4/5

posted Feb-13-2006

drsfostersmith.com was almost a model web site and vendor.* (See additional comment at end) The site itself is well-designed, and combines a wealth of information and a very robust line of pet-related products.

Prices are very competitive, and in my case, among the lowest I was able to find any where.

Shipping charges were reasonable, and shipping was relatively fast. I was not thrilled with the packaging, however. I ordered a dozen different items and they were apparently all just thrown into a large box by their warehouse picker. A little more care should be exercised.

Their communication was excellent, with order confirmation and subsequent shipping confirmation (with tracking info) promptly sent via email.

I've not had occassion to use their customer service so I can't comment on it.

In comparison to some of their competitors such as PetSmart, PetCo and Petland Discounts, I'd have to say that drsforstersmith.com is generally better.

Addendum to original review:
On my second order, I was very disappointed to find that an item which was listed as in stock was actually on backorder. I received no email regarding this, and only found out about the delay after a week when I checked on the status of my order. ALL backorders should be communicated as soon as possible, and an option to cancel the order should be provided in such cases.

This review was modified by LarryScottB on February 21 2006 08:29:18 AM

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5/5

posted Dec-17-2005

Very competitive prices, easy to use website, and best of all, they had what I was looking for, in stock, when many others did not.

Although they offered free shipping (for my purchase of over $49), I opted for the 3rd-day shipping for an additional $3.50. That turned out to be a good choice, as I received the shipment the next day!

Their communication was excellent, with emails sent for every stage of the transaction, including tracking information and links.

Drugstore.com also offers "points" for purchases that may be accumulated and redeemed as discounts on future purchases.

I have had no cause to use their customer service, so I can not comment on it.

Based on my experience, I recommend Drugstore.com without reservation.

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1/5

posted Apr-05-2004

Horrendous, unprofessionally slow shipping. Item did not go to shipper until 12 days(!) after order was placed online. Autoresponder for all emails, no personal assistance whatsoever. If you read their feedback on amazon.com, you'll find that over 10% (which translates to over 2,000 orders) were late or never shipped. This vendor should be avoided until he gets his act together.

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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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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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1/5

posted May-26-2010

Entirelypets.com, as their name suggests, sells a limited selection of pet-related items. Their prices are about the same as most other pet supply vendors. Their web site is reasonably easy to navigate, though drilling down to find exactly what you want is not as easy as it is on others' sites.

EntirelyPets uses Yahoo's online vending and checkout service, a sure sign of a relatively amateurish operation. Their shipping charges are reasonable, and they accept the ubiquitous and obnoxious coupon codes posted around the internet for small discounts. (Why can't these operations simply lower their prices right up front?)

EntirelyPets is guilty of a very notorious set of business practices: selling items that are known to be out of stock, not indicating their unavailable status online, and failing to notify the buyer (in this case, me) that it may be weeks before the order will ship due to the out-of-stock situation. These sleazy and unprofessional acts are enough to justify my recommending that you shop elsewhere, but there's more.

When I discovered that one of two items had been backordered (via a phone call after no shipment notification was received after 4 days), I was told it would be "a week or two before they got the item in, and then another 3 to 5 business days for it to ship." I requested that the entire order be canceled and was told that was impossible since the other item was "already picked at the warehouse." I would have to let them ship it, refuse delivery, have it returned, and then wait for a credit to be posted. Are they kidding? This is the kind of unfriendly, customer-repellent routine that gives so many online vendors a bad reputation.

My recommendation is to shop at any of the other larger, more professional and certainly more customer-friendly operations that sell pet supplies. You're sure to find what you want at equal or even better prices and you won't have to deal with this type of garage-based, amateurish, annoying operation.

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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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2/5

posted Jun-22-2010

EverythingKitchens.com sells (obviously) kitchen and other household items at very competitive prices, with the added bonus of free shipping and no sales tax (except for Missouri residents). My experience was based on the purchase of a coffee maker listed at the lowest price I had seen on the internet.

Having learned from experience, I checked carefully on their website for stock information. Finding nothing to indicate if it was in stock, I called customer service and was told "it was available." Here are my observations:

Positives

1. Very detailed and reasonably navigable website.

2. Extremely low pricing

3. Free shipping and no sales tax (except for Missouri residents).

4. Large selection of items.

5. Customer Service was available by phone within 10 minutes.

Negatives

1. No indication on the website of product stock or availability.

2. EveryThingKitchens.com does NOT provide out-of-stock information, and apparently does not even like to use that phrase, either by phone or email.

3. Incorrect information provided by Customer Service (I was told item was available when in fact it was out of stock).

4. No after-the-sale communication regarding out-of-stock status. After 3 days of no contact, I had to call to get my order status, and only then was told, "it will be coming from the manufacturer in about a week."

5. Order status can not be checked online unless you register in advance with a password. You can't check status with your order number and other personal information, nor can you register to get the status once the order has been placed.

6. A hold for the sale amount is placed on your credit card before the item is shipped (and when it's out of stock, and this is inexcusable).

In summary, this is another price low-balling operation with good potential but with some practices that make low-price-hunting a risky endeavor for web-based consumers. Over and over, I find that the lesson is the same: for the few dollars saved, you will pay in other ways. My advice is to be willing to pay those few dollars for a more reliable business with fewer shady or questionable practices.

A final note: I suggest you pay VERY CAREFUL ATTENTION to many of the reviews posted here for EverythingKitchens.com, but not because they're good. I noticed a very distinct common "flavor" (vocabulary, style and syntax) to many of them, and also discovered that the bulk of the very favorable reviews were written by users who enrolled at RR on the same day the review was written, and who had no other reviews posted. I tend to disregard such reviews as they seem very suspicious and hint of fraud.

This review was modified by LarryScottB on June 22 2010 05:08:54 AM

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5/5

posted Jul-06-2007

fragrancenet.com provides heavily discounted prices on several popular name-brand perfumes, colognes, and related items. Their prices alone make a visit to their website worth it. If you're used to purchasing fragrances at chain department stores, you might assume that fragrancenet is selling knockoffs. Based on their guarantees, and on what I received, they are certainly not. What they sell is the real thing.

I ordered an eau de toilette, popular among twenty-somethings, as a gift. fragrancenet's price was exactly half what I had paid in the past at a local mall shop, so I ordered two, and got free shipping thrown in.

Their web site is relatively easy to navigate, and indicated that the item was in stock. I checked for a few other items (for men) and found that they were listed as Out of Stock. I called their toll-free number to inquire and was provided very pleasantly (by a local person - no strange, foreign accents!) with the information I sought.

I ordered on Friday morning, and received my order the following Thursday. Because I am so spoiled by the lightning-fast shipping from Newegg.com, this seemed a bit slow to me. However, it is actually a reasonable turnaround.

fragrancenet.com also accepts PayPal, a big plus.

They provided several status emails at every step of the process, from ordering through delivery (5 in all). They also provide an online order status check facility.

My shipment came with a free sample of another fragrance, as well as some coupons for future purchase discounts.

In summary, my experience was extremely pleasant, and I received exactly what I was looking for at a terrific price, with no shipping charges. If my order had been shipped a few days earlier, this vendor would have received a perfect rating. But I will certainly use them for any fragrance-related purchases I'll be making in the future.

Now, if only there were a way to send scents via email...

This review was modified by LarryScottB on July 06 2007 06:37:34 AM

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4/5

posted Apr-02-2008

Sean James Enterprises, dba Garment Racks Etc. is a Georgia-based, small business selling (obviously) garment racks and related hardware. This review is based on two separate experiences with SeanJames, and is a true example of having to put up with the bad to get the goods.

PROS:

1. They sell very good quality merchandise. You won't find the cheap little throwaway racks typically sold by Target, KMart, etc. at SeanJames. SeanJames' hardware is sturdy and built to last.

2. They offer enough variations of the racks to meet most needs (and budgets).

3. Their customer service is pleasant and responsive, via telephone or email.

4. Their website is easy to navigate and informative.

CONS:

1. SeanJames provides absolutely no after-the-sale information whatsoever, period. No shipping information, no tracking numbers, no email other than one auto-generated (via their online host, Yahoo) confirming the sale. The only way you're going to get shipping info is to ask for it by phone or email.

2. Some of their racks require assembly, but are not accompanied by any documentation at all. Again, you'll have to call or email for instructions if you need them.

3. Their website mentions UPS as their shipper, but they use FedEx Ground, one of the worst shipping services in the industry. Don't expect a word of any "Special Shipping Instructions" - if you provide any - to be followed. They won't be.

4. Shipping rates are high. True, the racks are heavy, but it seems that their rates are inordinately expensive, and may be padded.

5. Shipping is slow. First time, the items were shipped 3 days after the order was placed. Second time, they were shipped 8 days after the order was placed.

In summary, SeanJames is a good resource for garment racks, and for the quality offered, they seem to have little or no competetion in their price class. However, you need to put up with their amateurish, non-existent communication and low-end shipping practices to get the goods.

This review was modified by LarryScottB on April 02 2008 12:22:59 PM

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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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5/5

posted Jun-07-2006

G.I. Joe's met all of the requirements I personally use to rate an online vendor excellent:
1. Their website was straightforward and easy to use.
2. Their prices were reasonable.
3. Shipping/handling fees were reasonable (and in this case, free!)
4. Email notification was excellent - an order confirmation, subsequently followed by a shipping confirmation.
5. Ability to check order status online.
6. Rapid shipping (I received my order in less than a week), and good packaging.
7. And, of course, the fact that they had exactly what I was looking for! In this case, it was a very specific pair of hiking pants from Columbia.

Based on my experience with G.I. Joes, I'd say that if you find what you want in their inventory, you can't go wrong using this excellent vendor.

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1/5

posted May-06-2004

Ordered a used CD and paid in full via PayPal. Received a myriad of email from inetDVD regarding "how to pay", and no acknowledgement of my order or payment. A week later, received an email indicating that my order was processed, supplying a URL to check status. Checked status and found a message stating "Issue with order - Contact Customer Service". Endless emails to their customer service went unanswered. Left two phone messages that were also unreturned. Finally reached them two weeks after the order and was told the CD was damaged and they were "waiting for another to arrive, but they didn't know when it would come in." (!!!) They offerred to refund my payment via PayPal (which I'm still waiting to see). This is an amateur operation (probably out of someone's bedroom) at best. I'd keep away if i were you.

VERY IMPORTANT: InetDVD does the bulk of their business via ebay. I have discovered that they have accrued over 1,000 (!) NEGATIVE feedbacks on ebay, and that in EVERY SINGLE CASE, whenever anyone posted negative feedback to warn others, InetDVD posted retaliatory negative feedback to the buyer's account. Based on this, I STRONGLY recommend that you do NOT do any business with them.

This review was modified by LarryScottB on April 10 2005 03:36:31 PM

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2/5

posted Jan-14-2011

ivgStores.com is an internet-only business that provides an online front-end for ordering hundreds (if not thousands) of items that other vendors supply. ivgStores does NOT stock or ship anything; it simply acts as a middle-stop between you, the shopper, and suppliers who don't deal directly with the public. It's very important to be aware that whatever you're buying is going to be drop-shipped to you from the supplier, NOT from ivgStores. Your order ultimately will be at the control and mercy of that supplier. Most facets of the transaction - availability, returnability, shipping dates, etc. are controlled by the supplier, not by ivgStores.

To the end described above, ivgStores does its job fairly well. Their website is well organized and reasonably easy to navigate. Based on my particular furniture purchase, their prices are very competitive.
Their customer service (email and telephone) was very responsive and supportive.

However, there are some mitigating issues regarding my specific experience with a baker's rack from ivgStores that I'd like to share:

1. The item I purchased was not returnable - AT ALL. Be very careful to determine if what you're ordering can be returned.

2. The links on the product's description page at ivgstore.com described a U.S.-based manufacturer. As it turned out (and to my chagrin), this item was made in China.

3. NOWHERE in the product description did it say that the item I was interested in came in complete kit form. This is an egregious (and intentional?) gap in the description.

4. The quality of the furniture matched its relatively low price. At best, I got exactly what I paid for. The furniture (shipped from Cramco in Philadelphia but made in China) had cheap joint welds, inconsistent coloring, and the most minimal and insufficient assembly instructions possible. Fortunately, I am VERY handy. I can't imagine the average person figuring out how to assemble this thing from the single, 6" x 8" instruction sheet.

5. Shipping was somewhat slow. ivgStores indicated that the item was in stock and took my order on a Tuesday morning, but the item didn't ship from the supplier until one week later. ivgStores is very careful to indicate the shipping times on their website, so they're covered on this issue, but I still don't understand why such a delay is necessary.

6. After waiting a month after posting my very honest review on the ivgstores' website, I find that they have refused to post it. In fact, I was unable to find any reviews on their site that took issue with their policies. That speaks volumes for the company's ethics.

Overall, I can marginally recommend ivgStores, but only with the caveats mentioned above.

****************** IMPORTANT *******************
ALWAYS READ REVIEWS IN THIS FORUM WITH THE FOLLOWING IN MIND: EXTREMELY FAVORABLE REVIEWS FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVE ONLY REVIEWED THAT ONE STORE AND NO OTHERS SHOULD BE TAKEN WITH A GRAIN OF SALT! IT IS EXTREMELY EASY FOR STORES TO "PLANT" THEIR OWN FAVORABLE REVIEWS USING BOGUS EMAIL ADDRESSES. I RECOMMEND YOU PLACE LITTLE VALUE IN THOSE "ONE_STORE_ONLY" REVIEWERS AND PAY MORE ATTENTION TO THOSE REVIEWERS WITH A LONG HISTORY HERE AND WITH MANY SITES REVIEWED.
************************************************

This review was modified by LarryScottB on February 01 2011 10:18:11 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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