Bogey Busters is a Bust. Not Enough Good to Outweigh the Bad.
Bogey Busters
Golf. Yeck. I am not a fan but my husband is a golfer and I wanted to buy him something for Christmas last year that he would like. Of course, since I know very little about golf supplies, I had to do a lot of searching and guessing.
I landed at Bogey Busters purely on accident. Once there, I saw they had a vast variety of gulf accessories and merchandise and decided I would take a look at the prices and products and, with the help of my now-and-then golfer sons, would pick out something my husband would actually use. (I thought a golf ball was a golf ball but I learned fast, there are many variables that go into choosing a golf ball. My husband still has a nice box of them that I bought him three years ago. Unused. I guess they don't, uh, go far enough or something.)
What the Site Sells
This site sells everything anything golf related. Bags clubs, training aids, towels, novelty golf gifts, books, outerwear, even golf carts.
Navigation
This is a simple site with a long list of category links on the left side of the page and a selection of featured items on the home page. Pretty much all you need is easy to find as far as contact info, tracking, return policies, etc. There is also a search box which makes the time spent looking for a particular item much less than if you had to browse through the inventory.
Click on a category link and several little photos pop up with subcategories. Click on the subcategory and you see little photos of each item available and the price. You have to click once more to see a larger photo of the item and a description. That is a lot of clicking to get to one item. Still, descriptions are good and prices are very clearly posted.
You click to add to your cart and will be met with several other items you may want in addition to the one you chose.
When done shopping, you go to the checkout which is the standard yellow and white Yahoo checkout that those who shop online a lot will be familiar with.
You don't see what your shipping costs are until after you fill out the information form with your name, address, phone number, and the type of shipping you want. The only option I was given was Ground.
After filling out the form, you continue on to actually purchase the item(s). Many items have free shipping. Others have fairly reasonable shipping charges in line with other similar websites. The shipping is based on weight and location.
Once you input your major credit card and it is verified, you get an immediate verification of your order. You are not charged until the order actually is shipped, which is a plus. You will get an email telling you the order is on its way and will give you a tracking number to track it on their site.
Your order will arrive between a few days and 14 days depending on location.
My Experience
I was a bit lost on the site, not because it is confusing, because it isn't, but because I had no idea what was "good" golfing stuff.
I eventually settled on an American Flag driver headcover and a gift card. If this were a beauty site, I would have known what to get but golf? Nahh.
The shipping was free for both the gift certificate (which is paper and goes to the recipient via email immediately) and headcover. I didn't like that the certificate went to my husband right then. I wanted a gift card or certificate to give to him physically but it doesn't seem possible. In addition, if you are buying more than one gift certificate for more than one person, you have to make separate orders for each so that they go to the correct recipient.
And what if the person you are buying for doesn't have an email address? I don't know. I guess they lose. This is a flaw of the site but, since it is online, they must assume everyone shopping there actually has an email address.
The order went through fine and I got a letter about three days after I placed the it that the headcover was on the way. Meanwhile, I was busy hacking into my husband's email account to catch the gift certificate and send it to myself until Christmas.
It took about ten days for my order to arrive and it was OK. Not the best quality I ever saw but passable.
My husband later said he wasn't impressed at all with the brands offered on the site but my heart "was in the right place" when I bought the gift certificate. Sheesh. He found something and got it but again said the quality was only passable and not much more.
Prices were decent for most items and they did have a lot of sales and specials.
But I will not go back there again because they don't have the brands my husband uses and I sure don't want golf supplies.
They accept Visa, Master Card, American Express, Discover, checks, or money orders.
Shipping and Returns
You will see when you click on an item whether it has free shipping or not. Shipping is always free for golf bags, carts, DVDs, shoes, and headcovers. Gift certificates are only available online and have no shipping charges either. Other items are shipped via UPS and the rate depends on weight and location. You have to go through the whole shopping process before you know what that shipping is.
They do have a 30 day money back guarantee but, like many sites, there are a few catches. The return has to be in new, unused condition in its original packaging. You will not get your shipping back if you paid for shipping and obviously have to pay return shipping.
You can get a store credit or the credit card you used will be credited. If you want to make an exchange, they want you to send the item back and reorder whatever it is that you want (and pay shipping again if there is any) so they really don't exchange items.
Here's what I don't like. If you got free shipping, then return an item, they will deduct shipping charges from your credit. So, you are out shipping to them and whatever shipping charges they decide to charge you even if you didn't pay to have the product shipped in the first place. That's lame.
You need to contact the site for an RMA before returning anything.
Contact Info
BogeyBusterGolf
10538 Bechler River Ave
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
Toll Free in the United States
1-866-Bogey11 (1-866-264-3911)
bogeybuster@verizon.net
Conclusion
This is an underwhelming website that has a lot of golfing supplies and novelties and seemingly decent prices (I am not very familiar with prices of this type of item).
The problem is, the brands carried aren't what my golfer husband considers quality names.
In addition, if you have to return something and didn't pay shipping to receive it, you will pay to return it and your refund will be deducted the amount of shipping that would have been charged if you didn't get free shipping.
Gift certificates go to the recipient immediately and are a bit of a pain to use. You can't get a gift card or the thing sent to you via snail mail and if you send the certificate to yourself to print off, your name will be on it as the recipient.
All things considered, this isn't a very good website. I didn't have a dreadful experience but the whole thing was somewhat subpar and we won't go back again.
I give this site 2 stars. There's things about it I just don't like and which will keep me from going back. I suspect this is a drop ship company that doesn't stock the items but has the wholesaler send them out which can be a real pain if you want to make a return.
I see no reason for the serious golfer or even the weekend warrior to shop at this online store when there are better ones with higher quality items elsewhere.
My husband summed it up well. "Next time just go to Dick's Sporting Goods."
Touché.
Recommended:
No
