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ArtBeads.com ends up under the watchful eyes of a Bargain Stalker mystery shopping series.
The jewelry supplier passed with flying covers. If you’re a beading hobbyist (or professional), you’ll want to check out the great customer service, fantastic deals and selection.
You can read our ArtBeads review here.
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My own babies are 16 years in the past, but I have a slew of nieces and nephews to buy for and spoil before handing them back to their mommies. I was surprised that Baby Universe was so tough to get around and buy from.
Baby Universe sells everything from furnishings and accessories to clothes and toys. They carry a wide range of brand names and many categories of items. They also carry a variety of maternity goods for expecting moms.
There are plenty of baby registry and search functions throughout the site. Drilling through the site is confusing, but also possible. Item photos look good with complete descriptions. User reviews and ratings — on a 1 to 5 baby bottle scale no less — appear for each item.
I went armed with a list of item names and numbers so had little trouble navigating the site, but shoppers unfamiliar with the site may find Baby Universe daunting.
Shipping and confirmation emails are also sent.
I bought a car seat that was already on my list and added some toys and outfits. The prices were reasonable, although the shipping was high. Had the car seat been locally available, I would have canceled the the order, but availability beat shipping this time.
The order confirmation came, but even after five days and emailing the company, there was no shipping confirmation. After calling customer service, I learned that the car seat – the reason I kept my order at Baby Universe – was backordered. Customer Service said a letter was due out me that day.
Unfortunately, canceling part of the order was unacceptable. I was happy to let the clothes and toys ship while canceling the car seat, but the entire order had to be canceled. So we grudgingly canceled the order and received an email two days later that informed us the car seat was still on backorder.
Calling again, I learned there was no record of my cancellation, and of course, I could cancel part of the order that hadn’t shipped. There was a little too much mistrust going on, though, so I simply canceled the entire order. No email arrived canceling the order, but I did see a credit card refund online.
Maybe this was a one-time snafu; the customer service rep said the site was very busy and experiencing growing pains. But they missed badly and lost an order and customer.
Baby Universe’s selection seemed good with decent pricing, but the shipping was a little high. Until the customer service problems are ironed out, I’m not sure I would return.
I usually buy sports bras and tanks from ChampionCatalog.com because they are, quite simply, the best. But sites like Athletica are perfect for workout gear like camis, pants and hoodies.
Athletica sells brand name and in house apparel for everyone. Shoppers will find workout pants (long, Capri, and shorts), camis, workout tops and T’s and yoga apparel for women. The site also sells men’s fitness tanks, tops, shorts and t-shirts. The selection is wide enough to fit fickle shoppers while focused enough so that you won’t waste a lot of time picking through items. A sizing chart lets everyone know how stretchy fabrics may change which item they buy.
One slight issue is that shipping rates aren’t posted, and you won’t know actual costs until checkout. I ordered $39.80 worth of merchandise and my shipping was $8.75 for UPS Ground. I have no idea how shipping is calculated and couldn’t find any explanation.
Although I was a bit leery about the site, I went ahead with my order. I received a confirmation email immediately and another when the items shipped.
My order arrived in 11 days (I ordered on a Friday so weekends were involved) and was packaged fine and my guessing at the sizes proved to be right on.
My $40 order was made up of deeply discounted clearance items and were a real steal. Even with the shipping, I couldn’t have found better prices on my items.
I browsed the site for quite a while, noticing many items are reasonably priced and some are on the high end. The men’s area has a lot of typical tanks and workout pants as well as T-Shirts that can be worn to workout in or to go out on. They have a much larger range of sizes, up to XXL. Women sizes are only up to Large.
I found some really neat looking low-rise workout pants in 32″ length (I never can find long enough pants like that so I was glad I stumbled upon them) and a matching baby T which can be worn out or used as a workout top. I also snagged a yoga cami for just $6.95.
I did search for a page that explains shipping and returns but there wasn’t one. Because I wasn’t putting out a great deal of cash, I went ahead with my order.
Products come with a 30-day guarantee if the items are unworn and new. Shipping charges are not refunded.
Bargain hunters can choose between UPS Ground and Priority UPS Second Day.
If Athletica’s items weren’t so cute and decently priced, I wouldn’t give the site a second look. But the prices for the items are good, and you can save a bundle over bigger sites by ordering there. The site’s sizing chart doesn’t say that, but Athletica items appear to run small in their women’s wear so order a size up from what you think you are.
I really like the looks of their clothes and had no problem with the ordering process. Athletica carries good, inexpensive workout wear and, barring a fitting problem, I think you will be happy with their quality.
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Champion Catalog, best known for its activewear, especially sports bras in every variety from low to high impact models as well as longer sports camis and tops. They also sell day bras, workout tops, shorts, pants, tights, socks, T-Shirts, and casual clothing for relaxing. Champion clothes are sold for men and women but their best selection may be the best sports bras and sports tops around. The biggest selection may be in sports bras, but don’t ignore the closeout items.
Everything on the site is Champion quality. There are no seconds or low quality items. I have never had a problem with anything I ordered.
Champion’s home page greets shoppers with fresh specials. The menus are helpful enough to avoid using the search box. Large, sharp photos and full descriptions appear when any item is selected.
Once you’ve ordered and paid with a major credit card, a verification email arrives. A second email arrives later with a tracking number after your order is shipped. Like all good e-commerce sites, Champion Catalog will split orders into multiple shipments so that items can arrive faster.
I bought my favorite sports bra at Champion and returned to purchase more. My most recent order was five sports camis/tanks, sports bras but with longer coverage that look like tank tops or camis but are really for workouts. For $19.99, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to stock up.
Champion has yet to provide a bad shopping experience despite many trips there. Orders are quickly processed and the items arrive in no more than four to six days. The company even notifies consumers about backorders, something they’re not required to do unless it will be more than 30 days to ship. Smart companies immediately open the communication lines to let consumers know about delays, and Champion is a smart company.
With all my orders, I have only returned one item, and that was because the size was off. A replacement was immediately sent — simple and hassle-free.
Returns are easily completed. You can return anything, any time, for any reason for a refund or exchange. You don’t need authorization or to give prior notice to the site that you’re returning an item. If you don’t have the original packing slip, just send your name and address and the reason for return to them. This is one of the best returns policies I have seen on the net and I shop everywhere!
I have tried other retailers, but always return to Champion Catalog for my sports bras and workout wear. They have the most variety and clearly describe what items to buy for different activities, which removes any guesswork. Prices range from very good to somewhat high depending on sales. Nothing is very expensive, though, and everything on the site is 100% guaranteed so you really can shop with confidence.
I love Champion Catalog – for what the site offers and the simplicity of shopping there. Customer service has always been great and the returns policy is the best I have seen. Not only does the company provide a great experience, but clicking their image here and opening or logging in to your account nets you free shipping. Quality clothes, free shipping and a great return policy is hard to beat!
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Boots for Less is one of the ugliest ecommerce sites you should visit. Once at the site, you’ll find some decent prices on all sorts of boots.
I found great prices on Justin, Tony Lama, and Chippewa boots for youths, men, and women in a variety of styles from Western, Work, Packer, Lacers, and Ropers and in a variety of styles and leathers.
Boots for Less is pretty stark with bland graphics, but CraigsList is hardly award-winning design and is still pretty darn useful. Pages about each pair of boots are divided with a short description and pricing on one side and a detailed image on the other. One thing the site could use and will probably add any day is the ability to look at a boot from any angle or on a model. The single photo is sufficient for now.
Sizing charts are available to help shoppers find their correct boot size. The rule of thumb is to drop down 1/2 size from your regular shoe size, but double-check.
Checking out was easy, the usual confirmation and shipping emails arrived and I was on my way in minutes. As expected these days, the shipping email included package tracing information.
My boots arrived on time (Boots for Less says 7-9 days), packaged well and looking good.
I like buying boots and was checking out their Tony Lama boots for women. The variety was decent and the prices were pretty good. I was looking for a pair of simple black Tony Lama Western Boots, and I found them for what was a decent price at the time. They were about $30 less than I had found them elsewhere so I checked out their returns policy before I ordered and everything seemed in order if these boots disappointed.
I was glad I checked the liberal return policy because these were simply cut too small. Maybe I was retaining water, but the return went off without a hitch. The boots sure were pretty though. Had I wanted to wait, I could have easily gotten them in the proper size. Experienced boot buyers will know their size and others may want to use the online tools to be sure. No matter whether this is your first pair of boots or your first this year, Boots for Less should be one of your stops.
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