Cougar Computers Turns out the lights

I dealt with Cougar from basically day one until about a year ago. I stopped dealing with them because they seemed to forget their roots at about that time. They went all “exclusive” and started giving me a hard time about not wanting to sell “parts” in small lots etc. Well on average I spent around $300K per year with Cougar and to be told in a round about way I wasnt a big enough customer to fit into their new model was very disapointing. In my opinion they basically planned themselves out of business. Someone who thought they had become invaluable started convincing others of this non fact and in business, once you think your indespensible, your gone. Cougar was no exception… very sad and completely predictible.

Thanks for that viper.

I used to work for Cougar. The problem was nothing to do with Apple or other. The owner, Richard Alexandar lost it. He hired ~approx 15-20 people in a few months expecting they’re ‘create’ more business, and when they didn’t he kept laying them off until he was the only one still working, unable to do it all. Richard believed he was the only person who could do anything properly or have a good idea and as such didn’t actually let any of the staff he’d employed fully do their job.

This is why a number of sales staff came and left. They were expected to bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales in their first few months. Richard thought he could create a market which wasn’t there.

As for the engineers/technicians – regardless of their training and knowledge, Richard was always right. Didn’t matter if they were a Cold Fusion Engineer, MCSE, previously a senior engineer at DSD, Richard always knew more. What’s the point of hiring staff if you don’t let them do their jobs???

It’s sad Cougar is gone as they really did have something other stores didn’t. But I have tell you, it wasn’t an external influence which caused Cougar (and Canberra Wholesale) to fall over, it was done from inside, by the man who started it all.

computer fares are dodgy, id rather pay an extra few bucks from a licensed trader with premises i can go back to if item x fails.

I think they stocked upper end components. It wasn’t the place to go for budget items. Thats what computer fair is for.

Hmm, maybe it’s just be but the few times I looked for parts on their site, I thought they tended to be a little more expensive than most (possibly with a better range though)

Dealings I’ve had with TechWareHouse have been better.

It’s sad.

For a while they were the go-to guys for anyone wanting quality and convenience in their IT. Their mail order and website was second to none.

I did wonder when they started sending out an ever changing cast of sales managers to talk to me.

Our purchasing model with them was we would identify a need, find the part on their website, place an order and wait for it to turn up in the post.

So the sales guys were as usefull as tits on a bull. It also indicated they didn’t understand what we valued in their business.

Then over the last 18 months they repeatedly changed their business model. Which only alienated customers.

They always seemed happiest flogging supercomputers though which is what Alexander technology is looking to do full time, so good luck to them.

I wonder if they weren’t the victim of resurgent Apple. The market for quality computers is small and the smart money seems to go apple’s way increasingly.

certainly the last 4 computer purchases i’ve been involved in went Apple where in the past they probably would have been to cougar.

The decline in desktops in favour of laptops also plays a part I guess. Less room for a factory in mitchell bolting computers together.

Try an ASIC search on the name.

Under COUGAR COMPUTERS CANBERRA PTY LTD it appears that an on 07/03/2005 there was a flurry of activity where an Administrator seems to have been appointed, resigned and the company was put under a deed of arrangement.

Anyone have any inside information about the demise of Cougar? Finacial problems? or a change of scene?