Home Visit Computer Cleaning

[WarpSpeed]

You should be more selective about using the adjective "rip-off". If a person offers a particular service at a certain price and is totally upfront about the cost, then it cannot be a rip-off. You may consider that the price is too high, but a rip-off it is not.

If you ran around Pattaya calling various businesses rip-offs with the same ferver you discredit Somtamnication you could soon land in a lot of trouble, especially if the businesses were Thai owned, but because the business is Farang and a long way from here in Phuket you show more courage.

So builders charging little old ladies GBP2,000 to fix two roof tiles aren't ripping them off as long as they make the price clear in advance? Or a taxi-driver charging tourirsts GBP100 to go half a mile in London? Or a market trader selling fake items for the price of real ones? Or a dentist who removes healthy teeth unnecessarily in order to fit a bridge at the advertised price? Tell that to Trading Standards and see if they agree with you.

In this instance the rip-off was in relation to the need to do this twice a year or charge extra for doing it once. I think that I made this clear.

Anyone who has given even a cursory glance at my posts will realise that I speak my mind. I have said plenty of bad (and good) things about businesses and people in Pattaya and elsewhere when I think they deserve it. People are welcome to read it or not, and agree with it or not.

Twisting and moving the goal posts in an attempt to suit your rant. We aren't talking about silly, ignorant old British ladies, taxi drivers or any other such thing and it isn't 2000 pounds either it's 2000b a rather distinct difference, you're really reaching to try to make your point which is totally lost..Hopefully the clients he has who can OPERATE computers have a bit more understanding and where with all then the average British "old lady"..

You can speak your mind all you want as I do too but speaking it and being so judgmentally critical of a person making a living needs more in depth thought before making such incriminating charges..

Edited July 23, 2011 by WarpSpeed

[bubblegum]

IMO you come across as being envious of a guy who's making a good earn doing a specialist job. I could be wrong, but why all the venom toward someone who seems to be doing a good job.

You couldn't be more wrong. I am retired. I have nothing to be envious of in respect of anyone who is still working as I have more money in the bank than I could ever spend.

Anyone looking at my posts would know that the same venom is regularly directed at all rip-offs, both inside and outside Thailand. I dont like rip-off merchants and crooks. That's all.

Oh, and I did the same job for umpteen years and I know that it requires no particular skill, just some experience and knowledge that anyone could acquire should they wish to.

To charge European rates for a job done in Thailand is simply a rip-off, as costs are so much lower here. As mentioned by others, PC shops here will do the task for a for hundred Baht, which would be correct. As in Europe, some of them work well, some dont, but the good ones are there for anyone who cares to look.

The comment about doing it twice a year or charging extra indicate clearly to anyone with a minimum of relevant knowledge that the chap is milking it.

But, as I said, if the Phuket pigeons are happy being plucked then that's not my problem. I have cast a little light on a murky practice and that is enough.

So you have more money in the bank than you can spend... let me see 50-- euro for cleaning a PC, Working day in Europe 8 hours, traveling in between makes it a maximum of 5 computers per day. 20 days a month times 250- euro is a income of 5.000-- euro a month before taxes an costs. Hmmmm you don't spend a lot do you?

You also mentioned that costs are so much lower here, what costs??? It is mostly time/labour, no expencive tools needed.

Back in the eighty's a costumer once asked me to specify an invoice of mine. I charged him 1.000-- for fixing his network, was done in 5 minutes.

The specifecation of the invoice was 5 dollars labour and 995-- dollars for knowing how to fix your problem.

I guess I'm a scam artist.

[Jingthing]

I find the workmanship very shoddy in Thailand and often almost no regard for doing things properly. So I must admit that personally I would feel the chances are better an experienced European technician would do a much better job than a random Thai, and thus worth quite a bit more, just based on that perception. Whether a specific worker would be better or not is always a crap shoot, but people pay more for PERCEPTION of better quality all the time. For example, in branding, often the same stuff in the packages. Countries are a kind of BRAND as well, and brand perception can change. For example, Japan used to be a poor brand, and now a top brand; the USA brand has declined.

One exception in Thailand would be factories where the workers are closely managed and high standards DICTATED to them, such as at a Toyota plant.

Edited July 23, 2011 by Jingthing

[WarpSpeed]

IMO you come across as being envious of a guy who's making a good earn doing a specialist job. I could be wrong, but why all the venom toward someone who seems to be doing a good job.

You couldn't be more wrong. I am retired. I have nothing to be envious of in respect of anyone who is still working as I have more money in the bank than I could ever spend.

Anyone looking at my posts would know that the same venom is regularly directed at all rip-offs, both inside and outside Thailand. I dont like rip-off merchants and crooks. That's all.

Oh, and I did the same job for umpteen years and I know that it requires no particular skill, just some experience and knowledge that anyone could acquire should they wish to.

To charge European rates for a job done in Thailand is simply a rip-off, as costs are so much lower here. As mentioned by others, PC shops here will do the task for a for hundred Baht, which would be correct. As in Europe, some of them work well, some dont, but the good ones are there for anyone who cares to look.

The comment about doing it twice a year or charging extra indicate clearly to anyone with a minimum of relevant knowledge that the chap is milking it.

But, as I said, if the Phuket pigeons are happy being plucked then that's not my problem. I have cast a little light on a murky practice and that is enough.

So you have more money in the bank than you can spend... let me see 50-- euro for cleaning a PC, Working day in Europe 8 hours, traveling in between makes it a maximum of 5 computers per day. 20 days a month times 250- euro is a income of 5.000-- euro a month before taxes an costs. Hmmmm you don't spend a lot do you?

You also mentioned that costs are so much lower here, what costs??? It is mostly time/labour, no expencive tools needed.

Back in the eighty's a costumer once asked me to specify an invoice of mine. I charged him 1.000-- for fixing his network, was done in 5 minutes.

The specifecation of the invoice was 5 dollars labour and 995-- dollars for knowing how to fix your problem.

I guess I'm a scam artist.

Yep there always is that overlooking or minimizing of a person qualifications and what they went through to obtain them because a job isn't 'labor intensive', but then in that case why not call someone less qualified and pay the minimum for what you'll likely get which for my money is more of a scam in any case..

I'd much rather someone tell me up front it's going to be X monies and here's what you'll get for that then someone who says it'll be x for that and then tries to milk more out of me and then delivers less quality then I could have done myself.. That's a scam and rip off..

Edited July 23, 2011 by WarpSpeed

[tropo]

You should be more selective about using the adjective "rip-off". If a person offers a particular service at a certain price and is totally upfront about the cost, then it cannot be a rip-off. You may consider that the price is too high, but a rip-off it is not.

If you ran around Pattaya calling various businesses rip-offs with the same ferver you discredit Somtamnication you could soon land in a lot of trouble, especially if the businesses were Thai owned, but because the business is Farang and a long way from here in Phuket you show more courage.

So builders charging little old ladies GBP2,000 to fix two roof tiles aren't ripping them off as long as they make the price clear in advance? Or a taxi-driver charging tourirsts GBP100 to go half a mile in London? Or a market trader selling fake items for the price of real ones? Or a dentist who removes healthy teeth unnecessarily in order to fit a bridge at the advertised price? Tell that to Trading Standards and see if they agree with you.

In this instance the rip-off was in relation to the need to do this twice a year or charge extra for doing it once. I think that I made this clear.

Anyone who has given even a cursory glance at my posts will realise that I speak my mind. I have said plenty of bad (and good) things about businesses and people in Pattaya and elsewhere when I think they deserve it. People are welcome to read it or not, and agree with it or not.

You're really stretching here to validate your harsh criticism of Somtamnication's computer service business in Phuket.

Let's take your comparisons one by one:

1. "So builders charging little old ladies GBP2,000 to fix two roof tiles aren't ripping them" Yes, that is a rip-off, but only because the little old ladies who would pay GBP 2000 to fix 2 roof tiles are mentally ill - senile. This is clearly a case of profiteering from old people who aren't fully in touch with reality. BTW, how much does it normally cost to repair 2 roof tiles in England?

2. "Or a taxi-driver charging tourirsts GBP100 to go half a mile in London?" I've never been to London, but I imagine taxis there have meters. If the meter price for the trip was GBP100, then that's not a rip-off. If he doesn't use his meter, then I'm guessing that would be illegal, so obviously it's a rip-off. This comparison is totally irrelevant in relation to this discussion.

3. "Or a market trader selling fake items for the price of real ones?" I don't think this qualifies as a rip-off, but cheating, which would be illegal in England, no? This is hardly related to our discussion here.

4. "Or a dentist who removes healthy teeth unnecessarily in order to fit a bridge at the advertised price?" That would be a serious case of malpractice by a dentist and also not even slightly relevant to our discussion.

Why would you presume that cleaning a computer is not necessary twice a year? In this climate I think twice a year is not a bad idea at all and don't forget that his service includes checking the system for malware, viruses etc. Are you aware that Phuket is a very corrosive environment due to salt spray from a surf beach? I've lived on a surf beach and it messes up computers really quickly.

Edited July 23, 2011 by tropo

[JohnC]

there is an advert in Pattaya People classified by someone that offers a home computer call out service but never tried them myself.

[rgs2001uk]

Thank you, Tropo and Warpspeed. I wish I could do 5 a day, but sometimes I have zero. It is a 24/7 service, gas is high and I use only good components if parts need replacing.

But, I do not wish to hijack the OP´s original request of home service in Pattaya. So if there is one, please let the OP know.

Perhaps you could post a link to your website so we can have a look at your rates, or give us your business phone number.

You do have a workpermit I trust.

[Tywais]

Perhaps you could post a link to your website so we can have a look at your rates, or give us your business phone number.

Let's not - forum rules and all that mate. Of course if he wishes to become a sponsor ...

[tropo]

You do have a workpermit I trust.

The forum immigration police come to the rescue...

[tomat]

Comparing a small Thai shop's price to a foreign owned business' price is always unfair.

The Thai shop will in 99% of the cases not be paying social security, not be paying revenue tax and not be paying VAT. They don't do this because they don't have any work permits to uphold so they don't "need" to be able to show anything to the government about how much their business makes.

The foreign owned shop will have a long line of expenses simply because it's foreign owned.

Also you should expect to be paying more for a service where you are dealing with a native English-speaking person instead of a Thai who might not understand what you are telling him/her to do with your computer.

[Darrel]

Back in the eighty's a costumer once asked me to specify an invoice of mine. I charged him 1.000-- for fixing his network, was done in 5 minutes.

The specifecation of the invoice was 5 dollars labour and 995-- dollars for knowing how to fix your problem.

I guess I'm a scam artist.

Precisely.

[Darrel]

Let's take your comparisons one by one:

There is no need to. You said quite specifically "If a person offers a particular service at a certain price and is totally upfront about the cost, then it cannot be a rip-off."

I gave you 4 examples that demonstrate that your comment was total nonsense. You cant argue around them: you just said something that was incredibly stupid. Live with it.

Why would you presume that cleaning a computer is not necessary twice a year?

Because it isn't. Please dont trust my opinion: just ask any professional that isnt on the make. They will agree with me.

If there was any real need to clean PCs twice a year, dont you think that the manufacturers would recommend that it be done? Or that there would be thousands of companies set up to do it?

As for viruses/malware, there is no point scanning for these unless there are some symptoms. Far more to the point to install some decent anti-virus/anti-malware software that will protect the PC day to day and probably prevent infection in the first place. But of course this doesnt generate regular income for the person who installs it, and so would be an unattractive option for some of them. It is, however, what I used to do for my customers.

Pattaya and Phuket arent the dirtiest places in the world, nor are they the only places with sea air. There is no special need to clean PCs here. I have seen PCs with the cases almost clogged with dust-bunnies after years of 24/7 use sitting on the floor. A quick vacuuming around, followed by a spray of canned air, and they are invariably fine.

[tropo]

I gave you 4 examples that demonstrate that your comment was total nonsense. You cant argue around them: you just said something that was incredibly stupid. Live with it.

You gave 4 examples that were totally unrelated to the topic. There's no need to resort to flame in an effort to validate your nonsense.

Edited July 24, 2011 by tropo

[Darrel]

Comparing a small Thai shop's price to a foreign owned business' price is always unfair.

The Thai shop will in 99% of the cases not be paying social security, not be paying revenue tax and not be paying VAT. They don't do this because they don't have any work permits to uphold so they don't "need" to be able to show anything to the government about how much their business makes.

I dont think that it has been demonstrated that the Phuket gentleman in question does any of that either. Maybe he does.

But no mattter how you look at it, it is significantly cheaper to trade legally here than it is, for example, in countries ike France, Germany, Holland etc. where social security and other taxes can easily amount to more than 50% of wages costs, and where normal expenses such as wages, rent, rates, lighting, heating, phones, vehicle maintenance, shop-fitting etc etc are all much higher than here.

So I see no justification for charging the same rate for services here as in Europe. And indeed if you examine the prices charged for qualified professional services such as medical treatment, they are much lower here.

I could extend the comparison to the cost of frequenting 5* hotels or other establishments that are farang-run and which have farang staff. They are also cheaper here than they are in farang-land. The list, of course, goes on.

[tropo]

Because it isn't. Please dont trust my opinion: just ask any professional that isnt on the make. They will agree with me.

If there was any real need to clean PCs twice a year, dont you think that the manufacturers would recommend that it be done? Or that there would be thousands of companies set up to do it?

As for viruses/malware, there is no point scanning for these unless there are some symptoms. Far more to the point to install some decent anti-virus/anti-malware software that will protect the PC day to day and probably prevent infection in the first place. But of course this doesnt generate regular income for the person who installs it, and so would be an unattractive option for some of them. It is, however, what I used to do for my customers.

Pattaya and Phuket arent the dirtiest places in the world, nor are they the only places with sea air. There is no special need to clean PCs here. I have seen PCs with the cases almost clogged with dust-bunnies after years of 24/7 use sitting on the floor. A quick vacuuming around, followed by a spray of canned air, and they are invariably fine.

You really are clueless. Just about everything you've stated here is wrong.

Just a few:

1. Computers in salty, hot and humid environments should be cleaned twice a year. It's called preventative maintenance.

2. Viruses/malware can get by the best antivirus/malware checkers.

It's pretty obvious you've never professionally worked with computers.

[Darrel]

there is an advert in Pattaya People classified by someone that offers a home computer call out service but never tried them myself.

There is also at least one computer/internet shop in Soi Lengkee that has a window sign about home visits. I think it quotes a price also.

[Darrel]

So you have more money in the bank than you can spend... let me see 50-- euro for cleaning a PC, Working day in Europe 8 hours, traveling in between makes it a maximum of 5 computers per day. 20 days a month times 250- euro is a income of 5.000-- euro a month before taxes an costs. Hmmmm you don't spend a lot do you?

Your calculations are a little off.

I worked about 70 hours a week for over 20 years. I've always been quite keen. Much of my work was done from home, which required no travelling time. On top of that, I ran two very successful small businesses that required almost none of my time. And I owned a couple of houses that were bought for cash 20 years ago, and which increased in value by a factor of 5 in that time.

On top of that, you are absolutely correct to say that I dont spend much. I buy exactly what I need and want, but no more.

So yes, I have more money than I will ever spend. Which seems a reasonable way to organise my retirement.

You also mentioned that costs are so much lower here, what costs??? It is mostly time/labour, no expencive tools needed.

I trust that I covered this sufficiently in another reply.

[h90]

IMO you come across as being envious of a guy who's making a good earn doing a specialist job. I could be wrong, but why all the venom toward someone who seems to be doing a good job.

You couldn't be more wrong. I am retired. I have nothing to be envious of in respect of anyone who is still working as I have more money in the bank than I could ever spend.

Anyone looking at my posts would know that the same venom is regularly directed at all rip-offs, both inside and outside Thailand. I dont like rip-off merchants and crooks. That's all.

Oh, and I did the same job for umpteen years and I know that it requires no particular skill, just some experience and knowledge that anyone could acquire should they wish to.

To charge European rates for a job done in Thailand is simply a rip-off, as costs are so much lower here. As mentioned by others, PC shops here will do the task for a for hundred Baht, which would be correct. As in Europe, some of them work well, some dont, but the good ones are there for anyone who cares to look.

The comment about doing it twice a year or charging extra indicate clearly to anyone with a minimum of relevant knowledge that the chap is milking it.

But, as I said, if the Phuket pigeons are happy being plucked then that's not my problem. I have cast a little light on a murky practice and that is enough.

You are complete right: Cleaning a computer perfectly is often included for free when they search for a problem on the computer.

Or at a charge of 20-50 Baht.

A perfect cleaning is done in a few minutes.

I pay a 5000 Baht finding a problem on a Siemens controlled CNC.

Including:

1) Come to my office

2) search here, clean everything that is opened

3) take the faulty board to their workshop

4) find the faulty part and replace it, the part is almost always included and costs some money

5) bring it

6) install it

7) wait for a while while the machine is operating to see it really works

8) If not go back to 2)

And that is a REAL specialists work. Cleaning Computer is not.

[rak sa_ngop]

I was starting to have recurrent power failures on my 5 year-old Acer PC, as well as high levels of fan noise whilst running, even from cold. It got to the point where I couldn't even power up completely even after leaving the machine off all night.

So I took a trip to Pantip Plaza where the nice people took the case off and blew all the accumulated dust out. Guess what, the Acer powered up straight a way. They then checked out the on/off switch at my insistence (that's where I suspected a problem) and then removed the fan mounted on the main chip for a better clean-out and then replaced (with the correct grease).

The only other thing they did was to 'clean' my C-drive increasing free space from 10 gb to 14 gb.

Since then my machine has performed faultlessly, with hardly any fan noise.

It's hard to believe that a good clean-out can be so effective. (Maybe my machine will crap-out as soon as I post this?)

Oh, and the cost, 100 baht which I had to force on the guy as he wanted to charge nothing!