Is Buydig's little sister still a snotty brat?
Written: Sep 03 '07
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I rediscovered Beach Camera (rediscovered because I had purchased a printer here back in 2002) while searching for an inexpensive portable icemaker on Amazon.com. Though I have been relatively satisfied with Beach Camera's sister store, buydig.com, I wasn't a fan of Beach Camera due to their slow shipping and shoddy customer service.
About Beach Camera:
Beach Camera is a large general electronic/computer online store that features a wide variety of electronic and computer equipment. Products at Beach Camera range anywhere from digital cameras all the way to personal care items i.e. foot messages and curling irons. Beach Camera also offers deals on electronic accessories, i.e. printer paper, vacuum bags, batteries, etc. Note: To the best of knowledge, all merchandise at Beach Camera is sold in new condition.
Selection:
The selection at Beach Camera is nearly identical to that of Buydig's selection; the selection is huge. Beach Camera offers plenty of deals in most of its main product categories, which include Photo, Digital imaging, Video, Printers, Television, Audio, Computer's & PDAs, Home & Garden, Car Electronics, Security Cameras, Optics, Accessories, Gift ideas, Closeout corner, and Watches. Beach Camera also offers a wide variety of well-known name brands with no particular bias for any one brand. I do have some gripes with Beach Camera's selection, however. Although most categories are packed with deals, there is still a few categories, namely the "Closeout" and "Watches" sections that are nearly devoid of merchandise. Other than the skimpy selection in those categories, the selection at Beach Camera is well above average. If you are on the market for an electronic or computer device, you most likely will find it here, or at least something similar.
Navigation:
Although Beach Camera is a big online store, it's still easy to navigate around. Beach Camera's product categories are neatly arranged on their home page with plenty of sub categories to narrow your search. Beach Camera also allows you to sort search results by price, name brand, etc. The only slight gripe I have with this store's usability is its lack of a good search engine. Unlike a lot of sites that have search engines that compensate for slight misspellings, you must type in the name of the product to a T at Beach Camera to get results.
As far as I know, you must first register with Beach Camera before you can officially finalize a purchase. Registering, however, is kept simple and all your billing info will be stored in their database for quick future checkouts. Shortly after you place and order at Beach Camera a confirmation letter is sent and within minutes and a tracking number is sent thereafter; you can track an order from Beach Camera's home page. Payment methods at Beach Camera include all major credit cards: Discover, American Express, Visa, and MasterCard. For those of you who like to use Paypal, you'll be happy to know that Beach Camera now offers Paypal as a payment method.
Prices:
The prices at Beach Camera range anywhere from good to downright excellent (Prices are usually the same at Buydig.com, but not always). In my case Beach Camera had the lowest price on my Windchaser Iceman. At $299 (on sale) with $30 for FedEx Ground shipping, I was able to save over $50 over competing online stores.
Shipping:
While many products at Beach Camera receive free shipping, shipping charges for products that don't quality are, from my experience, reasonable. I paid $30 for FedEx Ground shipping: considering the weight and size of my Iceman, shipping charges were quite fair; Beach Camera certainly didn't make any money from shipping charges.
Arrival Time:
The first time I ordered from Beach Camera I ended up waiting almost three weeks before I received my printer (over a week late). This go-around shipping was much more prompt. After 5-business days my icemaker arrived. I was quoted 7-9 days, so my order actually arrived early this time. If faster delivery is needed, Beach Camera offers a multitude of faster shipping methods at an extra charge.
Product Condition:
Other than a slightly damaged box, my Windchaser Iceman icemaker arrived in perfect condition. My order was thoughtfully packaged in an adequately insulated box and was in exactly "as described" condition: it works great and I am satisfied with the product.
Return Policy:
One of my main worries about ordering with Beach Camera was receiving a defective product and then having to deal with this store's stingy return policy. If you are not satisfied with your merchandise, Beach Camera will only accept your returns after 15 days post delivery. To add insult to injury, Beach Camera charges a 10% restocking fee (even for defective items) and will not refund initial shipping charges or return shipping charges. While I never had to use Beach Camera’s stingy return policy, I would not have been a happy camper had my Iceman arrived damaged and I had to pay for return shipping charges and had been charged a 10% restocking fee: something to think about before buying here.
Customer Service:
The first time I ordered from Beach Camera I couldn't, for the life of me, get hold of a live rep . Fast foreword 5 years and the customer service team at Beach Camera has improved, but I'd still like to see shorter customer service wait times. I'd also like to see a live help feature on their customer support page and a 24-7 toll free number.
Final Verdict:
While Beach Camera still needs to improve their customer service department and offer a more generous return policy, they offer fast shipping, low price tags, an easy-to-use format, and fair shipping charges. With that being said, if you are on the market for any type of digital or computer equipment or accessories, I recommend checking out Beach Camera before making any final buying decisions.
-Thanks for reading!
Recommended:
Yes
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? Icemaker
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