Homeclick: Good prices but the delivery nightmare isn't worth it!
Written: Dec 19 '03 (Updated Nov 08 '04)
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Let me start by saying that nothing annoys me more than when a delivery company gives me a four hour window for delivery with one day notice, I arrange my whole day to accommodate the window of their choice and then they don't show up. Plus, they don't call to say they are not coming. That is what Home Click did to me. If you can get past that, read on . . .
I am renovating my bathroom and, after shopping around, found good prices at Homeclick.com for the sink, faucet, toilet and lighting. The main attraction of this web site is definitely the prices. I don't think it has much else to offer.
THE WEB SITE
The web site organizes information according to location, brand and the type of item you need. They stock thousands of items so it can sometimes be hard to locate what you want. I was looking for a particular sink and when I used the drop down menus, I couldn't locate it. When I used the search function, it appeared. My recommendation would be to use both functions before giving up.
Also, the descriptions of the products are the barest minimum. The pictures are also small and it is hard to see exactly what you are getting. I strongly recommend doing research first before ordering anything major from this site so you know what you are getting.
The web site also does not tell you whether items are backordered or how long they will take to arrive. Finally, the web site does not indicate that heavy items will be shipped by freight and you are responsible for getting heavy items off the truck yourself.
CHECKOUT
Check out was pretty easy and I only had to enter my shipping / billing information once. I did have to enter a password which I will promptly forget about 5 seconds after leaving the site.
PRICES
I though the prices at Homeclick were very good. The upside also is that you don't have to pay tax and, currently, shipping is free for orders over $70. I had seen similar items at toohome.com which were 20% higher. Stores in my area were also higher and charged tax and delivery.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
I got an email confirming my order. I also got emails when my items shipped BUT what the emails meant is that the items were delivered to a freight company. I waited an additional 3 weeks for my items to be delivered after I got the email about shipping. The other thing I did not like is that Homeclick charged my credit card the full amount almost immediately after my order and well before the items shipped. Most internet retailers only charge you when the items ship. Since delivery was extremely delayed, I ended up paying almost a month in advance.
DELIVERY - THE FREIGHT COMPANY
False Start #1: Since I ordered a sink and toilet, my items were delivered via a freight company. First, I got a voicemail from an individual that sounded very annoyed complaining that they couldn't deliver my goods because of a snow storm and that I should call to arrange a new delivery date. Since I had no idea they planned to make a delivery that day and wasn't home, I didn't worry about it too much.
False Start #2: I called the shipping company. They explained the items weighted 120 pounds and 150 pounds and I would be responsible for getting them off the truck and into my home. I told them that there was no possible way I could lift 150 pounds but they could come the following week when the contractors would be here. They agreed.
False Start #3: The shipping company called me a day before delivery to give me a 4 hour window when the goods would arrive. I arranged my day around the window. I had to be present for delivery because the only way you can return goods without charge is if they were damaged during shipping AND you detect the damage when the items are delivered AND you refuse delivery. I stuck around for the four hour window and they didn't show up and they didn't call.
FINALLY, DELIVERY 2 1/2 HOURS LATE: Extremely annoyed, I again called the delivery company and complained. They had no explanation for the missed delivery. However, they gave me a two hour window on the day of my choice. Of course, I rearranged another day around delivery and again, they didn't show up. I called and they said the truck was nearby and delivery was running late. I waited another two hours for the truck to show up. They finally deposited the goods in my garage.
PACKING
The toilet, sink, faucet and lighting came wrapped in plastic on two large wooden pallets. We had a dumpster for our construction so getting rid of the pallets was no big deal. However, if we did not have the dumpster, we would have had to break them apart for our local trash collection to pick them up which would have been a nightmare.
RETURNS ARE DIFFICULT
ALL of the following information is from the email that confirmed my order:
If you must make a return, please repack the merchandise in the original packing material and follow the directions below to return it to HomeClick within 30 days of receipt of your merchandise. Please inspect your package immediately upon receipt for shipping damages. You must notify us within 3 days of receipt of any shipping damages. We cannot take responsibility for shipping damages beyond this point.
There is a 25% restocking fee on merchandise returned for any reason other than a product defect or damage.
You must call us for a Return Authorization number (RA#). Please make sure you write this number on the outside of the box you send back to us. Returns without an RA# will be refused. Returns will not be accepted after 30 days from when you receive your shipment.
ITEMS MUST BE RETURNED IN THEIR ORIGINAL PACKAGING AS SHIPPED BY HOMECLICK.COM. ANY ITEMS RETURNED IN PACKAGING OTHER THAN THE ORIGINAL PACKAGING WILL BE REFUSED.
STEALS AND DEALS
You can sign up for free email notifications of sales on the site. If you get on the email list, you will get frequent offers for discounts and free shipping from the site.
FINAL RECOMMENDATION
Homeclick.com had good prices. However, the delivery was a nightmare and I would have gladly paid a bit more for better service. I can't recommend this site.
DO YOU LIKE TO SHOP ON THE INTERNET? HERE ARE SOME MORE REVIEWS OF WEB STORES:
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Clothing and Home Goods: Land’s End; Bluefly; Soft Surroundings; Garnet Hill; Sundance; L.L. Bean.
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Electronics: HP Shopping; Buy.com.
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Miscellaneous: 1-800 contacts; Movie Tickets.com; Drugstore.com.
Rebate Sites: Upromise; Ebates.
Recommended:
No
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? sink, faucet, toilet, lighting
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modernmarvel
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