Fitness One – My Newest Internet Addiction
Written: Jul 28 '02
|
| Full Review |
With the internet being as it is [ever expanding], I find it more cost effective and time effective to sit down on the computer and check prices on my sport supplements than to remain completely loyal to one site or store. What that usually translates to buying different products from different vendors. One site has a great price on Hydroxycut and another site an awesome special on Designer Protein – so if I save $5.00 or $10.00 on each shipment I’m pretty happy. After all, that leaves more money for Lego’s!
About three weeks ago I got to try out a new Protein Powder from SciTech Nutrition and fell in love with it. The only problem was that it retailed at $24.99 per pound – yes – you read that correctly - $24.99 per pound. During a search on the internet to find the cheapest price I came across Fitness One and the low low price of $17.99 per container. Even with the $5.95 shipping fee, I was looking at saving $22.00 dollars for four containers. I whipped out the credit card, typed in all the information and received my shipment in 7 days [weekends included]. Now, for those that shop the internet with any frequency, five working days to receive an order is pretty exceptional.
Site Performance
The site is designed to give you the easiest route to the information you are looking for. From the main page you can scroll down two sets of lists; one for manufacturers [Met-RX, EAS, Twin Lab etc] and one for general products [powders, bars, vitamins etc]. When you hit the main page, be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom to see the current special, deals and new products. The main page is massive and you will find yourself scrolling down for a while. At the bottom of the page is a docked shopping cart icon as well as an icon to checkout. These remain in place for as long as you are at the site, so you never have to worry about looking for them.
Overall the site is very easy to navigate and a snap to get used to. Almost every product as a text description as well as a full color photo. It’s best to try and stick with the two drop down boxes at the top of the main page of the site since these seem to take you to areas with more information and detail than just clicking on a photo listed on the main page. If you are curious about a product but still have a few questions, don’t hesitate to call the customer service team to make an inquiry.
The only downside to the site is that once you leave the main page it might be impossible to get back there unless you do some clicking and play around with the site. The two drop down information / search boxes remain on the top of the screen when you roam around the site, but there is not clickable icon to take you back to the main page. Hint: you can click the Store tab to the left to go back to the main page, but I still like to have the logo of the site clickable. It only took me about a week to figure that out :]
Products
Chances are that if you are looking for a specific product, you’ll be able to find it somewhere on the site. The two drop down boxes located at the top left of the page will help make your inquiry easy and keep it to the minimum number of clicks. The last time I checked there were over 70 different manufacturers listed – that is some inventory. Even more impressive is the Shop By category section, this breaks down items into generic categories such as tanning oils, clothing, individual vitamins and weight loss products. It’s all a matter of personal preference as to how you surf the site, but be forewarned, it is addictive.
Price Matching Policy
If you see a product offered at another site for less than what Fitness One has listed, you can contact them, inform them of this and they will match the price. Don’t start doing the happy dance just yet; there are a few small catches to this deal. The item has to be in stock; if it is sold out they won’t honor the price match. The item must be current – meaning not expired and it must be validated. If you need help with this, call them at [866] 997-3481 [toll free number]. This is something that not many internet vendors offer and it serves as a very gentle reminder that this site has some of the best prices around.
Return Policy
If you need to make a return, contact the customer service department for an RMA [Return Merchandise Authorization] number before you make arrangements to ship your package back to them. They will only accept products that are still factory sealed so if you don’t like the flavor of the Low Carb bars you purchased, you are stuck with them. As usual, shipping fees are not refundable so don’t even ask. You have 14 days from the time of your order to make a return but make sure you follow their rules about obtaining an RMA and enclosing a copy of your invoice. This will ensure that your credit or refund is made in a timely fashion.
My Purchases so far…
As I mentioned at the start of this review, I got hooked on SciTech Nutrition’s Protein Delite – The Vanilla Very Berry is simply the best I have ever tasted and it’s low carb. After my first taste I was like a junkie trying to find a good price on it since forking out $24.99 hurt just a little. I ordered four containers at $17.99 each plus shipping for a grand total of $77.75. If I bought those at Nutri-Sport I’d end up paying about $110.00 [with tax]. My order was placed on July 20, 2002 and was received July 27, 2002 via Fed Ex. Talk about fast shipping! The $5.95 fee was more than worth it – especially since I was down to about two scoops in the container and was trying to ration it out and make it last.
Shortly after I placed my first order, but before I received it, I ordered some AdipoKinetix [180 count bottle] for the insane price of $22.95 – this has a usual retail price of between $33.99 – 39.99 so I ordered several in case these were yanked off the market like a few other Syntrax items. So far I am more than impressed with the prices of their products. There are only 10 – 15 products that I purchase on a regular basis and of those 10 – 15, Fitness One has the best price on 8 of them.
Shipping Fees
The flat rate of $5.95 is extremely attractive and gives this company an advantage over others. If you plan on placing a large order or cases of drinks, you will get hit with the normal freight charges. You can call to get a freight quote or have it emailed to you. If you fail to respond to the email within 24 hours, your order will be cancelled. For me, the $5.95 is nothing. I save that on one container of the SciTech Nutrition powder, so if I order four at a time, I can essentially get a free container or keep the cash in my pocket.
The Internet Magazine
If you like to stay on top of your game, you really need to checkout the Fitness One website and poke around the magazine section. This gives you the ability to get news when it’s fresh, not a month after it happens [cough Muscle Media cough]. I’ll be the first one to admit, a lot of the information in this cyber magazine is geared towards those in the body building world, but fitness junkies don’t despair – there are still some great articles and photos – you just have to dig around for them a little.
While you are there you can also access the Product Archives to see past reports on vitamins and supplements. This is a great educational tool if you are just starting out and an invaluable resource for those who want and need to have the best and most accurate information. The same can be said for the Nutrition Archives, while there aren’t a tremendous number of articles to browse through, there is more than enough information to keep you occupied for an hour or so. For those just getting into body building, weight lifting or general fitness, I highly suggest that you check out the bottom section, Question Archive. This has some of the most common questions that advanced or pro athletes won’t answer. Sometimes I think they forget the fact that they too had to start somewhere. Sadly most people who have the information look down on the newbies at the gym – and those are the people that need to get the straight facts when they are starting out so they don’t waste months on routines, supplements or training.
The Newsletter
Feel free to sign up for the newsletter that the site offers. This will keep you up to date on the latest sales, events and new products added to the site. So far I haven’t gotten any junk mail from third parties but if I do, I’ll be sure to update this review. From this section you can also ask questions about products or make general inquiries about the site. This is a really nice option that I wish more sites offered. Oh yeah, it’s free too!
Contact Information
www.fitnessone.com
[866] 997-FIT1 [3481] – Toll Free Order Line
Fitness One
2600 West College Avenue
Suite # 2
Appleton, WI 54914
[920] 997 - 8057 – phone
[920] 997 – 8057 – fax
info@fitnessone.com - Email for general information
order@fitnessone.com - To place an order or for tracking
The Bottom Line
So far I am extremely impressed with Fitness One. The prices are outstanding, the service is exceptional and the assortment of products seems never-ending. If you are looking for a site that will beat prices, ship your orders lightening fast and not beat you on shipping fees, I highly suggest that you check out Fitness One today!
As always, thanks for the visit!
^V^ Freak ^V^
© 2002 Freak369
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
About the Author
Reviews written: 6451
Trusted by: 927 members
About Me: 7% Terminator, 4% silicone, 38% muscle, 51% freak
|
