3/5

posted Jan-16-2013

Government mandates for efficient lighting are making certain incandescent bulbs harder to acquire. Gladiator Lighting offers many of the bulbs that I have been unable to purchase locally. Here are my observations of their business.

1. Their website is clean, easy to search and navigate, and offers a good selection of bulbs.

2. Prices on some items are extremely competitive.

3. Shipping is reasonable, fast, and the bulbs were extremely well-protected. Additionally, Gladiator offers to handle any breakage via a phone call to their customer service department (fortunately, I had no need of this).

4. Communication via email was excellent. Tracking was supplied as soon as the shipment went out.

5. Here's the equalizer: the generic-branded bulbs they sent ("Damar") are made in China and of extremely low quality. Their lumen output is about 20% lower than brand-name bulbs of equal wattage. The white frost coating is so poor that you can see the filament inside when the bulb is on. I have no idea how long the bulb will last but I will update this review if its life is unusually short, as I expect it to be.

In summary, Gladiator Lighting offers very good services but in my case, some poor quality products. With that in mind, I recommend you be careful of which brands you order.

This review was modified by LarryScottB on January 16 2013 04:16:13 PM

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1/5

posted Jan-05-2013

This basement operation is another instance of getting exactly what you pay for: very little. The rock-bottom price with free shipping was too hard to resist. After two weeks of no delivery and multiple emails requesting a status, I was told the item had shipped on December 21st. Only after subsequently filing a claim with PayPal did I finally receive the tag, bearing a postmark of January 2nd. The steel dog tag I did receive is virtually worthless, as the engraving is so small and shallow that it is close to invisible. I recommend that you save yourself the time and trouble and cough up a few extra dollars for a more professional vendor.

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5/5

posted Oct-25-2012

After exhausting all resources on the internet looking for a reasonably-priced rolling catalog case, I found that ebags.com was the only vendor who not only had exactly what I was looking for, but offered it at a very good price. Some of the reviews here made me hesitate, but upon further analysis, it seemed that they were either questionable or solely related to misunderstandings, so I took a chance and ordered from ebags. I'm extremely glad I did. Here are my observations:

1. Their web site is very good. It's well laid out, easy to navigate, and provides very detailed photos and descriptions.

2. Prices are extremely competitive. In my case, shipping was free and no taxes were imposed. This made the bottom line unbeatable.

3. Although I didn't have to take advantage of their offer, apparently returns are free (ebags will pay the return postage) for a refund or an exchange.

4. Communication was excellent. I received immediate verification of my order, and also a subsequent notification of shipping, with tracking information supplied.

5. While shipping was not lightning fast, I received my bag in one week, which was fine.

6. Most importantly, the bag I ordered was perfect in every way, and even nicer than I expected. A leather case such as the one I received would cost at least double in a department store or a luggage store.

In summary, my transaction with ebags was positive and rewarding in every sense. Perhaps the prior negative reviews triggered a response in their staff to improve their service - which apparently seems to be the case. I will certainly look to them for future luggage needs.

This review was modified by LarryScottB on October 25 2012 04:58:16 AM

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4/5

posted Sep-02-2012

Judaica Savings is a small retailer of Jewish religious and cultural wares based in Brooklyn, New York. I ordered a gallon of lamp oil from Judaica Savings and here are my observations:

1. Their website is clean and reasonably easy to navigate. The items they sell are well presented with substantial details included.

2. Prices are competitive, although not the lowest.

3. JS accepts most credit cards as well as PayPal, a big plus.

4. Order status can be checked online. Order fulfillment was not the fastest, but very reasonable.

5. Shipping was slightly high, and tax was charged on the shipping. As a NY resident, I expected tax on the merchandise, but tax on shipping was an unpleasant surprise.

6. Packing was minimal and poor, and I was surprised the shipment got to me intact.

7. Email was answered relatively quickly and with welcome, professional courtesy.

Overall, the transaction was fine but there is room for improvement.

This review was modified by LarryScottB on September 02 2012 08:27:41 AM

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4/5

posted Sep-02-2012

Located in the heart of Amish country in Ohio, Lehman's is a home goods and hardware brick-and-mortar retailer with a very impressive web presence. I recently ordered two hurricane oil lanterns from them and here are my observations.

1. Their website, although somewhat busy, is extensive and very well constructed. Finding what I wanted, as well as some useful information about their goods, was easy and rewarding.

2. They carry a very large inventory of hardware and home supplies, and their prices are highly competitive.

3. I did not sign up for an email-based login account but instead ordered without one. Their website does not provide a way of checking order status without an account, a small but annoying nit. I had to call customer service to ascertain its status. I got through to them with no wait and the woman I spoke with was very friendly and helpful.

4. The lanterns were packed professionally and with great care. Shipping was reasonably fast and inexpensive ($10) but unfortunately they use "UPS Surepost" which delivers the package to a local US Post Office who must then take over the delivery to your address. This almost always adds at least one extra day (and sometimes more) to the delivery time.

To summarize, I was happy with the entire transaction overall and I would not hesitate to order from Lehman's again. If they would modify their website to allow order status checking via order number and some other secure information, and change shipping to regular UPS, they would easily earn five stars.

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2/5

posted May-01-2012

EMTC sells accessories for electronics, including TV remote controls, cell phone chargers, cables, etc. This review is based on my purchase of an OEM replacement remote control for a TV.

EMTC's website indicates that they carry remotes for almost every TV on the market. While almost everyone sells "universal" remotes, EMTC seems to specialize in original equipment from the manufacturer (OEM) and their prices are very competitive.

THAT BEING SAID, I was happy to order a "Genuine Original Element S0702142 Remote" since I wanted the OEM device which provided functions very specific to the TV that are not available in an generic or universal remotes. The website indicated that the item was in stock.

A week or so later I received a generic, universal remote, with no explanation of why the OEM item was not sent. They simply made the substitution without asking my permission. Additionally, the cheap, generic remote they sent is available in my local pharmacy for half the price I paid EMTC.

A very negative aspect of EMTC's online ordering is that there is no provision for checking the details of your order. Additionally, their order status email, although timely, do not identify any details of your order. It's virtually impossible to see what item(s) you ordered after the fact.

Using their "30-day, no-questions-asked" return policy, I returned the unwanted item and was credited for it, but my return postage was out-of-pocket and not credited.

The unauthorized substitution, the lack of order details anywhere, and the failure to refund my postage are the basis for my rating.

I will not be returning as a customer to EMTC.com anytime soon. Caveat emptor.

************** IMPORTANT NOTICE ***********************
emtc solicits positive reviews at resellerratings.com with their orders. Additionally, an extremely large proportion of the five-star reviews of emtc in this forum are from submitters who provided only that review and no others. I suggest that you treat this circumstance with suspicion and give more credence to those reviewers who have reviewed several different vendors.
*********************************************************

This review was modified by LarryScottB on May 03 2012 10:35:52 AM

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3/5

posted Apr-20-2012

I think it's important to understand a few things about DHgate to get some perspective here:

1. DHgate is NOT a vendor or seller. It is a central online service for individuals to market and sell their goods (much like ebay or etsy). Therefore, although your transaction is handled by DHgate, all other factors (pricing, quality of merchandise, shipping, communication, etc.) are the responsibility of whatever individual you're dealing with.

2. DHgate is entirely a Chinese operation. All of the sellers and all of the wares are based in China.

3. The quality of some of the Chinese goods being offered can be extremely low. Fakes, knock-offs and generally poor-quality items are rampant.

4. After-the-sale support is rarely dependable. Remember, you're dealing with people whose first language is Chinese, and who have little or no means to handle returned goods or otherwise address problems.

5. It is highly risky to order anything of value that seems like a substantial "bargain." For exampe, ordering a wedding dress online is probably foolish regardless of the site, but ordering one from China borders on insane, and ordering from DHgate - where it's actually coming from someone's garage, is beyond understanding.

6. HOWEVER, ordering small, cheap items (like those you'd find in the local "Dollar Store") is probably the only safe way to use DHgate.

7. Use a reputable payment facility like PayPal where you can hopefully get your funds returned to you if there's a problem.

ALL THAT BEING SAID, my experience with DHgate was perfectly fine. I ordered a dozen pairs of sunglasses for a party, and although the shipping took about two weeks, I received them exactly as described. Shipping was free. I was able to use PayPal to protect my purchase. DHgate provided several emails related to the transaction status, including tracking information from Hong Kong.

In summary DHgate is fine so long as you use it with caution and with the knowledge of whom and what you're dealing with, and limit your liability to very low-priced purchases.

This review was modified by LarryScottB on April 20 2012 04:46:00 PM

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4/5

posted Mar-19-2012

Bones Bats is a small company that manufactures and sells "professional" hardwood bats for baseball and softball. The company is owned and operated by former major leaguer Javy Lopez. I ordered a custom-designed softball bat and here are my observations.

1. Their website is clear and easy to navigate. Their product lines are well-delineated. Some of the site's information is just fluff (like the blog). There is a very nice feature to customize the bat you're ordering.

2. Prices are competitive, especially considering the they will make a bat to order for you.

3. Shipping was slightly high but within reason. The bat was well packaged, and most importantly, Bones Bat stuck to their promise of getting a custom-made bat manufactured and sent to me within 15 days. I received mine in exactly 15 days.

4. The quality of the bat looks and feels very good, and my specs were met exactly as I requested. I've yet to actually use the bat, so I'll update this review once it gets field-tested.

5. I received an email order confirmation immediately after ordering. The only problem I encountered with Bones Bat was related to subsequent communication. I was not able to check on the status of my order online, and when I emailed them, there was no response at all. Soon after I had placed my order, I did receive a personal email from Javy Lopez informing me that production might be delayed due to weather-related problems at their manufacturing site. This was nice of him, but his email included all his customers' email addresses in plain view, earning an "E" from any scorekeeper.

In summary, I as pleased with Bones Bat, but I'd like to see their after-the-sale communications improved. If the bat lives up to its touted quality, I'll be back for more.

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5/5

posted Mar-15-2012

Bows 'n Ties is a San Francisco-based operation that sells men's ties, a few women's scarves, and related accessories. I purchased a silk tie from them and here are my observations:

1. Their website is beautifully laid out, easy to navigate, informative, and provides excellent images of their wares.

2. Their selection of ties is classy and elegant, and satisfyingly absent the dopey novelty and other ugly ties that clog up many of the other ties-only websites.

3. The quality of the tie I received was excellent, and thread-for-thread as good as or better than similar ties at Brooks Brothers or Neiman Marcus that cost 5 to 10 times as much.

4. After-the-purchase communication was exemplary, with emails at every step of the process, including tracking information with easy links.

5. The tie was wrapped, boxed and shipped carefully. Shipping charges were reasonable and shipping was fast.

In summary, Bows 'n ties provided a pleasurable shopping experience from beginning to end and proved to be a model web vendor. If they have the tie you're looking for, don't hesitate to order from Bows 'n ties.

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2/5

posted Mar-14-2012

Dessy.com, or “The Dessy Group,” also known as A & M Rosenthal, is a wedding apparel vendor located in New York City (their corporate office is in the same building as the somewhat famous Kleinfeld’s). My recent experience with dessy.com revealed that basically they’re an old-fashioned bridal schmata business that hired a very good web designer for their online presence, but they have a lot of learning and experience to gain before they can be considered a good online source. Here are the details:

The good:
1. Dessy’s website is spectacular. It’s extremely well-designed graphically, and presents their product lines clearly, comprehensively and with stunning use of images, colors and layout. It’s a model website (no pun intended) for this type of vendor.

2. They offer a large collection of wedding formal wear, primarily for women, although many men’s accessories are available, and many of those accessories are specifically coordinated with bridal party gowns and dresses.

3. From what I can tell, their prices are competitive.

The not-so-good:
1. Dessy.com’s after-the-purchase customer service is very poor. From what I can tell, their website is supported by a technician-for-hire, but anything that has to do with the actual purchase gets referred to someone else. Email responses are achingly slow; the quickest response I got (using their “contact us” link to initiate a return) took 2 days, and that response simply referred me to someone else’s email address, after which it took another 3 days to get a response.

2. Their product descriptions are carefully worded to avoid anything that might reveal low quality. In my case, a tie and pocket square were described in flowing terms like “duchess satin” but which turned out to be cheap polyester made in China. I had arrived at the page for these accessories from the site’s “Silk ties” link, so I was quite surprised that what I ordered was not silk.

3. Shipping charges were very high, and were not variable based on the order.

4. Order fulfillment was very slow, and communication was totally lacking.

5. Every step of the return process was a very slow and mistake-laden experience. Dessy’s staff could not handle the fact that I wanted to pay for return shipping myself (and not use their overpriced shipping), could not accurately calculate the return amounts due, ignored most of my simple and straightforward emails, and the entire return process took many weeks before they finally got it straight.

In summary, I think dessy.com needs to acquire and train a staff specifically for its online business. This old-fashioned garment-industry business needs to advance to the digital age and understand the online business model. I was taken in by the flash and quality of their website, but totally put off by the experience of dealing with The Dessy Group as a consumer. With unknown web vendors, I gauge their overall performance by a trial purchase such as this one. Perhaps my experience is indicative of how a small purchase is treated by dessy, and perhaps I might have received better service had I dropped several thousand dollars on their goods, but I will never find out. Are you willing to risk YOUR money for such an important occasion with this type of customer support?

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4/5

posted Mar-13-2012

Tuxedo Expo (also doing business as Smarttuxedo.com), is another in a large crowd of formal wear vendors on the web. I recently ordered a shirt, and here are my observations:

1. Their website provides some search options (like designer name) and is fairly well laid out, but offers NO drill-down facility for the specific characteristics of the item you're seeking. This needs to be improved.

2. Their wares range from pure, low-end schlock to decent, mid-level clothing.

3. Prices are competetive.

4. Stock levels are shown online, but are not 100% dependable. This is because they often have your order drop-shipped from their supplier, and they depend on the supplier keeping their stock information up-to-date.

5. Shipping is relatively fast (when what you want is in stock) and shipping costs are reasonable (but not free).

6. Items are fully returnable (including shirts, a BIG plus) and I got this in writing before ordering.

7. After-the-order communication needs improvement (see next point).

8. The shirt I ordered was not actually in stock and I only found this out when my online order status hadn't changed to "Shipped" after waiting 3 business days. I emailed their Customer Service rep, who was quick to respond (within a few hours) and very apologetic. He offered a full refund, a substitute item, or a slightly different size of the shirt I wanted. I chose the last option and it arrived in one day, and with a minor adjustment of the collar button, it fit fine.

In the end, I'm happy with my purchase, and the personal, fast customer service I received made up for some of their other failings. This is not a stellar operation, but they're trying.

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4/5

posted Mar-05-2012

I've been using justbats.com as the primary supplier of bats for my softball team for several years. Here's what I think you should know:

The good:
1. Their selection is enormous, and their primary website (however, see below) is very well laid out. You can drill down to very specific characteristics to find a very specific range of choices.

2. Prices are competetive, but not always the lowest. I've occasionally found it cheaper to go directly to the bat manufacturer's site.

3. Shipping is lightning fast and free. That is a BIG plus.

4. Customer service has been responsive and sympathetic. They've replaced a few broken bats in the past for free when it was obvious the bat should have lasted longer.

5. Customer reviews are posted whether good or bad (however see below).

The not so good:
6. The company maintains many different web sites using different dot-com names and different layouts (softballbats, baseballbats, etc.) and I assume this is a ploy to squash some valid competition and boost their results in search tools. I can't fault them for strong marketing but the fact that their alternate web sites are designed to look very different smacks of deception.

7. Some bats are available from the manufacturer with personalization, but JustBats.com does not extend those services via their website(s).

8. Bad reviews of the products they offer, although sometimes published, are not always published. I've submitted a few negative reviews of a few bats for quality-related reasons, and they were apparently ignored.

In general, justbats.com is a very good source for baseball and softball bats of all kinds, and I've been a happy customer for years. Were it not for some of their questionable marketing practices I would rate them 5 stars.

This review was modified by LarryScottB on April 12 2012 09:58:57 AM

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5/5

posted Feb-28-2012

5DollarFrames is the web presence for a business that manufactures and sells picture and document frames. They're based in Georgia and their motto is "Our frames are made from real wood. No Junk. No Fillers. No Additives. Just good old-fashioned quality products." Everything they sell is made in the U.S.A. I recently had a need for some rustic-style frames and purchased four from 5DollarFrames. Here are my observations:

1. Their website is clear, informative and thorough. It was easy to find exactly what I wanted, as well as all the details related to the products.

2. As their name implies, their prices are incredibly competitive. Not every item is $5.00, but all the prices are relatively low. I don't think I could get a better deal anywhere.

3. Very reasonable options are offered with their frames (sizes, glass, plexiglass, easel backs, etc.), a very nice feature.

4. I ordered real barn-wood frames and I could not have been more pleased with what I received. They are real barn wood, very well made, and have exactly the rustic look I was looking for.

5. Communication was exemplary. I received email immediately from the vendor at every step of the process (registering, ordering, shipping).

6. Shipping charges were reasonable and shipping was lightning fast. Additionally, the packaging was excellent, especially considering that I ordered glass with my frames.

7. They accept many forms of payment, including PayPal.

In summary, 5DollarFrames has made an extremely satisfied customer out of me with every aspect of their business. This is not a fluke; they have really done a great job and obviously care about their customers..

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3/5

posted Feb-14-2012

eTuxedo.com is one of several online sources for tuxedos and other related formal wear. Based on my recent experience with eTuxedo, they apparently differ somewhat from other similar operations in that the site is connected to a real, brick-and-mortar clothing store in Detroit that has been selling tuxedos for many, many years.

I purchased and returned a "designer" tuxedo from eTuxedo.

Here's what was good:

1. The selection offered is reasonably good for bargain-hunters. Most of what's available falls toward the lower end (under $500) of the "designer" models. Many formal accessories are also available at competitive prices.

2. Shipping was free and reasonably fast.

3. There is a real store with real salespeople behind this website and you can call them during normal U.S. business hours to chat about potential purchases.

4. Many of the tuxedos are available as separates, so you can order the jacket and trousers individually to meet your specific sizing needs.

5. Purchases are returnable within 30 days for a refund. I returned mine and received a credit on my CC account within a week. A $5 shipping charge was deducted from the credit (i.e. shipping is "free" only if you keep it).

Here's what was not so good:

1. eTuxedo/com's website is a strange mix of limited useful, fairly-organized information and some totally useless or other amateurish, dead-end pages that annoyed or frustrated me. You can generally find what you're looking for, including with some images, via the links along the edge. However, some pages do not provide a way to order what you've found (specifically those for Hugo Boss tuxedos), some pages represent significantly old, useless data, and some are
just filler or fluff. However, in the end, if you want to order a tux, enough of the website will support that.

2. The tuxedo I ordered was drop-shipped from a warehouse in New Jersey, folded into a plain cardboard box with no hangers, no garment bag, and no reasonable protection from creasing or scuffing. I assume this lack of shipping quality is a cost-cutting measure, but etuxedo was the only vendor among three from which I ordered that shipped so carelessly.

3. The quality of the tux I received (Calvin Klein) was good, but not great. It was made in China and worth about what I paid for it. Compared with the quality of similarly-priced tuxedos I ordered from three different vendors, this was right in the middle, neither the best nor worst.

4. eTuxedo doesn't maintain a working online account for after-the-order status checking or other support issues. Their first email to me included a URL, ID and password for a secure website that would supposedly provide status information, but it never worked ("The server encountered an internal error and was unable to complete your request. Either the server is overloaded or there was an error in a CGI script. ") This was more evidence of an amateurish web operation overall.

5. With all online apparel vendors, returns are a fact-of-life. eTuxedo has not embraced the online aspect of this fact, because there is no way to acquire an RMA via their website. You must call the store in Detroit, and leave a callback number so that a salesman can call you and provide the RMA. This is apparently a vestige of their brick-and-mortar operation (perhaps so the salesman can talk you into a replacement?), but come on guys, this is the 21st century. It's time to automate.

6. After-the-sale communication consisted of a mix of sales emails and other boiler-plate items congratulating me on my purchase (a week after I returned it). When I ordered my tux, there was no email opt-out option. Again, not the most contemporary web design.

In general, eTuxedo may be a reasonable source for you if you're seeking a low-to-medium-end tux. I was not too impressed with their operation or quality, but in the end, it's an honest business providing exactly what they're touting, so you can deal with them without worrying about fly-by-night issues.

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4/5

posted Feb-03-2012

Buying clothing online is always a crapshoot (especially with a horrible name like this place has), but I was pleasantly surprised by my experience of ordering a complete designer tuxedo from buy4lesstuxedo.com. Here are my observations:

1. The website is one of the better organized sites among those selling tuxedos, although that's not saying much. However, it was fairly well-organized, and provided a good range of brands, styles, sizes and options. One of the most appealing is the ability to choose individual sizes for jackets and trousers, thus minimizing necessary tailoring.

2. There's no comparison when it comes to prices online vs. those at retail department or specialty stores (even the so-called discount stores like Joseph E. Banks). The items at this site were far less expensive. Compared to other competing online stores, this one is just slightly more expensive (but worth it - read on).

3. Shipping is not free, but limited to a maximum of $8.95 per shipment, which I think is very reasonable. I ordered on a Friday and received my tux on the following Tuesday. It came in a garment box, complete with appropriate suit hangers and all the expected tags.

4. I ordered three different tuxedos from three different sites, and this was the only site that sent a tux that completely matched the quality of its description. Made in Canada, the tux I receive was perfect, the exact size ordered, and of very obvious, good quality. It was, in my opinion, a bargain.

5. Communication from the site was good but could use some tweaking. Ordering information was easy to retrieve, but no so for the tracking info, which required me to send a separate email. Their response to me email took 24 hours.

In general, I was pleased with buy4lesstuxedo, and I would buy from them again. I recommend it to those not anxious to spend a lot more for a tux of potentially lower quality at the local department store.

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