twice and they were both bad experiences. One of it was their fault. The other was out of their control.

The first time: They misspelled my address when they shipped the package. It took 3 months before it arrived (International Shipment). I lost out on a $50.00 mail-in rebate that expired two weeks before arrival.

The second time: The computer died a few days after purchase. I e-mailed them for suggestions and didn't get any response. I figured that it was Apple's responsibility because it wasn't DOA. But Small Dog maybe could've at least responded to my e-mail.

Overall, seems like Small Dog and myself don't mix. Everyone else seems to have good experiences so I must be the exception. In their defense, they were very courteous when they actually responded to my e-mail.

[C-Bear]

I've heard only good things about SmallDog and had wanted to use them to order my new AlBook, but they have (if I understand it correctly) a novel caveat about ordering: to purchase a new, current system you have to have been a previous customer and therefore a SmallDog "member." They stipulate that to become a member you have to either purchase online new but discontinued systems, refurbished systems, or other products like software, or physically purchase something at their home store (about 3000 miles from me). Once these conditions are satisifed, then you're a member and you can order new, current systems.

Someone please tell me I just didn't understand their policy correctly. If I did, it seems a little…ridiculous.

[GraphicUmp]

It is ridiculous, but it's actually forced upon them by Apple.

You have to purchase something other than a new Apple computer from them in order to become a member of the Top Dog Club. Once you are a member, you can purchase a new computer.

These items include: anything from the Garage Sale, any peripherals, software, toys or refurbished Macs.

[john441]

I have dealt with Small Dog over the past few years.

I was VERY happy their Service!!!!


One time I had purchased a EZ Quest Firewire
HD from them.

It was defective. After one phone callm they not only sent
out a new unit, overnight, but also arranged for pick up
of my defective unit at the time the new unit arrived the next day.

Great place to deal with!!!!!!!!

[Scott]

How can you resist a company that sells an OS with ice cream (http://www.smalldog.com/product/45809)?

[gobble gobble]

Originally posted by Aquatic
Whoa cool what were you doing in Vermont! Leaf peeping? :p Damn slow drivers...

I want to check it out sometime, seeing as it is so close to my house. I wanted to go their opening of their store but I was busy.

My grandparents were from Moretown, VT. I have an Aunt in Waitsfield (where Small Dog is) and a cousin in Burlington. My dream house is my granddad's non-working farm along Route 100B in Moretown. I just need to find a job up there so I can move once I get back from India.

[tommy_thompson]

I bought from them, and would do it again. The only issue I had was with shipping. The estimated amount and the actual amount varied, not considerably, but enough for me to ask "whaat?" I called them, they explained and fixed the text for shipping on the site. I would DEFINATELY say buy!

[Kenneth]

SmallDog is good and friendly...

BTW.. you will receive a bag of dog on each order you have made..

http://homepage.mac.com/kennethyan/.Pictures/DSC01962.JPG

[tommy_thompson]

I wonder...I have a few packages of those dogs..do they have tons of different ones? Or are there only like 6 different ones and they just toss a handful in? :lol:

[bunge]

I like Small Dog. I would pay a little bit extra just to buy from them.

[satchmo]

Have only ordered once from them, and it was all good.
The people also seem to be really nice as well...The store kind of reminds me of the early days of MacConnection--grass roots, but efficient and more of a community rather than a corporation.