What Do Scooby-Doo, Eminem, Barbie & Dracula Have In Common? They’re All Available At Lunchboxes.com
Written: Sep 23 '03
|
| Full Review |
You might think that an entire site dedicated to lunchboxes is overkill. Since internet commerce has been proven as a thriving market, more Mom & Pop type establishments are turning towards the world wide web to sell their products. I came across the site when I was looking for one of the older styled Nightmare Before Christmas lunchboxes and while they didn’t have the exact one I wanted, they did have one in stock. It’s the same style as the one you’d find at Hot Topic or Spencer’s Gifts but without all the shelf wear, price tag glue and handling. After my initial purchase I started looking at the kids products and decided to surprise the brood with a few that they had their eye on. Needless to say, they were thrilled with them and put them to the test on a daily basis. My boys aren’t neanderthals with knuckles dragging on the ground but they aren’t the most gentle creatures on the planet – if a product can stand up to their heavy hands then it gets high marks in my book.
Lunchboxes.com sells only the best of the best which means that there might be a few products that you won’t find at the site. Items that are flimsy, break easily or just look like garbage won’t cut the mustard so they just don’t carry them. To me I’d rather deal with a company that has such a high standard of quality, sure this might limit certain styles or themes but I am sure that once you browse through the site you’ll see that they have a huge stock of items to choose from. And speaking of navigation, the site is extremely user friendly. Products are categorized on the left side to make finding what you want as painless as possible and all of the products are listed with a color photo and description. The site isn’t heavy with graphics so the pages load quickly and so far I;ve never encountered a pop up or dead link.
Products
The site carries the standard kids lunchboxes and lunch kits – both metal and plastic. You’ll be able to find themed ones like Scooby-Doo, Spongebob Squarepants, Power Puff Girls and Barbie – but to get the best of what the site has to offer, you’ll have to do some exploring. Outside of the cartoon themed ones they also have sports, dinosaurs, Hot Wheels, various films like Toy Story and Spiderman. For the adults there are several very cool sections to check out, but I have to say that Shock Resistant Thermos [http://www.lunchboxes.com/fisbuoyther.html] was one of my best purchases. You can also kind adult lunch boxes, soft-sided lunch kits, insulated mugs and tumblers. Be sure to check out the ‘Playtime’ section for adult themed lunch boxes such as the ultra cool Chinese Take Out kit, Bettie Page, Rosie The Riveter and the Hula Girls. A great change from the usual brown paper bag and a sure conversation starter! Let’s not forget the rolling backpacks – under $20.00 a piece – a great steal. Before you click off the site, you have to check out the vintage section, this is where you can pick up older models of lunchboxes 0 including my favorite – The Spice Girls baby pink model that’s currently fetching $165.25 [http://www.lunchboxes.com/spicegirls.html]
Purchases
I’ve purchased lunch kits and lunchboxes from this site for myself as well as the brood. This is where I picked up one of the three The Nightmare Before Christmas boxes I own as well as the soft-sided Spongebob one that everyone always comments on [http://store.yahoo.com/lunchboxshop/spongebob.html]. Without a doubt the one that gets the biggest reaction is Hellraiser [http://www.lunchboxes.com/hellraiser.html], comes in real handy for Halloween or just when you want to put fear into your co-workers. I usually order two or three items at a time to get a good shipping price and plan ahead for peoples birthdays and special occasions. Lunchboxes make great gifts – you can stuff them full of treats and small gifts and the recipient is usually always caught off guard when he or she rips off the wrapping paper. Since the site has a huge selection for adults and kids, picking out a gift for someone isn’t as hard as you might think – when in doubt – use the search engine or click on the character list to see all that’s available.
Customer Service
Lunchboxes.com
P.O. Box 48453
Los Angeles, CA 90048
[323] 660-9279 - phone
[323] 660-1787 – fax
info@lunchboxes.com
www.lunchboxes.com
Customer service is pretty quick to reply to emails and help out when you call in to their service center. I’ve only had to call a few times to ask about products but I was always treated with a lot of respect and asked several times if I needed more information and if all my questions were answered to my satisfaction. That’s the kind of service that I really appreciate – being treated like a person, not an order number.
Return Policy
With the exception of items listed in the vintage section, all lunchboxes sold at the site are brand new but if you do need to make a return, it’s a pretty simple process. You’ll need to get an RMA [return merchandise authorization] number and send back your item to the address on the packing slip. If you are returning it unused you’ll receive a full credit or be able to exchange it for another one but if it is used you can only do an even exchange. You have a two week period to determine if you like it or not so don’t beat around the bush. If you have any question, call their customer service number for more assistance.
Payment Options
The site accepts MasterCard, Visa and American Express. At this time they do not accept money orders, checks or any other type of credit card. If you need to make special arrangements for payment, call the customer service center to see if something can be worked out. I’ve used both MasterCard and Visa for orders and all transactions went smoothly, cards were charged the exact amount given at time of checkout and never a double billing. Please note, California residents will be charged sales tax for orders shipped within the state.
Shipping Fees
Shipping fees are scheduled according to the weight of the products as well as where you live, “the farther away – the more you pay”. The site uses Federal Express Ground service for deliveries however you can elect to have your order expedited for an additional fee. If you are having your order shipped to a post office box, you can have it delivered via the United States Postal Service. Most of my orders were in the $5.00 - $7.00 area for shipping, this was usually two to three lunchboxes with an order total of $45.00 - $55.00. To me, the shipping rates are great, it’s FedEx Ground that needs to pick up the slack. For a limited time the site is offering free shipping on orders over $40.00!
The Bottom Line
I’ve always gotten great service from the site and the products are all top notch. You might find yourself paying a few dollars more than you might in a retail store, but this is a tremendous site for collectors and a great way to pick up boxes that are a few years old or no longer ‘popular’. I’ve started giving lunchboxes as gifts and people really get a kick out of them, you can stuff them full of small gifts or just tuck a gift certificate or two inside it as a nice surprise. Most kids love getting lunchboxes and given the tremendous inventory that the site stocks, you are pretty much guaranteed to find at least one or two your child will fall in love with. Quick order processing, accurate billing, great customer service and quality products – just a few of the things I have to say about lunchboxes.com. If you are looking for something a little different to give as a gift, need to find a specialty lunchbox for your child or just want to be a little silly at lunchtime, I have to give the site my highest rating – two freaky thumbs up!
As always, thanks for the visit!
^V^ Freak ^V^
© 2003 Freak369
Related reviews …
Thermos Superman Lunch Box
Harry Potter Girls Softside Lunch Kit
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.