Good Prices, High Shipping, Sketchy Service

Brilliant Store sells electronics like air conditioners, kitchen appliances, lighting products, laundry products like washers and driers, and batteries for a variety of appliances and gadgets.  I found a great price on a 27 watt full spectrum floor lamp there.

The site has basic navigation and accepts the usual credit cards although I thought shipping was high.  Shoppers receive a confirmation notice after ordering and are supposed to receive a shipping notice too, but I never received one.

My Experience at Brilliant Store

UPS Ground shipping for the lamp was $20.   Important:  the combined price of shipping and the lamp was cheaper than anywhere else.

Brilliant Store quickly processed my PayPal payment and sent a confirmation notice.  After four days, I emailed Brilliant Store using their “Quick Mail” method that promised a three hour response time.  With no response, I wrote to Customer Service and also received no response.

The lamp did arrive after three weeks, but I never was told of the delay (they don’t have to do so unless the item is delayed more than 30 days).   I never used the lamp because it arrived in poorly protected packaging and seemed unstable.  The lamp was a gift for my father, who passed away before he had the opportunity to see the lamp, but I would have never given him this as a gift.

Brilliant Store authorized an exchange if I paid for shipping or a refund if I paid for shipping and a 15% restocking fee.  My refund would have been around ten dollars after spending $70.

Final Thoughts on Brilliant Store

I don’t like excessive shipping costs and I don’t like poor response time to basic questions. I especially don’t like the refund policies that trap me into a refund of less than $20 by the time I spend $70 on shipping and the product.

I won’t shop at Brilliant Site again. The customer service made the experience not worth the minor price savings. The selection and pricing seemed different, but the less-than-expected quality combined with poor service and a bad return policy mean I’ll be passing this one by in the future.

–P. Therre