Cool Stuff? Not Really. Cheap? Ehh. Terrible Returns Policy? You Betcha!
Cool Stuff Cheap
I like high quality things but now and then cheap, fun stuff is just what I want as gag gifts or just for around the house. One night, I was looking around for something novel to give a friend and my search revealed Cool Stuff Cheap Online Store.
Cool stuff cheap sounded like a good idea so I clicked and started the adventure.
What the Site Sells
This site has a lot of stuff in many categories. There are things like lava lamps and novelty clocks as well as bath and body gift baskets, useful gadgets for the home, lots of retro things, and a number of other various items.
Navigation
There is a list of links to categories across the left side and the pictures are pretty crisp. Descriptions are good and succinct. They have a search box but their search engine is touchy and you may not find what you are looking for going by the search results alone.
This is a Yahoo merchant so the shopping cart will look familiar to frequent online shoppers. Shipping is calculated via UPS so you don't know how much you will pay in shipping costs until check out. This is a pet peeve of mine but getting more and more common.
When you check out, you have several UPS options as far as timeliness but no prices so you don't have any idea what these options will cost. You must input your address and info before you get your total.
You will input your name and address and then you will see your shipping. If all is well, you will then input your major credit card — or call them with your info — and complete your transaction.
You will get a confirmation number and an email.
The orders arrive within the timeframe you chose as far as shipping alternatives. I chose ground and it took 12 days even though they say it takes two to eight days. I am not a big stickler for how many days something takes unless it's over a couple weeks but still think the order could have arrived quicker than 12 days but ehh. Small potatoes compared to trying to return anything at this place.
If all is well, you get your order and live happily ever after. If you have a problem, it gets a little sticky.
My Experience
I ordered a lava lamp for a friend. It was a cool looking lamp at a decent price. When it arrived, I wanted to be sure it worked before giving it away so I tried it. It didn't work. It would light but not do the lava thing so, in essence, it was an ugly lamp and nothing more.
I wrote to the site explaining the situation and heard nothing. I wrote again and got a response that I would need an RMA to return the product. OK then.
I didn't get an RMA so I wrote again. This time I was told I could not return the item because I opened it. As per their policy, items must be unopened in order to qualify for a return or exchange.
Now, I ask, why would anyone order something, pay the shipping, get the item, and then not open it to see it yet want to return it?
I mean, how would I know the lamp didn't work unless I actually opened the box and tried it?
I was angry as you might guess and had a small email war back and forth with the site.
I then took it to the "Live Customer Service" area on their website but every time I clicked to speak to a rep, there was no one there and I had to leave a message.
I then called the toll free number to discuss the exchange. All I wanted was to return the lamp, get one that worked right, and be done with it.
A look at the confusing, crazy returns policy should have warned me ahead of time but I honestly didn't believe any of their many, many provisions and exclusions would apply to my simple purchase.
Long and unpleasant story short, I got 90% of my money back minus shipping. How do ya like that? I had to pay THEM 10% to take back a broken lamp plus shipping from them and back to them. That was an ouchie and one I won't soon forget.
Although they clearly state, "Shipping costs are not refundable unless the return is the result of our error or the item received was defective," I did NOT get my shipping costs back and I paid to send the stupid lamp back and they took 10% of my purchase price to boot. AND I wanted a simple exchange. They said I had to make a new order. I don't THINK so! I went to the mall and got one the next day and all was grand. Sheesh.
Shipping and Returns
Shipping is calculated based on weight and destination and UPS is their main carrier. You have several options to choose from as far as how quickly you want your items to arrive. Naturally you play higher shipping costs for faster service.
Returns. I couldn't even begin to explain their policies in his review. The returns policy is a full page long with dozens of exclusions, prorated percentages of full costs that you get back, things you must do in order to return a product, things that constitute whether a product will be accepted by them, and well, let's say it looks like a whole lotta red tape for a site that doesn't have anything that's special or wonderful that they have to go so far.
Essentially, if you don't open the thing and you call them and get an RMA and pay for shipping back and get it there within 30 days, you'll get a refund minus the shipping you paid. It goes down from there. You get a percentage of your cost if you *gasp* open the box or packaging. You get less if a manual or booklet is missing, Less still if you don't have an RMA number or it looks like you used the item, and on it goes.
Contact Info
Cool Stuff Cheap
195 Libbey Industrial Parkway #1
Weymouth, MA 02189
Voice: 781-335-0062 Fax:781-335-0073
Toll Free: 888-463-3332
sales@coolstuffcheap.com
Recommendation
You KNOW I am not shopping at that place again. They have some novel items and their prices are decent. They aren't great or fantastic but not bad. When shipping is added, though, it brings a lot of things right up to the same price you could get the item at any store or other site.
While some of the items are cute or appealing, I wouldn't shop there again because I feel cheated. I feel like I was given trouble for nothing. I didn't break the lamp. It wouldn't heat up. I had to open it to see if it would work. I don't make a habit of buying things then returning them unopened.
The customer service reps were not rude per se but stood their ground repeating "The policy is stated right on the website" over and over. The policy promises that if you get a defective item, they will send a return label and replace it.
So, that argument wasn't too valid.
All in all, I would not recommend this site. I have had worse experiences, and probably could have gotten the rest of my money back if I wanted to get my credit card company involved and all that but it was a relatively small amount and, at some point, I just gave up and moved on.
I give this site 2 stars. Yes, it probably is worthy of only one star but it dos have a large variety, decent prices, and, if you get the item and it works, you'll save a little bit maybe. But, daym, if you want to return something, don the boxing gloves.
No website should make it that difficult to return a product.
You know, I decided to change my rating to 1 star after writing this review. This site isn't worth the trouble. If they had very unique, special items, maybe, but lava lamps and Miller Beer clocks are not all that tough to come by. I recommend you shop elsewhere because you never know when something will need to be returned for whatever reason — and I wouldn't want anyone to go through what I did for a simple return.
Recommended:
No
