The prices listed on our site are the prices you will pay if you choose to pay by credit card, debit card, EFTPOS, cash or charge to an account. If at the time you place the order you choose to pay by direct credit you will get a discount of 1.5%. The 1.5% discount is calculated and deducted at checkout.

No. Debit cards are treated by the banks exactly the same as credit cards for online purchases. We are charged a fee to process debit card payments, so the direct credit discount does not apply.

Sorry, the direct credit discount does not apply to cash or EFTPOS payments.

There are two ways. First, there is a radio button for the GST setting in the Display Settings box to the right of the screen. If you are using a browser window size less than 1024 x 768 you may need to scroll to the right to see the Display Settings box. If you have cookies enabled, the next time you visit the site the same setting will be used. Secondly, you can sign in to your account, and when you do the prices will display using the preference you specified in your account settings.

Nothing. Ascent offers FREE delivery within New Zealand on all items purchased online for delivery on weekdays.

Not usually. We certainly aim to be competitive, but the price includes more than just the raw product you get out of the box. We back every product (other than clearance items) with a 3 to 5 year limited warranty, which in many cases is double, triple, or even five times longer than the manufacturer's warranty. We stand firmly behind all the products we sell, and typically this means that we deal with suppliers who share our commitment to the customer. Sometimes this will mean that we don't buy from the cheapest supplier.

We endeavour to keep our prices up-to-date. On any given day dozens of prices may change. Some will go up and some will go down, although most will remain unchanged. The price listed at the time you place the order is the price you will pay (obvious errors excepted). If the price drops after we have shipped the goods to you we are not in a position to offer you the goods at the new price. This is because we will have purchased the goods at a higher price ourselves. If the price drops after you place your order but before we ship the goods to you, then you will only be charged the new lower price.

We source our products from several suppliers. When our preferred supplier is out of stock sometimes we are able to source the same item from another supplier but at a higher cost. This gives you the option of waiting for the lower-priced item to come into stock, or buying now at the higher price. There is no difference in the product itself or the warranty that comes with the product.

Yes. If you place your order via the PC Builder you can get an additional 2% discount off the total price. Orders that consist of at least a case, motherboard, CPU, RAM, hard disk, CD or DVD drive, and a video card qualify for the 2% discount on the entire order. If not placing your order via the PC Builder please make a note in the special instructions that you would like the system discount. In that case the discount will not appear on-screen or in the initial order confirmation but will be deducted when we process your order. The discount cannot be retroactively issued for orders that have already shipped. This discount does not apply to purchases of computers that are already assembled.

Yes.

A green arrow indicates that the price has dropped by more than 2% in the last 2 weeks. A red arrow indicates that the price has risen by more than 2% in the last 2 weeks.

There are all sorts of reasons why our prices are often higher than the same product purchased overseas. Freight and GST are just two of those. However, the most important reason is that we source all our products from local importers and distributors, and we have to pay the prices they set. We have absolutely no control over the prices they charge.

No. You only pay the GST exclusive price. However, we must ship the goods directly overseas or to a freight company you nominate to handle the shipping. If the order totals more than $1,000, IRD requires us to fill out and retain a Customs Export Entry form (which we need from your nominated freight company if we are not sending it direct ourselves).

Not unless we ship the goods overseas or to a freight company that will be shipping them overseas. We are required by IRD to collect GST on all products that we deliver to New Zealand addresses.

You pay the price at the time of checkout, not at the time the item is placed in the shopping cart.

Clearance items include items that have been returned to us simply because they are incompatible with purchasers' existing equipment. In most cases the products are as new, with all accessories and packaging but they have been opened. Any variance to this will be noted on the product page. They come with the remaining portion of the product's original warranty. Quantities are very limited, and are sold on a strictly first come, first served basis.

The Wish List makes it easy for you to keep track of any number of items all in one place. Items are added to your own wish list by clicking on the "Add to wish list" link on the left top of the product details screen. (The product details screen is the one you go to when you click on a product from any product listing screen.) You will be prompted to sign in to your account if you are not already signed in. You can go to your wish list at any time by clicking on the wish list link in the Shopping Cart block on the right of each page. Items can be removed from the wish list by clicking on the delete icon to the left of each item. Items that become obsolete will automatically be removed from your wish list. Items can be purchased directly from the wish list.

When products go end of life and are removed from the website, they will automatically be removed from your Wish List at the same time.

The link to the manufacturer's web site is there solely to provide you with additional information about the product. However, as products are sold in different configurations around the world there is no guarantee that the product that is available in New Zealand will contain the same accessories described on the manufacturer's website. If in doubt, please check with us and we can confirm exactly what comes with the product here in New Zealand.

Because you want them (and unfortunately, there are lots of good products being distributed by not-so-good distributors).

OEM stands for "Original equipment manufacturer" and is used on our website to identify products that are shipped without the extras that are typically found in the "retail" versions (in the case of hardware) and transfer restrictions (in the case of software). OEM versions of products are cheaper and suit customers who are familiar with installing their own hardware, or who may already have the bundled software, etc. There is no difference between the OEM and retail version of the main hardware item itself. OEM software typically cannot be re-installed on a PC other than the PC it was originally installed on.

Yes. We identify OEM versions of products.

Advantages: The product is cheaper because you don't have to pay for software or fancy packaging. Disadvantages: You don't get software you might need or the packaging you might have expected. If in doubt about what is included with the OEM product, please contact us. Sometimes, but not always, drivers are included. This is not usually a problem as drivers are available from manufacturers' web sites. Usually application software is not included. OEM software can not typically be installed on a PC other than the one it was originally installed on.

The software itself is identical. However, academic versions are usually not upgradeable and are intended for educational use. Usually we will need a copy of your student ID card to qualify for academic pricing. Suppliers tend to carry less stock of academic versions of software, and it may take longer for an out of stock item to come back into stock.

Microsoft, not Ascent, determines who can qualify for academic pricing. Accredited educational institutions (public or private Primary or Secondary schools, vocational schools, correspondence schools, polytechnics, universities, or scientific or technical institutions accredited by associations recognised by the NZQA and/or the NZ Department of Education and/or the Ministry of Education); faculty of accredited educational institutions; administrative offices or boards of education of educational institutions; full and part time matriculated students of higher education institutions. The following are not eligible to purchase Microsoft academic edition products: non-education customers, primary and secondary students, parents of higher education or primary and secondary students, customers residing outside New Zealand, and students participating in short courses or vocational.

Adobe, not Ascent, determines who can qualify for student pricing. Students must provide a photocopy of a valid, current student ID that includes their name, date, and a photo. If a student does not have such an ID, he or she must instead provide a photocopy of a valid photo ID and one of the following items:
- Official, current non-photo student ID with name and date
- Official, current school transcript indicating name of school and student
- Official, current school tuition bill indicating name of school and student
- Official, current report card indicating name of school and student
- Other official dated proof of enrollment
Students who are under 18 and do not have a valid photo ID may provide an official letter from their eligible educational institution stating their name and current enrollment status.

Adobe, not Ascent, determines who can qualify for teacher pricing. Teachers, faculty, and staff of eligible educational institutions must provide a photocopy of a valid, current school ID that includes their name, date, and a photo. If an educator does not have such an ID, he or she must instead provide a photocopy of a valid photo ID and one of the following items:
- Faculty or staff paycheck stub
- Official letter from the registrar of the educational entity

There are a number of reasons why we don't sell particular items. The most common reasons are that there is no New Zealand distributor for the brand, a distributor does exist but does not provide adequate service, or the particular products don't come up to the standard of quality we expect. We reassess this from time to time, and will give a brand a second chance if we feel that local service and/or the product quality has improved.

There will normally be a 10% restocking fee if you have used the item but let us know about the incompatibility within 10 days or receipt of the goods. If you let us know later than that but within 30 days, the restocking fee rises to 15%. After 30 days an item cannot be returned for reasons of incompatibility. If all the retail packaging is not returned the restocking fee is 25% in both cases, so if you are not certain about the compatibility of the goods make sure you keep all the packaging for 30 days. Also see Returns and Complaints for details on obtaining refunds.

There are simply too many combinations of devices for us (or anyone else) to know if a given item will conflict with other hardware. There are also too many driver-related and Windows-related issues for us to know what difficulties you will strike with your particular configuration. And finally, there are some people who simply do not have the necessary knowledge to get some tricky items working correctly (in some situations you may need a bit more than the instruction manual). If we notice any obvious incompatibilities in your order, such as ordering DDR RAM with a motherboard that has no DDR RAM slots, we will query this with you, but in the end only you are responsible for your choice of goods. To assist you with this we include links to manufacturers’ web sites and reviews. Furthermore, if you are in doubt about the compatibility of items you intend to purchase we recommend that you contact us first. We can tell you if there are any known incompatibilities and we can tell you if we know of others successfully running the same combination of products - but we cannot and do not guarantee the absence of conflicts. If you need more information than we are able to provide we suggest you contact the manufacturer and/or search in the relevant Internet newsgroups, forums or magazines. Not using the latest drivers, installing the drivers on a system with a less than perfect Windows installation, and incompatible BIOS settings can also cause difficulties, and may make the hardware appear to be faulty when that is not the case. The bottom line is that PC’s aren’t Macs. If you are using an unusual combination of products, you may need to do a little research first.

There are a number of reasons: (1) We may be able to source it, but just haven't got around to listing it yet; (2) The manufacturer may not have made it available to this market; (3) The importer may feel that there will be insufficient demand for it - they bring in what they think will sell; (4) The importer may decide that it is too difficult/expensive to provide spare parts and replacements for models that they forecast will only sell in small numbers; (5) Better models may be only marginally more expensive than the excluded models.

The Kingston Memory Configurator is used to identify the exact Kingston memory part you need for your PC, notebook, digital camera, etc. It will also show you how many memory slots are available for expansion where relevant. Once you have identified the part you require you can simply add it to your shopping cart.

To use the Configurator just click the Kingston Configurator link at the top of the Memory or Memory Card pages. Click on the Manufacturer and System Type from the drop down lists. You can then either click the Find button, which will bring up a further drop down list of the various models, or you can type the model number in yourself in the Model field. Once you have selected the model a list of compatible RAM products will be displayed. Click on the View link to take you to the Ascent page for that product, and from there you can purchase the product as you would normally.

Unfortunately, we have no control over the look and operation of the Configurator, including the fact that it is contained within a frame. All of this is predetermined by Kingston themselves. However, despite those limitations it is still a very useful tool to identify the exact memory part you need.

We have access to a greater range of products than we have time to put into a consistent structured format for inclusion in our regular category listings. The "…More" category contains all the products that are in stock that we have not had time to assign to our regular categories. This category may not be suited to casual browsing, but it can be searched.

Because the Daily Deal is sold at cost, the quantity is limited to one per customer.

Due to the way they are generated, the entries in the "…More" category may have a slightly different price to the same product in the regular category. The products themselves will be identical.

A green tick next to a product means the item was in stock when we last received a stock update from the supplier (this is usually received daily). A red cross means that the item was out of stock at that time. If we have a known or estimated date for when new stock will be available, that date will be shown to the right of the red cross. An orange question mark means that suppliers of that product do not provide us with daily stock availability. You can email us for availability of such items before you place your order, or you can go ahead and order the item and we will advise you of the expected delivery date when we process your order.

No. "In stock" means in stock with our suppliers.

It depends. For many items it can be as little as 3 days, but for some items it can be several weeks. If you go ahead and place your order we will usually be able to tell you within 24 hours what the expected delivery date will be. If you don't want to wait then you can of course cancel your order without penalty.

There are two main reasons. First, the stock information is updated regularly, but it is not done in real time. The item was in stock at the time the supplier provided the stock information, but it subsequently went out of stock before we received your order and before we received an updated stock list. Secondly, the supplier may have made a mistake. We change the status as soon as are notified that an in stock item has gone out of stock.

There are several reasons. First, the ETA of new stock can be affected by factors external to New Zealand - shipping delays, changing demand in other markets, strikes, and even the weather. There can also be delays in clearing the goods once they have landed. Secondly, for some items that are only ordered in as required, the ETA is the ETA you could expect if an order is placed now. The item will always show as being out of stock and every day the ETA will keep shifting out by one day. Thirdly, the stock may have come in and been immediately sold out, so new stock has to be ordered in with a new ETA.

Some very popular items are always in short supply. When a new shipment arrives the people who have the item on backorder get their orders filled first. In some cases there may not be anything left over after these orders are filled. To be sure of getting a popular product that seems to be forever out of stock you may need to order it and get in the queue, or you may always miss out.

The Price Watch / Stock Watch icon takes you to a screen where you can sign up to be advised when the price of an item falls below a particular value, and/or when it comes back into stock. This means you don't have to keep coming back to check. The notification is sent to you via email (your email address is only ever used by Ascent - it is never divulged to anyone else).

We don't import product directly ourselves, but buy from local distributors. Some suppliers are better than others. To a certain extent the quality of the service we can provide you is dependent on the service we receive from our supplier. This affects such things as timely delivery in the first instance and support if there is a problem with the item later on. In order for you to make a better purchasing decision we have rated our suppliers in terms of the following: the general ease of dealing with the supplier, the reliability of the stock information and efficiency of delivery, and the degree of after-sales support should things go wrong. The rating is a percentage, with 100% (5 stars) being excellent in all areas.

This is the general ease of dealing with the supplier.

This is the overall ability to deliver the correct items on time. It also reflects the accuracy of the stock information we are given.

This is the quality of after sales support when things go wrong. It takes into account the speed at which the distributor typically deals with such problems, and the likelihood of getting a forward replacement.

Because you want them (and unfortunately, there are lots of good products being distributed by not-so-good suppliers).

There are two ways. The simplest way is to just select the items you wish to purchase, go to checkout, and select the "Normal Checkout" option. An account will automatically be created for you so you can check the status of your order, view your order history, and so on. You will receive by email details of how to sign in to your new account. The second way to create an account is to select the "Create an account" option at the time you checkout. Once your customer account has been created you can choose the "Express Checkout" option which will automatically read in your details (such as billing address, delivery address, phone, and so on). (See Customer Accounts for more details).

No. If you choose not to create an account manually, one will automatically be created for you when you checkout. (See Customer Accounts for more details).

No. Once you have an account you will be given the choice of using the "Express Checkout" method when you checkout. You will be asked for your name and password, after which your details will automatically be filled in from the data held on file.

Simply click the View Order button and then the Cancel order button.

If the item has not yet been shipped you just need to sign into your account by choosing the Your Account option from the home page, go to the Order Status and History page, select the relevant order and click on "Cancel this item" for the item you wish to cancel. If the item has already shipped you will need to obtain a Return Authorisation (RA) number from us. (See Returns and complaints).

Yes, just fill in a different delivery address.

Yes. We are located at Level 4, Eagle Technology House, 150-154 Willis St, Wellington. (See location map). However, we do not hold any stock at our office so you will need to place your order online. Choose COD (ie, cash on delivery) as the method of payment. We will notify you when your order is ready to collect.

If you have filled out all the required fields then it probably means that either your billing address or delivery address is missing from your account details. Go to Your Account and make sure that you have entered a delivery and billing address.

Unfortunately not. Only US residents are eligible for the prizes. We have added a warning to this effect in the first pop-up window, but unfortunately we are unable to remove the reference from the second window (this is a page that is out of our control, and we cannot simply bypass it as it contains security checks to ensure that store owners don't artifically inflate their own ratings).

Unfortunately, there are people who place fraudulent orders via the internet. In the case of stolen credit card numbers it can take several months for the fraud to come to light - by which time the fraudster and the goods are long gone. Consequently, we do all we can to ensure we are only supplying genuine customers in the first instance. In certain circumstances this may involve asking you to provide some additional information (such as a work phone number). If you do not wish to divulge any additional information then you still have the option of paying by direct credit. And remember, there is a 1.5% discount for paying by direct credit.

Sorry, please don't take this personally. We really hate to upset anyone, but if you are paying by credit card we won't ship the goods until we can associate you with a verifiable physical address. In most cases this simply involves getting a land line number that we can contact you on. If you would prefer not to give us a land line number or provide anything that indicates that you live at your address, you can still pay by direct credit.

Our terms and conditions are listed here.

Yes you can. Items will remain in your shopping cart for up to 90 days, or until you remove them. However, you pay the price at the time of checkout, not at the time the item is placed in the shopping cart. Also, even if an item is in stock at the time you place it in your shopping cart there is no guarantee that the product will be in stock when you check out. In some cases a product may be discontinued, in which case it will automatically be removed from your cart.

You pay the price at the time of checkout, not at the time the item is placed in the shopping cart.

Once the goods have been ordered.

You are free to cancel your order without penalty anytime up until the goods ship. The original credit card transaction will be reversed.

No. You can also pay by direct credit, cash, EFTPOS, or on account (see the following question). If you pay by direct credit you will qualify for a 1.5% discount. But please note that if paying by direct credit, goods will be shipped once the funds have cleared. Cash and EFTPOS are only available at our Wellington office (but note that we do not hold stock at our office). If you are an established Ascent customer and have applied for and been given a credit account, you simply enter your own purchase order number at the checkout screen in order to make a purchase.

Download and fill in our Credit Application Form and fax or mail it back to us. The establishment of accounts is solely at our discretion.

Normally credit accounts are for government agencies and corporate clients, although long-term clients who make significant annual purchases may also qualify.

We use Thawte SSL encryption, that ensures that you can communicate securely with us. SSL protects all communications such as credit card orders, and sensitive personal information such as passwords. SSL security makes eavesdropping of web traffic almost impossible. (See Security).

If you choose to pay by direct credit at the time of ordering there is a 1.5% discount off the order total. Our bank account number is 12-3140-0037941-01 (ASB Bank, Lambton Quay, Wellington), and the account name is Ascent Technology Ltd. In the payee field, please use your order number as the reference. There is no discount for paying by debit card, or by cash or EFTPOS when picking up the goods.

We accept VISA, Bankcard, Mastercard.

Because their commission is too high.

If you wish to pay by EFTPOS card, select COD as the method of payment. Because you need to enter your PIN, you must come to our Wellington store to pay by EFTPOS.

Our bank account number is 12-3140-0037941-01 (ASB Bank, Lambton Quay, Wellington). So that we can easily identify the payment when we receive it, in the payee field please use your name, and in the reference field please enter the order number (from the order acknowledgement email). You can get a copy of a deposit slip with the preprinted account number from here.

Because the funds have not yet appeared in our bank account. If you bank with ASB then any funds direct credited into our account will appear almost immediately. However, if you bank with another bank, the transfer of funds may not appear until the next business day. If you put the funds in outside of your bank's normal business hours it may take an extra business day before the funds appear in our account.

Yes we do. These are sent out when all the items have been shipped.

Yes, we can offer finance through Gilrose Finance for orders over $750 incl GST. All financing is subject to normal lending criteria and is not available for software. Please see here for further information.

If you are a first time customer, elect to pay by credit card, and we are unable to match your telephone number with a listing in the Whitepages, we will ask you to provide some form of verification of your address (either your home or workplace address.) Unfortunately, a common scam is to order something on a pre-paid mobile phone with a stolen credit card number, and get it delivered to an address that is not occupied during the day. We appreciate that many people have unlisted numbers, do not wish to divulge personal information, and do not welcome the inconvenience or delay inherent in establishing that they are genuine customers. We apologise for this inconvenience. If you are not listed in the Whitepages and wish to avoid this one-off check you can pay by direct credit instead (or pick up the goods in person if you live in Wellington). But please note that if paying by direct credit, goods will be shipped once the funds have cleared.

In some cases, such as PC builds or when multiple items have been ordered, we may ask for a 10% deposit for COD orders. This is because some customers in the past have placed COD orders that they later abandoned. This only affects some COD orders for customers who don't have much of a purchasing history with us. We will advise you if a deposit is required.

Yes, but please note that the customer is responsible for any associated bank fees or levies incurred when making payment from an international bank account. We recommend you contact us before you place your order to confirm what the charges will be.

This depends on whether the item is in stock. If the item is in stock and ordered before 3pm on weekdays it will usually arrive the next business day. Otherwise it will usually arrive the following day. Some rural areas and certain items going to the South Island may take a little longer. If the item is not in stock, we will advise you by email how long the item will take to deliver (at which time you may cancel the order without penalty).

The only thing we can be sure of is the date an order ships. While most orders are delivered promptly without incident, there are the odd occasions when the courier doesn't perform as expected (see next question). Unfortunately, once the package is in the hands of the courier it is out of our control. If an order goes missing we will gladly chase it up, but we are still at the mercy of the courier.

Once the goods are in the hands of the courier we have no control over the actual time of day that the parcel will be delivered. You will appreciate that general couriers are not offering an on-demand delivery system as that would be prohibitively expensive. Couriers generally deliver to a given area at set times of the day. If you are not at home when they call and there is no secure place to leave the package, they will leave a card. You can then make arrangements with the courier directly to pick up the package from their depot or have it redelivered or redirected.

We use a number of different courier companies.

The quality of courier services is extremely variable - with the same company giving excellent service in one area and terrible service in another. When you consider the nature of the courier business it is probably not surprising that this is the case. We have yet to find one company that provides excellent service in all areas all the time.

This depends on the courier company making the delivery. Some companies will leave a card providing contact details so you can make arrangements for the package to be redelivered or picked up. Other companies may leave the item at the door. However, you are not responsible for the goods until you actually sign for them.

Yes, but please note that we do not hold stock at our Wellington store.

Generally not. The reason for this is that NZ Post will only accept courier deliveries from Courier Post. This is part of Courier Post's competitive advantage and they are naturally unwilling to give it up by allowing other courier companies to deliver to PO boxes.

It depends. We generally do not ship outside New Zealand, but depending on the product and the destination we may make an exception for corporate clients. Initial purchases would have to be made via bank transfer, although once well established as a client we will also accept credit card payments. Overseas orders are charged at the lower GST exclusive price, but freight is extra. Also, please note that if the delivery address is outside New Zealand then freight is extra for replacements, items being sent back for repair, or items being returned after repair. Please note that additional bank fees or levies will be incurred when making payments from international bank accounts or credit cards. Any costs involved will be the responsibility of the customer. Please Contact Us for further information.

None if the delivery address is within New Zealand. Ascent offers FREE delivery within New Zealand on all items purchased online for delivery Monday through Friday.

We are able to do Sub60 deliveries in some cases, and that would be an additional service at an additional charge.

Yes. Click on Your Account and enter your name and password. Once you have signed into your account you can view your current order status, as well as view all your past orders.

Paperwork is sent via PDF to your email address or as a Hard Copy via mail (depending on which preference you select) after the goods are dispatched. All invoices can also be accessed by logging in to Your Account

If your order is for multiple items that we source from different distributors, it may arrive in several separate deliveries.

The "Expected to ship" date in your backorder report is the date it is expected to ship from our NZ supplier.

Yes, but it depends on the reason for the return and how long you have had the item. With the exception of some items (eg memory and printer consumables), which are noted on the website product description, unopened items can be returned for a full credit/refund if it is returned within 10 days of delivery, and the packaging is undamaged.

If a non-faulty item is returned, together with the original retail packaging, within 10 days of delivery, we will charge a 10% restocking fee. After 10 days and up to 30 days after delivery, we will charge a 15% restocking fee. After 30 days we will not accept returns for non-faulty items. Please note that an item is not considered to be faulty simply because it is incompatible with your other equipment. Due to copyright regulations, software cannot be returned for a credit if opened.

Unfortunately, if a non-faulty item isn't returned in its original retail packaging the restocking fee is 25%, even if it is returned within 10 days. It would therefore be wise to retain the packaging until you are sure you are going to keep the item.

There are simply too many combinations of devices for us (or anyone else) to know if a given item will conflict with other hardware. There are also too many driver-related and Windows-related issues for us to know what difficulties you will strike with your particular configuration. And finally, there are some people who simply do not have the necessary knowledge to get some tricky items working correctly (in some situations you may need a bit more than the instruction manual). If we notice any obvious incompatibilities in your order, such as ordering DDR RAM with a motherboard that has no DDR RAM slots, we will query this with you, but in the end only you are responsible for your choice of goods. To assist you with this we include links to manufacturers’ web sites and reviews. Furthermore, if you are in doubt about the compatibility of items you intend to purchase we recommend that you contact us first. We can tell you if there are any known incompatibilities and we can tell you if we know of others successfully running the same combination of products - but we cannot and do not guarantee the absence of conflicts. If you need more information than we are able to provide we suggest you contact the manufacturer and/or search in the relevant Internet newsgroups, forums or magazines. Not using the latest drivers, installing the drivers on a system with a less than perfect Windows installation, and incompatible BIOS settings can also cause difficulties, and may make the hardware appear to be faulty when that is not the case. The bottom line is that PC’s aren’t Macs. If you are using an unusual combination of products, you may need to do a little research first.

A restocking fee is necessary to deter some people from using us as a try-before-you-buy service. The restocking fee only applies if the item has been opened or if the packaging has been damaged in some way. In such cases we have to sell the items as clearance items at a reduced price, and the restocking fee helps offset the loss we incur on such items.

Then unfortunately we cannot take it back. Any non-faulty product returned must include everything that originally shipped with the item.

We increased the right of return period for non-faulty products from 7 days to 10 days to give everyone sufficient time to return an item if necessary. In additon, the right of return period is extended to 30 days for VIP customers.

VIP status is dynamically determined when an item is returned, and is based on the relative value of the item being returned compared to your past sales history. You might have VIP status for one return, but not for another. Very roughly speaking, if the item being returned has a value less than one-tenth of the total purchases you have made from us, then you wil have VIP status for that return.

If the fault is reported within the 10 day period (or 30 days if VIP), yes you can have a refund (or a credit if you prefer). If it is outside that period, then the item will be replaced or repaired.

A forward replacement is a replacement we ship to you before we receive the faulty item back. VIP customers qualify for forward replacements if they are available for the specific product being returned. We are not able to provide forward replacments for all products, and forward replacements cannot be sent to delivery addresses outside New Zealand.

You will be invoiced for the forward replacement.

If we sent the wrong item or if it develops a fault AND you let us know within 10 days of receiving the item, then we will either arrange to have the item picked up, send you a courier ticket, or reimburse you for the cost of returning the product to us or the service agent. However, any reimbursement is limited to the cost of an appropriately sized CourierPost Trackpak or, for larger items, the amount that we would normally pay a courier to get the item returned from your location. CourierPost Trackpaks are available at NZ Post outlets and cost up to approximately $15 for an envelope 395mm x 440mm in size. Before you spend hundreds of dollars on same day delivery from Dunedin to Wellington, check with us to make sure we will cover the cost. If you are returning the product after 10 days, or because you made a mistake or because it is incompatible with your other equipment, then you are responsible for the cost of returning the item. Also, if the item is being returned from overseas you are responsible for both the cost of returning the item and the cost of the return shipping where applicable.

Sign in to your account by clicking on Your Account. Select the "Return a Product" option in the left-hand frame, and select the order that includes the item(s) you wish to return. All the items on the order will be displayed. Any items still under warranty will have a checkbox beside them that you can tick to request a Return Authorisation (RA) number. You will be asked to specify why the item is being returned. Once we have received your request, and assuming it meets our criteria (see below), you will be issued with an RA number and instructions for shipping.

Please email feedback@ascent.co.nz to contact Ascent Management directly.

Items do not get added to the Returns Status page in real time. It will usually appear the next business day after submitting the request.

Some people have claimed after installing and then removing a CPU, that the motherboard was shipped with bent pins. Although it is highly unlikely that a motherboard would ship from the factory with bent pins, it is quite likely that pins could be bent in the process of installing or removing a CPU. We therefore strongly recommend that you inspect your new motherboard for damage BEFORE you attempt to install the CPU.

You create a Customer account by choosing the Your Account option from the home page and then clicking Create an Account. An email confirming your new account details will automatically be sent to you by email.

No. Everyone who purchases from us has a customer account. Being able to purchase "on account" (ie, pay after delivery) is only possible after you have filled out an Account Application form and have had it approved by us.

Registering with us has a number of benefits. You can use our Express Checkout which saves you having to enter delivery and billing information more than once. You can view your order history, submit returns for products you buy, get access to special pricing & promotions. These are just a few of the benefits of becoming a registered user.

Click on Your Account and select "Modify Account Details".

Click on Your Account, select Forgot your password and type in the email address you used to create this account. The password will be emailed to you.

Yes, however your order will only appear in the Order Status screen once it has been manually checked.

Yes. However, each account must have a different combination of email address and password. You can have the same email address with different passwords, different email addresses with the same password, or different email addresses and different passwords. It is up to you.

The two things you might be concerned about is privacy of information and credit card number security. It is best to look at this from the primary components involved in an internet credit card transaction: - your own machine: we don't recommend making purchases from public machines such as those in cybercafes or libraries, as you cannot be sure of installed snooping software (these might log your key-strokes of everything you type into a web site) - the internet connection: we use SSL security, which is the highest level available today internationally (up to 128 bit depending on what your browser supports), so all your details will transfer between your computer and the web-site encrypted, making this very secure - the credit card processor / banking organisation: we process your transactions manually just like any shop, so there is nothing to worry about here - the merchant / supplier: again, we are just like any shop that you might purchase goods through your credit card with.

We assure you that the transaction is in fact secure. However because we are using frames, there is no obvious visual indication that the page is secure. If you look at the Page Properties you will see that the page is secure.

A version of the credit card number is stored in a truncated form. For example, if your credit card number is 1111 2222 3333 4444, the number is stored as 1111…4444.

The data on the website is processed every few minutes. Until it has been procesed the full number will appear in your account details.

Yes. You must at least enable session cookies.

A cookie is a text file stored on your PC that stores information about yourself that our site can read.

You may have an anti-spyware application installed on your machine that is preventing the configurator from working on our website. The following describes how to correct the problem in ZoneAlarm Pro 6.x: In the privacy section, when the "3rd Party" option under "Cookie Control" is set to "Block" this prevents the Kingston Memory Configurator from working on our website. In order to fix it you need to set this to "Allow" for the website www.ec.kingston.com.

When you order, we need to know your name, email address, delivery address, billing address, and if paying by credit card, credit card number, and credit card expiration date. This allows us to process and fulfill your order and to notify you of your order status. When you sign up for our weekly Specials mailing list we need only an email address -- which we use to send the information you requested. By using our web site, you consent to the collection and use of this information by Ascent Technology Ltd for the purpose it was given.

Checkout is done via a secure server. In addition, your credit card number is encrypted as it travels to our ordering system. To ensure that your information is even more secure, once we receive your credit card information, we store it on a server that isn't accessible from the Internet. In the unlikely event that you are subject to fraudulent charges, remember to first notify your credit card provider in accordance with its reporting rules and procedures. If, for whatever reason, you are held responsible for any fraudulent charges made on our site, Ascent will cover the entire liability for you, up to $50, as long as the unauthorized use of your credit card resulted through no fault of your own from purchases made from Ascent.co.nz while using our secure server. If you feel more comfortable doing so, you are welcome to call in your credit card information and complete your purchase by phone.

Never, and that includes your email address.

Unfortunately, there are people who place fraudulent orders via the internet. In the case of stolen credit card numbers it can take several months for the fraud to come to light - by which time the fraudster and the goods are long gone. Consequently, we take precautions to ensure we do not supply such people in the first place. In certain circumstances this will involve asking you to provide some evidence that you live where you say you do. If you do not wish to divulge any personal information then you still have the option of paying by direct credit.

If at any time you would like to change any information in your account, just go to the Your Account link at the top right of any page and login using your email address and password. Here you can change or update your email address, password, delivery address, billing address etc.

If we change our privacy policy so that it will affect you in any significant way, we will notify you beforehand, using the most recent email address we have on file for you.

You can access your shopping cart and the checkout from any page on the Ascent website by selecting the links at the top of the page. After you have added an item you want to purchase to your cart, you can go to the checkout page to view the contents. From here you just need to follow the prompts to complete your purchase. If you have any troubles placing your order you can contact our customer service team by emailing sales@ascent.co.nz.

Our website uses Google Site Search. Searches are not case sensitive. All the normal techniques you use for searching in Google will work here as well. For example, you can simply enter a word or words, or you can modify the search using any combination of the following:

- Enclosing two or more words in double quotation marks (eg "USB drive") will restrict results to pages that have those words in that specific order.
- Using a hyphen immediately before a word (eg, External Drive -NAS) will exclude pages that include that word. More than one word can be excluded.
- Using OR between words will return results that match either word. OR must be written in uppercase.

The PC Builder is a tool to enable you to price a complete PC using any of the components we have listed on our website. You can build and save multiple configurations, and compare configurations you have saved. And if you set a trigger point for a configuration we will notify you when the price for that configuration falls below your specified value.

The ability to automatically calculate the price of any configuration and easily see what impact choosing different components has on price. Being able to compare different configurations side by side. The PC Builder also tracks price movements on your PC and shows you a "now vs then" comparison so you can see how much the price of your PC has fallen (or risen). In addition to this, by setting certain parameters you can be sent an email notifying you when the PC falls below a certain price. The PC Builder automatically works our whether a discount is applicable based on the components you have chosen (presuming you wish to build the PC yourself).

Unlike other PC Builders which are very limited in terms of which components you can use to build your PC, our PC Builder gives you access to 2,500 components so you really can build the ultimate PC. In order to provide you with this level of flexibility unforuntately it takes time to display this information. However, once the screen has loaded you have immediate access to all these components and there are no further delays.

It is possible that in some circumstances the PC Builder page could hang when downloading. The easist way to overcome this problem if it occurs is to access the page securely - in other words, set your browser address to https://www.ascent.co.nz/pcbuild.aspx.

No. We have intentionally left this logic out of the PC Builder. When we receive an order we check to see if there are any obvious compatiblility issues with the configuration you have chosen. However, while we will check for obvious incompatibilities such as ordering an AMD CPU and an Intel motherboard, or a power supply that is too underpowered for the CPU, we do not guaranteee that the various components you choose will necessarily work together out of the box. If in doubt, please contact us before placing your order.

If you want to build your own PC but are unsure about which parts to use, then you can try using one of our 4 preset configurations to get yourself started. We have aimed the 4 configurations at different types of users: Budget, Value for Money, High-end Gaming, High-end Business. You can easily change any selection in the preset configuration and then save the configuration as your own.

Most of the products you see on our website have been broken down into their various attributes and these are searchable via the Product Filter that appears on each Product Listing page. For example, a monitor may be a CRT or LCD; it may be beige or black; it may be 15, 17, 19 or 21 inches wide, and so on. This allows you to use the Product Filter to display, for example, only black 17" and 21" LCD monitors.

Yes. Just define a few more criteria and press the Apply Filter link again.

Stock statuses can be changed at any time of the day in response to updates we get from our suppliers. These changes appear in the stock status flag on the website within minutes of our receiving the information from the supplier. However, because of the sheer volume of product attributes, and the load this would put on our website if we were to update this information in real-time, we currently only update the stock attribute for the purposes of the Product filter once a day. The stock status as indicated by the green tick or red cross is a more accurate measure of the actual stock situation.

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication and is a free, time-saving way of getting the latest listings, specials and clearance items from Ascent Technology. Now you don't have to browse or search ascent.co.nz for new content. By subscribing to the relevant RSS feed the latest updates will be delivered to your RSS reader and available for you to view whenever you want!

1. Have an RSS reader. You can choose to download a dedicated desktop reader, use existing functionality in your web browser (if you're a Firefox or Opera user) or use a web-based one (that doesn't require a software download or installation). There's a wide range of different RSS readers available and they work on different operating systems - Downloads: Feedreader / RSSReader Web based: NewsGator

2. Copy the relevant feed URL from the list below and add it to your RSS reader.

Specials: http://www.ascent.co.nz/specialsrssfeed.xml;
New Listings: http://www.ascent.co.nz/whatsnewrssfeed.xml;
Clearance items: http://www.ascent.co.nz/clearancerssfeed.xml

For most products, no. We are the only computer retailer in New Zealand that provides a 3, 4, or 5 year warranty on everything except clearance products. For most products, this is already an extended warranty, and it is provided FREE of charge. There are a few products, such as servers and some laptops, for which we sell more comprehensive cover for those that need it.

All the products we sell, other than clearance items, come with a 3, 4, or 5 year limited warranty. This warranty is made up of the manufacturer's warranty period plus, in most cases, a FREE Ascent Extended Warranty. If the product breaks within the warranty period, we will repair or replace it with an identical product if the product is still available. If it is no longer available and unable to be repaired, we will replace it with a product of similar or better specification.

The length of the warranty for any given product depends on a number of factors, including the type of product, manufacturer, and our own experience with failure rates.

Yes and no. The warranty period in effect at the time of ordering determines the warranty period that applies to a given purchase. However, if failure rates for a product increase or decrease over time, the warranty period applicable to any new sale could decrease or increase respectively.

Consumables (eg ink, printer drums, projector lamps, batteries, etc) are designed to be used up over time, and each item has its own finite lifespan.Our warranty covers manufacturing defects and faults that surface during the warranty period; it does not extend the expected lifespan of the product. If a printer toner is rated for 3,000 pages and you print 3,000 pages in the first week, it is simply used up, not faulty, even though the warranty has not expired.

Like consumables, the warranty period ceases to be relevant once the product has been consumed. If you buy a software subscription for a year, the product will have been consumed a year after activation.

If the manufacturer’s warranty is on-site, then the warranty is on-site for the duration of the manufacturer's warranty period. The Ascent Extended Warranty is not on-site. Please note that on-site repair even during the manufacturer's warranty period is only valid within the areas defined by the manufacturer.

All mechanical and electrical faults are covered for replacement parts and labour costs. The Ascent Ascent Extended Warranty will usually cover whatever the manufacturer’s warranty covers.

- Damage to the product due to neglect, abuse, willful act or misuse
- Problems or malfunctions caused by unauthorized modifications or failure to follow the manufacturers installation, operation and maintenance instructions
- Routine maintenance
- Normal wear and tear
- Compensation for losses arising from the use of the product

The Ascent Extended Waranty is subject to any rights you may have under the Consumer Guarantees Act.

Lifetime warranties refer to the usual life of the product in the market rather than the life of the person who buys the product. We generally avoid using this term, although on rare occasions we may use it when the manufacturer displays it prominently on their product specification pages that we link to. On the rare occasions we do use it, you should not interpret the lifetime warranty to be any longer than 7-8 years.

Sorry, but the Ascent Extended Warranty is not transferable.

Simply select the gift voucher you would like to purchase and add it to your cart. A paper voucher is a physical gift voucher which will be sent out to your nominated delivery address. An electronic gift voucher will be emailed as a PDF to your email address. You can then forward it on or print it out for your recipient. Both types of gift voucher have serial numbers listed on them which your recipient can use to redeem online.

Yes, you can purchase both types of gift vouchers at the same time. Electronic gift vouchers will be sent separately to your email address and the paper gift vouchers to your nominated delivery address.

Paper gift vouchers come in denominations of $5, $10, $25 and $50.

No, discounts do not apply to a gift voucher purchase.

Once you have selected the product(s) you wish to purchase, go to the checkout and enter the serial number from each gift voucher you wish to redeem. If the gift voucher does not cover the full cost of the purchase, you will need to also select a payment method to cover the remainder.

The serial number is located on the back of the gift voucher.

Email sales@ascent.co.nz

You will be emailed a PDF gift voucher for the exact difference. This will have a new serial number, so you can redeem the new gift voucher on your next purchase.

Yes, the gift vouchers expire 10 years after the purchase date.

Windows 8 is out now!

There are four different flavours of Windows 8: Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro, Windows 8 Enterprise, and Windows RT. Windows 8 is the basic version of Windows. It cannot act as a Remote Desktop Server, or connect to a Windows Server domain. Windows 8 Pro is aimed at businesses and enthusiasts. Windows 8 Enterprise is similar to Windows 8 Pro, with additional tools to assist IT management. Windows RT is the version of Windows designed to run on ARM-based devices (eg tablets). There are 32 and 64 bit versions of Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro and Windows 8 Enterprise.

Yes, until 31 January 2013 anyone who purchases a qualifying Windows 7 PC is entitled to download a copy of Windows 8 for $19.99. The offer must be redeemed before 28 February 2013. All PCs that come preloaded with Windows 7 Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate are eligible for this offer.

The retail version of the full Windows 8 product can now only be purchased direct from Microsoft. However, Microsoft has relaxed its rules relating to the sale of the OEM product, and now allows it to be sold to enthusiasts building their own PCs. More importantly, it allows the OEM license to be transferred to new hardware. In the license agreement it now states: "You may transfer the software to another computer that belongs to you." However, you can't use the same license on two computers concurrently.

The reliability rating is based on the actual returns of faulty products we have experienced ourselves. On a global scale the results could be quite different as this rating is based on and limited to our own sales. The rating does not relate to an individual item, but to all items by the same manufacturer in the same category. A rating of 2.5 stars represents the normal rate of return we would expect from all our sales across all categories. Products that are very unlikely to develop faults will tend to have high ratings (eg network cables), while more complicated or fragile products (eg notebooks, hard drives) will tend to have lower reliability ratings. It is the rating relative to other manufacturers in the category that is important. A rating of 4 stars would be excellent for a hard drive, but not so good for a cable.

Please email webmaster@ascent.co.nz and we will respond to you as soon as possible.

If you are viewing our product spec page over a secure connection you won't be able to see the tweet us icon as Twitter currently doesn't support HTTPS.

Please try to force a refresh of the website by clicking F5, or ctrl+F5 or for some browsers try Alt+F5. If you are still having problems please email us: webmaster@ascent.co.nz.

Chrome has an issue with the cache not being cleared properly with our new website, we have had success with getting others to manually delete their cache. You can do this by clicking on Menu->Tools-> Clear Browsing Data. If you are still having problems, you can email webmaster@ascent.co.nz and we will reply as soon as possible.