Party Etc.!: Party, Party Party! Cheap! Cheap! Cheap!
Written: Jul 11 '04
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Some time ago, another mom on a Yahoo group let me in on her best-kept secret: the Party Etc.! Online Store. Since that time, I think I've ordered party supplies for every one of my children's birthday parties from this store.
~&~ The Basics ~&~
Your first look at the Party Etc.! Online Store web site is likely to leave you unimpressed. A very basic site, this online store lacks the professional look that you might be used to with other online stores.
The front page features some of the most popular themes as links with pictures, and on the left side is navigation to get to various sections of the site such as Costumes, Piñatas, Adult Birthday, and Children Birthday. Along the top are links for Shopping Cart, About Us, Shipping, and Check Out.
Shipping is via FedEx, either Ground, 2-Day Air, or Overnight, but US Postal Service is available for shipping to PO Boxes or APO/FPO addresses for an additional fee. A map is shown with color zones showing when you can expect your package.
Acceptable forms of payment are the standard Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. The Party Etc.! Online Store will only ship to your billing address, so if you need your items shipped to another location, you need to contact your credit card company first.
~&~ My Experience ~&~
The Party Etc.! Online Store isn't the first site that I go to for party supplies, but it's usually the last. They carry most of the same product lines as other popular online stores (such as Birthday Express), but at a much lower price.
However, the web site does leave much to be desired. To view products, you first have to find the party theme, then click a link which takes you to a basic table, which then has thumbnails you can click ANOTHER link to open to view the desired product. Ordering can take a long time, so I usually decide on my theme using another site.
The latest order I placed was for a party theme I couldn't find anywhere else online, nor in local party supply stores. I placed my order Monday night, and it arrived via FedEx Ground on Friday. However, I ran into a snag that is fairly common with Party Etc.! Online Store; an item was out of stock. I've grown accustomed to giving them a false date at least three weeks ahead of my actual party date to ensure that they attempt to get my order together quickly. This is not a site where you can wait and order at the last minute, because they have no real-time stock status. In fact, they have no online stock status at all, meaning that often, you will find that items are out of stock or backordered only when you receive your order. This last order we did get a phone call letting us know that one item was out of stock and would be deleted from our order, but that isn't the norm.
Why do I keep ordering from them then? Well, the price is right. For instance, I was able to purchase a party theme that I couldn't find locally this last time, but even when the theme is available in my local store, the prices are usually cheaper, even with shipping included. For instance, the cake plates I just ordered were $1.75 per package, rather than the standard $3.99 at our local party store.
~&~ Overall ~&~
Do I recommend the Party Etc.! Online Store? Yes, with reservations. So long as you have enough lead time to replace items if needed, they are an inexpensive no-frills way to order supplies. Packages are shipped quickly, are packed well, and the price just can't be beat. But keep in mind, with the rock-bottom pricing, you aren't getting the service you might expect from an online retailer. If price over service is your bottom line, then this is a great place to order from! My rating is a 3.5 stars rounded up.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
pippadaisy
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Reviews written: 1086
Trusted by: 177 members
About Me:
Divorce seriously cuts into the amount of time for reviewing.
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