Tired of Getting Raked Over The Coals For Grill Supplies And Parts? Check Out GrillStuff.com
Written: Sep 02 '03
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When we first moved to California and started looking for a house, one of the things that I really wanted [and begged for] was a large area to barbeque. As luck would have it, several of the houses that we looked at had outdoor cooking areas. The house that we ended up purchasing had a large Weber grill [Weber Summit] and cooking area off the side of the house connected to the patio area. I wondered why they would hide such a beautiful looking grill and cooking area until I fired it up for the first time. Had it been placed on the patio, the house would have been filled with smoke and the smell from the cooking food. As much as I loved the large Weber grill, it was always needing some type of repair. The local grilling guru’s at Home Depot helped when they could but when larger things started to break I decided to get rid of the beast and cut my losses. It was about that time that someone suggested that I check out GrillStuff.com to see what they had available as a replacement. With prices in the $900.00 to $1,200.00 range, if I was going to replace it with a similar model, it was going to be an in store purchase, not online. I did indeed replace “the beast” with another large Weber grill as well as a smaller propane cooker when it’s just the brood and I having dinner.
GrillStuff.com
The site is very basic and doesn’t have a lot of fancy graphics and Flash to hog up memory and slow down page views. Almost all of the products that are sold at the site have a color photo, brief description and pertinent information. Some of the larger grills that are part of a series only have one photo listed with the differences listed. To me this makes no sense. Why not have all the photos listed? The site index on the left side of the page leads you through the bulk of the site but to get the most of what they have to offer, you’ll have to just poke around and see what’s available. You can click on the main logo at the top of the page to go back to the start of the site and the search functions are a little fickle but usually return relevant results, even with minor misspellings.
Products
The site sells a variety of grills ranging from charcoal to propane, grill parts and replacement pieces, covers, accessories and portable units. You’ll be able to purchase Sunbeam and Weber products and parts through the site, most listed as “on sale” with both the regular and sale price listed. Prices range from $39.99 into the $3,000.00 range so chances are there’s something for everyone’s budget. You can also pick up deck heaters, fire chambers, aprons, grilling mitts and other assorted oddities. Outside of the grilling hardware, you can also purchase a variety of sauces and rubs including some of the items from the [boo hiss boo] Booby Flay line and Weber spices. If you can’t find anything of interest in this section make sure you look at the small but interesting gift section. There are some duplicate products listed there but the grilling tool set and carrying case is something that any grill junkie would love to receive as a gift.
Shipping Fees
The shipping costs are figured according to the total cost of your order, not weight. The base price is $4.75 for orders up to $9.99 and run to $12.95 for orders up to $99.00. Anything over $100.00 ships free within the United States. International orders are charged an additional fee of $25.00 but you will be responsible for any duties, custom taxes and import fees that may be due. I always waited until I needed several things so I could take advantage of the free shipping offer. If you don’t need a ton of things, check with relatives and neighbors – or do some early holiday shopping.
Payment Options
You can pay for your order using your Visa, MasterCard, Discover Card and American Express. At this time the site does not accept checks or money orders. The orders that I have placed through the site have all been accurately billed and were the exact amounts that were shown when I was checking out. I’ve never had to return anything to the site so I can’t comment on how long credits take to post. Checking out is painless and you will receive an email once your order has been accepted and processed, another when it ships. It doesn’t hurt to ask that you receive an email regarding shipping and tracking information – even the most organized sites still have bugs in their system.
Customer Service
GrillStuff.com
2702 North Richard Joseph Blvd.
Suite 114
Joplin, MO 64804
[417] 781-0997
info@grillstuff.com
www.grillstuff.com
If you are interested in receiving a catalog of items that GrillStuff.com sells, you can visit the site and look for the link on the left hand side labeled ‘request catalog’ to fill out an online form. Catalogs usually arrive in four weeks, longer during the holiday season. This is a great way to get a little more information about items that you are interested in – or my favorite – circle the items you want and leave it laying around until someone takes the hint.
Return Policy
You have a 15 day window to make returns, after that you are out of luck unless it is covered by a warranty. If you need to make a return your best bet is to call the customer service number and see how to go about shipping the item back. If it is a large item you may need to arrange a freight service. You should be aware that there is a 15% restocking fee on any returned item that isn’t defective or damaged while in route. Remember when I said that purchasing a replacement grill was an “in store” thing? This is one of the reasons why. I’d rather pack something up and have to haul it back to Home Depot than to have to lose 15% and pay the return shipping fee.
Things To Know
Since the site offers you a 100% money back guarantee, you are pretty safe when it comes to ordering things – if you don’t like them you can return them for a refund. It’s the 15% restocking fee that doesn’t sit well with me. If a retail store charges any type of restocking fee for returned items, I won’t shop with them because if I decide that the item I purchased doesn’t ‘do it’ for me, I get zapped with some ludicrous fee. It’s a double-edged sword – you have a guarantee but if you do return something you are penalized for it. I can fully understand having to pay for the return postage and will even go so far as to say the restocking fee for grills to make sure all the necessary pieces, booklets and parts are accounted for but if I am returning a grill tool set or cover – the restocking fee is nothing more than a kickback for them.
The Bottom Line
This is a good site that delivers the products in a timely fashion but I highly suggest that you double and triple check the parts you need before ordering to eliminate having to make a return and pay the 15% restocking fee. While the site has never done me wrong, I can see how some people may not have the greatest comments about GrillStuff.com. This is where it really pays to read the fine print before you commit to an order and provide payment information. Good service, quality products … but a restocking fee. Go figure.
As always, thanks for the visit …
^V^ Freak ^V^
© 2003 Freak369
Can’t find what you need? Check out Grill Lover's Catalog
This is part of the “Triple Threat” write off. Three reviews, linked by a common theme, posted within a 24 hours period. Think you can handle it? I’d like to see you try …
Today’s theme … grilling of course!
Recommended:
Yes
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? Grill accessories, grill cover, gifts.
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