eCost delivers on time to SpaceCoast
Written: Jun 26 '02 (Updated Jun 26 '02)
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Living on the old European continent, I don't really have the chance to order from the many web shops in the US, and their competitive price is just a wish for me. However, while I did some research at Florida Tech, I did not hesitate and I ordered from eCost.com a 256 MB Kingston memory module for my laptop.
The website of eCost.com has a nice design. I just don't like on-line stores where you don't feel right because of the poor presentation. The many images and graphics won't favor dial-up users, but it is still usable. I have used IE, so cannot tell if it is compatible with Netscape and Opera. They a nice coverage of computers, digital imaging and electronics, with some kind of a “complete solution” in this area. This means that you can also get the software for your desktop, or get the protective screen for your handheld. A wide range is available to order immediately, but what is a really nice feature, that many other items are also listed, just with a notice, that you have to call for availability. This can come very handy, if you don’t exactly know what to look for, and also want to discover other products, or you want to compare items at the same time.
The procedure to order, that took some time to finish, but finally there were no problems. First, I could not register on the website, because my card address is not in the US, but in Europe. Therefore, I had to write them an e-mail. Soon, a response come from „Donald”, asking to call them. Calling them, he asked me to send them via fax the copy of my credit card, and the copy of my passport and visa – this was a bit strange for me, as no one asked details like that before. Unfortunately, I had to fax everything twice, because they found the copies too dark, and I had to recopy the items at a lighter setting. Plus, I had to write a few lines by hand, saying that „I authorize eCost to debit my card for the order .... with .... dollars”. What was strange that I had to leave the order number and the price blank, and sign the paper. Would you do such things? I understand, that as I am not a US resident, they take extra precautions, but this seemed to me a bit exaggerated. What they usually do in the UK for example, is instead of asking for copies of identity cards, they check the validity of the card on-line, and verify the cardholder themselves. I think if you are a US resident, things go more directly through their web registration, but not all of us had born with a US citizenship in his/her pocket. Anyway, both on the phone and in the e-mail they were polite and helpful. And if you would prefer to order by phone, they also have a toll free number.
After finishing the ordering procedure, soon an e-mail arrived with the order form. Here, the price included an additional 10$ handling fee. I went to web, and checked, and true, there was a small notice that handling fee can be applied. Hopefully, if you register, and go the checkout, this handling fee also appears at the final price. Some other minutes later, also I got the SMS message from my bank, that my account had a request, and the money was debited from my card.
Next day, right from the other side of the continent, the package arrived from California, well on time. They said I can expect the package delivered to the office at about 10am, and at 10.15am it was right on my table in the office. Yes, I had to have it shipped into my office, as they said not to deliver to hotel rooms. Not a big deal, but why the whole department should be aware that I have ordered a memory module from California, through the web. Well, the box included in a safe plastic packaging the tiny memory module, and the bill. Inserting the RAM into my laptop, it worked very well, so finally I got what I wanted.
At eCost.com, if you just want to look around, you will also like the Bargain Countdown, where they show items at competitive prices for a limited time. The time passed, new items take the place. Navigation at the site is average. To look up complete list of articles, you have to click on the tabs on the top first, and then choose the correct item in the drop-down list below. However, it took me some time to find out to click on the drop-down menu, because after clicking on Electronics for example, you already a nice list of items. I could not decide that this is the whole list that they have, or this is just a selection. However, on the welcome screen, there are links for “Manufacturers” Stores”, so you can bring up all Compaq products for example from PDAs to projectors in one window.
Product descriptions vary from item from item. For some, there is a very descriptive, in depth listing of specifications and features, for others, you only have small yes/no checklist of items. What would be nice, is a link to the website of the manufacturer, so you can look up the additional information required. They list the main addictive features under “Product summary”, and the less interesting details are grouped under “Tech specs”. A nice feature: clicking on “Comparable products” brings up a list of products form the same class, while “Enhanced products” suggest advanced devices. I have not seen this elsewhere, yet. On the right side, “Suggested add-ons” gives you an immediate selection for memory upgrades, batteries, cases for the chosen product, so you don’t have to start surfing again just for the extra flash memory for a digital camera. Items in stock are also indicated, so probably with 2-3 items in, you won’t be surprised if you make up your mind too late. I hope these are real indicators and not just numbers to force you to decide on an item that is shown low in stock.
Prices are competitive, with the addition that their FedEx charges are also in the middle range. I don't like web shops where they list articles for the lowest prices, than when you go to check-out you see that they will add an additional 50 USD for ground shipment. The memory was sent to me by overnight service, and cost FedEx cost about 10 USD. At the time of writing this review, they also offered free shipping for items over 500 USD. Altogether you can count a 20-30 USD as additional to the listed price for handling and shipping for items under 500. At the checkout, you also have the option to choose some extra years of warranty. You probably won't need it for a memory module, but I would extend the warranty for three years in case of a notebook for example. The order status can be checked, too, so you can see if your desired items are on their way or not. You need your order number and your zip code from the e-mail they send you for this to work. One time, I also managed to bring up the FedEx tracking window, as well, directly from eCost.com, but then at an other time, it did not work.
What I missed at eCost.com are some more images of the products, especially for those that are brand name items and don’t have a web-page. Some products don’t have an image at all, what is really an inconvenient, seeing this is an on-line store where you cannot see, touch the products yourself. How to buy a bag for my laptop for example, if there’s no image? Also, a link to the manufacturer’s page of the product would come handy when there are only a short description of the product. Finally, because they ship only to the US and Canada, all international customers should look elsewhere.
Whether should you order from them or not: not counting the verification procedure, the only negative was the unexpected handling fee for me. I was happy to order from eCost.com, and returning to the US I won't hesitate to do it again.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
imreasztar
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Location: Budapest, Hungary
Reviews written: 28
Trusted by: 6 members
About Me:
Bio/chemical engineer who loves mobile tech
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