5/5

posted Feb-03-2011

I've purchased from StrongBiker three or four times. The owner apparently obtains quality NOS items (you'll see earlier versions of Time, MOA/Nalini, Shimano, etc. products) and offers them at low prices. Every purchase I've made has been shipped Priority Mail with Signature Confirmation. This requires me to go to the Post Office to pick up the box, which is a bit of a pain since I have to make a special trip. But I've always gotten what I ordered, well-packed, and fast, so I'll ignore the small inconvenience. Shipping costs are reasonable, too. You won't find a lot of products in stock, but if you find something you want, you'll probably get it at the lowest price you can find.

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3/5

posted Jan-26-2009

Swoopo is like a raffle. One person get a brand-new item at a bargain, while everyone else gets nothing. Here's how it works: Swoopo purchases and provides the merchandise, then sells bids to you at $0.75 each. Each bid increases the price of the item by $0.15. Unlike eBay auctions which end at a set time, each bid extends the auction's end time, so there is no last-second "sniping". The auction could end in the next 10 seconds or not for another 10 hours; there's no way to know.

Here's an example: take a $1000 MSRP HDTV (which Swoopo paid $750 for wholesale). After 1,000 bids at $0.75 each, Swoopo has made back what they paid for the TV. The current bid amount, however, is $1000 * $0.15, or only $150. Who wouldn't think a brand-new $1000 HDTV for $150 is a great bargain? Bidding will continue higher in most auctions, ensuring Swoopo of a profit. One person gets a bargain (double that $150 amount - $300 is still a bargain to the sole winner, while Swoopo now takes in $1,500 in bids), while the rest of the people get nothing for the bids they spent $0.75 each on.

Assuming Swoopo has no automated bidders driving the price higher, it's a "fair" system. The more you bid, the more you spend, but the more likely you are to win.

Swoopo even auctions bids, where you spend $0.75 per bid to get free bids, so there may be ways to take advantage of the site: perhaps buy free bids, use them to overpower other bidders and buy items relatively cheaply, then turn them around on eBay for a profit.

Just be aware of the rules before you play the game. The most likely outcome is that you'll get nothing for your money.

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4/5

posted Dec-05-2008

Never received book. Customer service very pleasant; no problem getting a refund.

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5/5

posted Dec-04-2008

This was my second purchase from cosmic-perfume. Like the first, it was bargain-priced, well-packed, and quickly-shipped.

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1/5

posted Dec-03-2008

CD sent promptly, but wrong disc received. Caiman promised to send a pre-paid return label, but never did. In the end, I sent it back on my own dime, and they refunded the purchase price only (not shipping either way, which I paid). Their screw-up, and it cost me $.

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5/5

posted Dec-02-2008

I've ordered from Amazon countless times and have always been 100% satisfied. This order was no exception. Amazon usually (but not always) has the lowest price, and I have yet to be disappointed with anything I've received. Always well packed and quickly shipped.

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3/5

posted Dec-02-2008

Actually shipped 4 days after "your item has shipped" email sent. Package arrived extremely beat up and missing parts, but I don't know if that's the fault of UPS or Shop4Tech. I would buy from Shop4Tech again, but only a small, lightweight item, not a big, heavy item.

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