Sometimes Not So Qool
Written: Oct 23 '01
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The Bottom Line
Great site to use and good prizes, but beware of late prizes and ineffective customer service for fixing these problems.
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| Full Review |
I used to be a member of another affinity site which eventually went bust. This company allowed their points to be converted to Qool coins on a 1:1 basis which was a much better deal than the other one offered. So, I checked out the site and transferred.
Qool.com is an auction site which allows you to accumulate Qool coins which are essentially free bidding points. You accumulate coins by joining the site (500), logging on the site each day (50), referring friends (300 coins each) or bidding on items (10 per bid with a maximum of 100 coins per day). You can sign up for daily e-mail which has other offers of coins. By clicking on ads, you can earn points (sometimes a few hundred per day). If you purchase or sign up for advertised services, you can earn many more. The owner of this site has a good business plan. It's basically an affiliate site, but it's the most organized one I have ever seen.
The prizes I have seen are not junk and many can be had for a song and a dance. So far, I have won auctions for a Qool.com cap, job resume software, and many magazine subscriptions. There are currently over 20 categories of prizes and over 15,000 individual auctions per month.
Doesn't it all sound great? Well, it is with a few exceptions. For example, the site promises to ensure all prizes are shipped within 60 days of auction closeout. Currently, I have over 10 unredeemed prizes which have not yet found their way to my mailbox. It would help if I received (timely) replies to the e-mails I send. Most have gone unanswered and those that have been unanswered make me want to reach through cyberspace and choke somebody because they inevitably do not address my questions and concerns.
Where I studied law, this is called breach of contract. The proprietor inevitably collected his earnings when he steered me toward his advertisements. Yet, when it comes time for him to deliver the goods, we run into delays and problems.
A word of advice: If you use this site, keep accurate records of all auctions you win. The site keeps a record of your winnings for you, but this only goes back 60 days. Since prizes are supposed to be sent within 60 days, if it comes time to inquire about these prizes, the site won't have a record of your winning anymore. Could this be a coincidence?
One defunct benefit is reporting website bugs to Qool.com. Previously, if you were the first person to report a bug, you were eligible to receive a prize (I think it was more Qool coins). I did this a few times, but never got any feedback, not even an autoresponder e-mail which could have been possible since bug reports were sent to a dedicated e-mail address.
One area of the site offers extra Qool coins for surfing ads. The site promised 50 coins for most visits. However, after reviewing my account, I was only given 5 points for each.
The site retains authority to substitute prizes if your winning prize is not available. I started receiving a subscription which I never bid on or won; something I am not particularly interested in. the substitution policy is fair, but in this case, a magazine subscription? If I had received my other prizes on time, I could at least figure out through process of elimination which subscription I won't be getting.
Recommended:
Yes
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About the Author
Member: Chuck
Location: Orlando, Florida
Reviews written: 47
Trusted by: 11 members
About Me: Corporate HR Director for 4 companies. In 2003, I completed an enjoyable military career.
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