BEWARE dealextreme.com!

[esrice]

After hearing some positive feedback from Indiana folks on GlockTalk, I checked out DealExtreme: Cool Gadgets at the Right Price - Site-Wide Free Shipping to find a deal. They offer CRAZY cheap prices, with FREE shipping. The catch is, they mass-ship from Hong Kong, so items take 3 weeks to arrive.

I decided to lay down $19.36 on a BlackHawk Gladius knock-off LED flashlight, seen in the link below:

DealExtreme: $19.35 hFlash HF6 Cree LED Flashlight with Clip (CR123A)

I figured that if the site was crap, I was only out $20. So I sent off the money and waited. And waited. And waited. Three weeks passed before I got a note on my front door from the post office. Apparently with the way they ship things, it requires a signature. So I drove to the post office and picked up my package, only to find that they sent me the WRONG LIGHT.

Here is what they sent me for my $20:

DealExtreme: $13.75 Ultrafire WF-602D 3.6V Cree Flashlight (CR123A)

I didn't send the wrong light back. They claim they will refund you the cost of shipping it back to them, but I didn't want to deal with the hassle. I just kept the light and threw it in my car.

 

[Fenway]

Good to know. I don't mind paying a bit more for good service.

 

[PistolPete]

Good info to have. A good website that I have done plenty of business with is: MidwayUSA — Shooting Supplies, Reloading, Gunsmithing, Ammunition, Gun Parts & Rifle Scopes. They usually have good deals on things there. I got a tactical bag from there that I don't know if I can ever fill up.

 

[Ri22o]

I had a similar problem with Botach Tactical. They're worthless.

 

[slottech]

Blythe's Sport Shop
219-476-0026
GOOD Place GOOD People

 

[glockguy07]

Blythe's Sport Shop
219-476-0026
GOOD Place GOOD People

Jerry's Gun Shop
219-866-8707
Better Place, Much Better Prices

 

[rhino]

I've had to return defective merchandise to them before. It's definitely not an easy or expedient process, but I did get the new light.

When you deal with dealextreme.com or similar offshore companies, you're getting exactly what you pay for. Insanely cheap merchandise and insanely low prices. Customer service is not part of the deal. For some people, it's an acceptable trade-off. For others, it's a deal breaker.

If there was a competitor who offered even remotely similar deals, I'd gladly pay a little more for better service in the event of a problem. However, there are no others (that I have found yet) who offer the same or similar goods at the same or similar prices.

When I buy stuff from them, I'm not buying gear that I might use for emergencies when life and limb are on the line. I have other lights for that (although they do have drop-in CREE LED modules now). The lights I get from dealextreme are for utility use only and I've been pleased with them (with the exception of the one I had to return).