Buydig.com: This is one On- Line Store I Don't Dig
Written: Nov 16 '03 (Updated Nov 16 '03)
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Buydig.com is an on- line store that specializes in the sale of digital equipment. This service offers many different electronic devices and gadgets at moderate to low prices, with an occasional non- electronic item offered for sale, too, keeping the site a little more rounded.
What Does This Site Have to Offer?:
Buydig.com centers its offerings on the following categories:
Photo- 35 mm cameras, digital cameras, lens accessories, batteries, tripods, and other photography equipment can be found in this area.
Video- The video section includes items like camcorders, VCR’s, DVD players, television sets, and various recording accessories.
Digital Imaging- Digital camcorders, printers, scanners, and memory media can be purchased through this link.
Computers- Printers, scanners (the same as above- they overlap), ink cartridges, PDA’s, computer cables, and other miscellaneous devices can be purchased here.
Audio- CD players, digital voice recorders, car audio, home theatre systems, and other sound system items can be found in this section.
Telephone- An assortment of telephones, including cordless, corded, and video phone stations can be purchased here.
Binoculars/Telescopes- This is one of the non- electronic areas of buydig.com, with an assortment of binoculars available to fit most consumer needs.
Accessories- The largest area of the site, this includes a roundup of accessory items that are available under the other main categories listed above. Here, you will find merchandise such as pc cables, ink jet cartridges, batteries for cameras, tripods, camera cases, etc.
Clearance- Merchandise that has been marked down in price is featured here (although not everything- some reduced price items are not included here), sorted by product type.
Closeout Corner- A small section, this area features brand- name merchandise that buydig.com is trying to eliminate from inventory. Usually, there is just one brand name here, with about 5 to 10 different items available to buy.
Pricing/Shipping:
Buydig.com charges shipping on most but not all orders. As you add things to your shopping cart, you will be presented with a running tally that shows your current purchase price total and the total cost of shipping based on the method you select. The four shipping methods are: 7- 10 day; 5- 6 day; 3-4 day; and 1- 2 day. At a glance, you can quickly see the total value and shipping charges of your entire order. You can also switch your method of shipment at any time. This running total is different from most other web services. Usually, you cannot see the total shipping charges until you’re ready to complete your order.
Shipping charges with buydig.com are fairly reasonable if you stick with smaller items. On some items, there is no shipping charge at all (if you go with the 7- 10 day rate). But with other items, you will have to pay shipping and the rates can sometimes make a purchase impractical. For example, a $40 phone carries a base shipping rate of $12.95. This is a high price to pay for shipping on something as simple as a phone. You would be better off shopping at your local store.
Prices are moderate to low, but the low price you find can be quickly wiped out by the shipping charges. You need to look around and comparison shop with other sites to make sure the total price (base + shipping) is really better with buydig.com. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn’t.
If you don’t like the idea of shopping via the internet, you can also place your order over the phone. To do this, just call 800-617-4686.
Payment Methods:
Buydig.com accepts Visa, Master Card, Discover, and American Express. The site does not accept any international credit cards for payment. They will also accept cash, if you are willing to mail them a check or money order. This is a nice option for those who worry about credit card theft, but it will add several days of waiting time to your order.
Final Thoughts:
Buydig.com is a fairly popular place on the internet to purchase electronic equipment. The name, “buydig” is short for “buy digital”, which emphasizes the marketing scope of the site.
For all its popularity, there are few shortcomings of buydig.com that are worth pointing out. First of all, the aesthetics of this site are poor. I remember when I first logged into this web site. The plain, white home page and the lack of much color made me wonder if I had made a mistake. Instead of the home page of an on- line store, it looked like a secondary page of a low- budget web site. It was nice to not have pop- up ads or flashing banners, but the plainness of the site was unappealing.
The search function is also lacking. You can narrow down your search to include only a specific manufacturer and then tell it to include only those prices that fit within a specified range. But you cannot sort the results of a general search by price or anything else. You just have to accept what you see and work your way through until you find what you want.
Selection options are weak in some areas. For example, laser printers include only two selections. If you want to purchase software, there is only one choice. On the other hand, some areas have an abundance of options. Digital cameras, for example, offer more than 100 selections.
There’s a testimonials section where you can read comments left by other shoppers who have used the site, but it’s a joke. Every testimonial is positive, with almost every opinion stating that the site was “excellent” with a few ratings of “good” tossed in so that shoppers will think the site is unbiased. No negative reviews are included. I can understand that a web service wants to shine the most positive light on itself, but reading these testimonials is a waste of time. They are all positive and they all make similar comments.
Customer service issues are handled either through e-mail or by phone. If you call, keep in mind that the customer service help desk is closed on Saturday, but they are open the remaining days of the week (10am to 8pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday; 9:30am to 2pm on Friday; and 10am to 6pm on Sunday). I didn’t need to use the customer service when I made my purchase. I chose 7- 10 day delivery, and I received my phone in only 6 days, in perfect shape and working order.
When shopping for items in buydig.com, I’ve noticed that sometimes the price of a particular item will be x’d out. This indicates that there’s a special sale price for that item. But instead of just telling the customer what the price actually is, you have to enter your e-mail address into a box and wait for them to send you a message with the price included. This seems like bad business to me. Why does buydig.com feel the need to keep sale prices secret? If anything, this will discourage sales. Unless someone really has his/her mind made up on buying a specific piece of merchandise, there is a good chance they will just look for something else rather than wait for an e-mail response.
Buydig.com seems to be a hit or miss type of site, in terms of total price offered. On some occasions, you can find some very good deals here that don’t include any shipping (if you go with the 7- 10 day option). But with other items, the price might be low but the added shipping ruins the deal. Remember the $40 phone I talked about earlier? Well, the base shipping, as I indicated before, is $12.95. Added to the base cost, this raises the total price of the original item by more than 32 percent. In some instances, this might still be worthwhile (for myself, it was still good because the base price at buydig.com was $10 less than the price in the store. So even with the added shipping, the price was still lower in buydig.com because there was no sales tax to pay), but in others, it is not. And that’s only the base rate- if you need the same phone shipped asap, the price for shipping is $40, which effectively doubles the cost of the item. If you avoid these faster shipping options, you can sometimes get a good deal in this site. Otherwise, any advantage of shopping here is quickly erased with the high cost of shipping.
Buydig.com is a fast, easy site to use. If you already know what you want, you can logon and reach the checkout faster than with other sites. But you still need to shop around. The high price of shipping can quickly spoil your shopping experience. I’m going to give this site a marginal thumbs- down, however, for the reasons stated above (I would rate the site 2.5 stars, if the option was available). It doesn’t offer enough selections in many areas and the appearance and search function need to be improved. It’s recommended only for those who already know what they want, have done their homework, and want a simple, painless way to purchase electronics on- line.
Recommended:
No
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? Cordless Phone
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