BT: We're killing the dabs brand. Oh and can customers re-register to buy on our site?

Haven't used them since they were sold, then.

Not "because they are BT"... yeah, I do do that but not in this instance.

Just that anything I've had them quote for, or anything I go looking to buy, I've obviously been able to find cheaper or better elsewhere.

Quite liked them "back in the day", but honestly haven't used them in years and stopped even bothering to compare after a while. A bit like Novatech. At one point I kitted out an entire school with Novatech gear from the servers to the clients. Last few years, they just aren't even close to companies that I use regularly.

I knew that I was right when I went to a new employer and their accounts department didn't even have credit accounts with Novatech, Dabs, Systemax (ah, Simply Computers!), or any of the others that I've used in the past. Not even historical ones. It seems all the old mail-order PC companies are dead or dying nowadays, and can't compete against pure box-shifters.

And, let's be honest, my specification for client computers has barely changed in the last five years. It's actually just easier to over-order at the start and then use "still in plastic" stock to convince people it's new. I've bought end-of-line products dirt cheap because they were still shrink-wrapped and met or exceeded our specifications.

Sad to see the last trace of the name going, but I can't say I'm surprised.

Can it be true!...

It's like telling someone who has a mild cough that they can swap it for the plague.

BT took a dive after the Buzby Ad's and never recovered.

Relief

For a horrible moment I thought Our Alistair was going to be cut down in his prime

Alas, I knew Dabs well, of old, Horatio

I only had to read down to " they’re managed by the very same team,” BT said.", to forget the rest. I was once an avid buyer from Dabs. Price Service, Stocks and Delivery, were first rate. Then BT hove up and the effort of years went straight down the pan. Haven't used em for years. I only had to look at the price and stock levels to be persuaded to go elsewhere

I thought BT Shop was just a rebranding of Dabs, I didn't know BT actually run it (and Dabs).

Invite will likely constitute direct marketing

What they should be doing is joining up with other UK companies, possibly in different sectors so there's no overlap in the products being offered, and creating a mega portal to compete with Amazon. For me Amazon is a necessary evil because I don't like the fact that they sell to a UK specific audience: amazon.co.uk but are not UK data controllers. In other words, they want us Brits to buy their products but they don't want to have to comply with our rights as UK data subjects. But they're cheap and convenient and I don't have to sign-up with companies and explain to them why they're not allowed to send me marketing just because it says so in their privacy policy. But I don't like Amazon and I'd much rather do business with a UK company.

I'm not happy too with the way in which Amazon only tell me that the items in my wishlist have been reduced; they don't tell me when they've gone up. I asked them about this last month and they said it was due to an error in the system so I'm keeping my eye on it.

Dabs was truely the worst customer service I ever got from any retailer ever.

Many of the others I won't buy from because of the constant deluge of spam that continues daily a decade after I bought from them just once.

I've recently stopped buying from Amazon after they charged me £70 for "prime" that I didn't ask for (presumably I forgot to not un untick the 'no, I do yes not no do don't want to not not not join' box).

It's a shame there doesn't seem to be a retailer who can just get it right.

(Apple and John Lewis work OK, but they obviously don't sell everything.)

Clean and simple

The great thing about Dabs was that I didn't need to register an account with them and could pay by verified Paypal account and have it delivered to my Paypal registered home address. Click, click, ... click - job done.

I hope I can find somewhere with similar simplicity. I'll start looking - any suggestions?

Not migrating the accounts? WHAT??!! ITS THE SAME BLOODY SYSTEM!!!

Just shows you how competent BT are at those computer thingies.

Not that this is the first time. A long time ago Dabs had a system upgrade in which they somehow lost my account (forgot my password didn't know my email address, but trying to re-register with it was blocked as there was already an account) and the answer from customer service was basically "we don't care". Haven't bought from them since.

Probably just me but seeing a BT branded website selling graphics cards just seems ..... wrong ....

Toxic transfer

DABS was particularly convenient for us as the warehouse was within driving distance. Then they shut the counter service and sold to BT, so we never dealt with them again.

Want a business telephone number? Which would you do, Google it or wade through BT's directory enquiry service? (Try it. Try even finding it from the bt.com page). If they can't do directory enquiries right after 100 years' practice, you can only imagine what their eCommerce is like.

s short message for the BT

...

there's nothing polite I have to say to them, really. Other than that I'm extremely pleased to have finally got rid of the BT phone line and now I live in a bt-free zone.

p.s. dabs, rip ;)

From the founder of Dabs

Thanks for all the nice comments about me.

Dave Atherton

One of dabs biggest strengths probably was that a lot people didn't know it was run by BT.

Stock levels - let me tell you

A couple of months ago we placed an order for a run of the mill graphics card, nothing fancy just adding another monitor to an office machine.

Before order card in stock. Place order goes into "waiting stock". Web site says in-stock. Call DABS no its not in stock but new stock in a weeks time. Two weeks later, still awaiting stock. Call DABS oh yes we did have stock don't understand why your order wasn't fulfilled.

So it went on 6 weeks later the graphics card arrived and its now in our stock as we upgraded the system with one from Amazon that arrived a day after order.

BT Director to Marketing

I said I wanted this announced on the 1st April.

I had no idea BT owned Dabs!

I would NEVER have bought anything there had I known!

BT sure are dillusional.

BT Shop?

They just do phones, or something, no? Why would I buy a printer from a telecoms provider?