Going Hogwild at their online store
Written: Sep 20 '04
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I needed a small “credit card size” calculator. After an internet search, I found an online store called Hogwild Inc.. I had never shopped at the store before, but Hogwild was under the Yahoo shopping banner ... so I took a chance.
Entering the Online Store
There is nothing fancy about the Hogwild Store website. Plain and simple; easy to navigate. The store offers an eclectic array of merchandise ... everything from whole house intercom systems, blank computer media, night vision scopes to boomboxes, headphones and keychains.
At the Top
A small pink pig logo points toward a Search Box. Beneath the Search box are the following links: Home, About Hogwild, Customer Service, Shopping Cart.
On the “About Hogwild” page, I learned that Hogwild is “a retail arm of a San Francisco wholesale distributor”. On this page is also a handy map of the United States that shows how long it will take for your merchandise to arrive.
To the Left
A vertical navigation bar offers the following choices:
AV Care, Batteries, Binoculars & Night Vision, Blank Media, Cables & Connectors, Calculators, Cameras & Camcorders, Clocks, Computer, Extended Warranty, Eyewear, Locks, Novelty, Organizers & Media Storage, Personal Audio, Personal Video, Power AD/DC, Telephone Products, Show Order, Info, Privacy Policy, Search, Index, Yahoo Shopping
In the Middle
Hogwild fills the middle and right of their website with “Current Highlights” ... a sampling of items for sale. Today these offerings include an assortment of locks, both padlock and electronic.
At the Bottom
A notice says that most orders ship within 24 hours and that their website offers secure SSL encryption. A colorful array of accepted credit logos include: Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover. There is also a toll-free telephone number prominently displayed with their hours of operation.
The Hogwild Store must have had a few people mistake them for a toy company called Hog Wild LLC. They make a point of saying they are not related to this toy store and include a link to the toy company at the bottom of the webpage.
Searching for my Calculator
In the search box I typed “credit card size calculator”. The search results quickly appeared on a new page. These results did include two calculators – at the bottom of the list. The search results also included everything from an Audiovox DVD player, super strong refrigerator magnets, lambskin PA case, desktop PCI network card and a wireless PDA network card. A link titled “More Results” appeared at the bottom of the list. The search results included a brief description of each item with a product photo.
I clicked on the link for the Sharp EL-879-MB calculator. A new web page displayed a larger photo of the calculator. To the right of the photo, it listed the price as $4.89 and also the stock status. I was in luck! The calculator was in stock. Now I don’t want you to think that I ran for my credit card and purchased the first calculator I saw. I did more research on this calculator and compared it to other like-size machines before deciding that Hogwild offered the best price. Even including the shipping costs it was better than the competition.
Below the photograph appeared more details about the calculator such as its dimensions and a list of features. The page also stated that “in stock items usually ship the next day”. Sounded great!
Making the Purchase
I decided to buy the Sharp calculator. I clicked the “Add to Cart” button. The web page changed to show me the shopping cart. It displayed a photo of the calculator, the cost, the quantity I ordered, and a subtotal. I could adjust the quantity if I wished or click the “remove” link to take the item out of the shopping cart area.
Next, I had the option to keep shopping or to checkout. I clicked the “Check Out” button.
A new screen appeared that prompted me for my name and shipping address. I also had to choose how I wished the order to ship: Ground, 3 Day Select, 2nd Day Air, or First Class Mail. Hogwild ships via UPS or U.S. mail. I chose “Ground” then clicked “Continue” for the next screen.
The next page showed how much shipping would cost. My eyebrows raised when I saw that the $4.89 calculator would cost $6.66 to ship! But when I added the shipping costs to the price of the calculator at other stores, Hogwild still came out the least expensive. So I proceeded with the order by filling in my credit card information (Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover) and e-mail address. There is an area to change the shipping address if it is different from the address originally entered. If you have a promotional code, you can type it into the box and apply the discount to your order. There is also a text box for comments. By supplying an e-mail address, Hogwild will send an e-mail order confirmation and also send an e-mail when the order ships.
Sales tax is only charged to California shipping addresses. Also, Hogwild ships only to the 48 continental United States and does not ship to APO or PO Boxes.
If you choose, there is also a box to check if you would like to receive an e-mail from Yahoo so that you can rate the Hogwild Store.
I clicked the Continue button to review the order and then clicked Continue again to submit the order and receive an order confirmation.
After the Order is Placed
The same day I placed my order (on a Saturday), I received an e-mail confirming the merchandise, shipping address and costs. Then two days later (Monday), I received another e-mail saying my order had shipped via the U.S. Postal Service First Class Priority Mail. The e-mail included a Delivery Confirmation Number as well as links to track the shipment.
Receiving the Order
The calculator shipped from California to Massachusetts.
I received the package 7 days later (it was delivered on Monday) from the post office. The calculator was shipped in the manufacturer’s packaging, a cardboard blistercard. The blistercard was placed inside a manilla envelope lined with plastic bubblewrap.
I was worried that the bubblewrap envelope would not be enough protection for the calculator, but the blistercard was in perfect condition. The manufacturer held the calculator in place on the blistercard by using a piece of stiff clear plastic around the calculator. The plastic was also in great condition. I unpackaged the calculator and it worked fine.
An invoice arrived inside the package stating that I had paid in full. The invoice listed the address and phone numbers for Hogwild in case I needed to contact them.
Return Policy
I did not have to use the return policy, but if an item is defective within the first 30 days, it can be returned for a full refund or exchange. A return authorization is necessary before returning the item. Hogwild will send a UPS return service tag to be affixed to the box being sent back.
Unused merchandise still in its original packaging can be returned with 30 days for a full refund, including tax. However, freight charges will not be refunded.
Summary
This was a positive first experience shopping from Hogwild. I would definitely order from them again. I liked their constant communication regarding my order. They were also upfront about shipping costs and shipping time. Their price for the Sharp EL-879-MB calculator was excellent, too!
I hope you have found this review useful.
Enjoy your day,
Dawn
http://dlstewart.com
Additional Information
Hogwild Inc.
2014 Farallon Dr.
San Leandro, CA 94577
Toll-free Phone: 800-464-9453
(Customer Service Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30 am - 5:00 pm PST)
Please read my other reviews:
Sharp EL-879-MB mini-calculator – Solar with Battery Backup
Sharp Hand-held Calculator – Solar with Battery Backup
Casio Calculator – Solar with Battery Backup
Sharpie Twin-Tip Permanent Marker
Belkin UPS Emergency Battery Backup
Gateway 500X Computer
HP LaserJet 2200dse Printer
Hewlett Packard LaserJet 1000 Printer
Logitech Mouseman Dual Optical Mouse
Dazzle Multimedia 6-in-1 Card Reader
JVC DVD Player
Curtis Radio/CD Portable Boom Box
Concord Eye-Q Digital Camera
Copyright 2004 Dawn L. Stewart
Recommended:
Yes
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? Solar Calculator
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