Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Not All Online Retailers Are Created Equally

Buyer beware when shopping online this holiday season for deals that seem too good to be true, because the old adage “you get what you pay for” is just as prevalent this holiday season as it’s ever been. Let us at BatteryFly.com explain…

When shopping online you’re bound to see (if you haven’t seen already) some retailers selling their products for literally $.01 and you think you’ve scored a great deal! Well, think again. Some dubious online retailers aren’t giving you everything you’re expecting.

We at BatteryFly.com thought we’d put one of our dirt cheap competitors to the test and buy one of their products for their advertised $0.98 price, barely a fraction of their actual cost (we know because we sell the same item) and uncover and disclose their business methods for you to see…


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THEY MAKE THEIR MONEY ON INFLATED SHIPPING PRICES

Be careful to take notice of shipping costs when buying an item. Some dishonest retailers are not up front about their outrageous shipping prices and only after you’ve bid on an item (through Ebay or other auction sites) you get the bill for huge shipping charges. You’ll often receive an invoice for First Class shipping prices at $10 - $16 (or more!) but this is only AFTER you’ve committed to buying the item. This is a classic bait & switch technique.



So why do they charge so much for shipping? Because they’re pricing their items next to nothing and are making all their profit on the inflated shipping price they tricked you into buying. They know most buyers will shop for the lowest priced item and they’re betting that most won’t check the shipping price before they buy. Don’t be suckered!

At BatteryFly.com our shipping starts at $5.95 which covers postage, packaging and handling. You’ll never see inflated shipping prices with us.


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THEY USE CHEAP/NON-EXISTENT PACKAGING TO SAVE MONEY, BUT PUT YOUR ITEM AT RISK

Take a look at the packaging our $0.98 battery charger came in. This is barely a plastic bag! There is no bubble wrap, no foam peanuts, no cardboard, there isn’t even any crumpled up newspaper. There is nothing to protect this battery charger from being crushed and damaged during transit.



This is an electronic power accessory that is going to be plugged into my wall outlet and they didn’t protect it from becoming damaged during shipment and becoming a potential shock hazard! This company doesn’t care about the quality of their products or the safety of their customers.

The only way this company is making any money is on their shipping prices, so they can’t afford to invest any kind of money into properly packaging the item. Pathetic.

At BatteryFly.com we only use heavy duty boxes and padded envelopes filled with peanuts to protect your items during shipping. It might cost us more, but your satisfaction and return business are important to us.


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THEY HAVE ZERO CUSTOMER SERVICE OVERHEAD TO INVEST IN BECAUSE THEY OFFER ZERO CUSTOMER SERVICE

For lackluster companies (like this company) since they’re only making a few bucks on each sale they have to sell A LOT of items to make any profit. This is a numbers game and they know they need to trick a lot of people into buying to make any profit and they can't waist any funds on customer service.

This particular company we purchased from is selling tens-of-thousands of items each month, but offers no customer service what so ever. They can’t afford to.

Just take a look at this screen shot of their feedback rating on Ebay. Over 2500 negative feedback scores in the last 12 months!?! That’s atrocious! We at BatteryFly.com cannot even contemplate running a business with so many dissatisfied customers. But to this company (and many others like them) they don’t care if you’re unhappy. They know they’re playing a numbers game and are just trying to move as much product as they can and hope most people don’t bother contacting them back when they're dissatisfied.



This particular item we purchased from this company didn’t even include an invoice. They didn’t include information to contact them if I had a question about the item or if it arrived damaged. They’re simply hoping when I have a problem I’ll just not take the time to hassle with them over it. This is just unprofessional.

At BatteryFly.com we include a 1-Year Warranty and a No Hassles 30-Day Money Back Guarantee for free with all of our products. We also include our phone number on the homepage of our website as well as contact information on your itemized invoice.


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IN CONCLUSION... YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR

There really are a lot of great deals you can find when shopping online, like when shopping for power accessories at BatteryFly.com. However, there are some online companies out there who are looking to take advantage of you by using bait and switch methods and cutting costs on shipping supplies and customer service. It’s unfortunate that online companies create distrust with online shoppers and make it harder for honest companies to do business.

At BatteryFly.com we promise to offer you quality power supplies for the most honest competitive price available and with honest shipping charges. On top of that we also promise to always carefully package and ship your items as quickly and safely as possible. And beyond that we also include a 1-Year Warranty and a No Hassles 30-Day Money Back Guarantee on ALL of our products.

Your satisfaction with our products and service is vital to us at BatteryFly.com and we will never compromise that or our reputation to make a quick buck.

Have a safe and pleasant online shopping experience this holiday season!

Thanks,



Jordan Olsen
Director of Marketing
BatteryFly.com