Low prices, rather high shipping costs, good but could be better.
Written: Dec 24 '04
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Not so long ago, my only boy child played with blocks, legos, action figures and tickle-me-Elmo. This year, he wanted an Airsoft German Champion pellet gun with laser. Now, Mom doesn’t buy guns that actually shoot things. Visions of personal injury lawyers and all that…
But, the boy got his hands on some money and Step Daddy said the boy should be able to buy the gun. So, it fell to me – online shopping guru of the family – to make the purchase.
That’s where Cheaper Than Dirt comes in. This is definitely a testosterone-enhanced store with prices that even young males on a small allowance can afford.
The online store isn’t perfect. The description of the gun didn’t really help me figure out what kind of ammunition I would need to buy with it. It would have been so much nicer if Cheaper Than Dirt used the same “related products” system that Amazon does. I’m sure I would have snapped up appropriate targets, goggles, etc. as stocking stuffers if the store had the foresight to put them in front of me when I added the gun to my cart.
The other thing that could be a major problem is the status of their inventory is only updated a few times a day – not in real time. So, it is possible to order something and receive a confirmation, only to find that the item isn’t in stock. Also, Cheaper Than Dirt doesn’t backorder items – they cancel your order if the item isn’t in stock.
Luckily for us, the boy’s gun and ammo were both available.
Shipping costs are relatively high, and are based on the dollar amount of the order. At the time of our purchase (and now) the link to the shipping table was broken. So, we found out how much shipping would cost by checking out and seeing the cost before order confirmation. Amazon once again has me spoiled with free shipping on orders over $25.
Shipping on a $5.97 bag of ammunition was a whopping $5.99. That’s enough to make me want to jump on a bus to Walmart and see what their price would be on the pellets.
The site accepts Visa, Mastercard and Discover cards. If they were really smart, given their target audience, they would accept pay-pal as well.
A few days after we placed our order, we received notice that everything had been shipped via Fed Ex. The pellet gun and ammo arrived in two shipments – the gun came a day before the pellets. The only glitch was that the site said an adult would have to sign for the order, but Fed Ex just dumped the packages at the back door. Not good, given that this store also sells ammunition for real weapons.
Everything was in great shape, packed well, and arrived promptly. The prices were significantly lower than other sites – the savings on the pellet gun covered the shipping charges.
I’m sure my son will be buying more things from Cheaper Than Dirt. It’s got big-boy goodies at very reasonable prices. And, now that I can’t get him legos for Christmas any more, I’m sure I’ll be using this site to find gifts for my son – and maybe even the Step Daddy who authorized the gun purchase in the first place.
If you are looking for boy-toys including camping gear, archery materials, pellet and paint guns, and whatnot, Cheaper Than Dirt is a decent place to look. The prices are reasonable enough to outweigh the high shipping costs. The service was speedy and accurate. The merchandise arrived in good condition and as described. I will probably use them again to re-order pellets and paint balls for the boy’s gun.
Recommended:
Yes
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? Airsoft German Champion pellet gun with laser
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Epinions.com ID:
amykhar
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Member: Amy
Location: USA
Reviews written: 320
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