Gifts, Gizmos, Gadgets, and what-you-ma-call-thems (boysstuff.co.uk)

Name: Deru

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Product:	boysstuff.co.uk
Date:	03/02/08 (67 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Gadgets!, Selection, Site features, Sense of Humour, Customer Service

Disadvantages: Prices, delivery costs

THE SITE & STUFF

Their website is well designed with a consistent layout using their orange colour scheme. They've even applied a bevelled effect to many of the elements on the site, which I think looks very nice compared to the boring old flat style. The site runs very quickly and I've had no problems with it at all. The navigation is very easy and ordering from them is as easy as ordering from any other online retailer. Simply add items (select quantity if you want) to your basket, checkout, and register with your details or login if you've shopped there before. Then enter your credit/debit card details.

They accept all major cards including Solo and Switch, Visa and Mastercard. You can browse the site by department, through 'Quick links', and browse by category or just search by entering a keyword or phrase. Departments include 'ADULTS ONLY', 'BARGAIN STUFF', 'ELECTRONICS', 'GIRLS STUFF', etc. This is pretty standard but good to see anyway.

I think that the 'Quick Links' is quite useful. It's got a 'GIFT GUIDE', 'WHAT'S HOT', 'BARGAINS', and 'VOUCHER' section. The 'GIFT GUIDE' lets you filter products by department and price. You can tell it to only return items that are in stock. I would have liked a set of links to find products within a price range more quickly like other gadget sites but can't complain much as it's only a minor quibble and it's only one or two clicks more. There's even a gift wrapping option. I like this feature. The others are self explanatory.

Their products have a nicely written sales pitch followed by a list of key features and specifications (if necessary). This is consistent throughout the site. They also throw in a list of 'Press Reviews' where they can but these are generally positive so I wouldn't trust them. There are also buyer reviews for some items. The best review of the month wins £20. Some items also include an FAQ section for the Frequently Asked Questions that people keep asking them. It shows that they are quite dedicated to the site.

They quote at the bottom of the review bit:

"Please note: Like so many things in life, these reviews are based on opinion, not fact. Boys Stuff cannot guarantee the reviewers are not a) lying, b) insane or c) both."

You've got to love their sense of humour. LOL Also, on their product pages, there are product images. Clicking on each one opens up a smaller Window with a larger version of the picture. There are even animated GIFs (moving pictures) that show you how items work and how they work in different states (i.e. with something that folds, the picture shows it folded and then unfolded).

I've visited sites where the images are not much bigger even when you click for a bigger picture but I think Boys Stuff have done this quite well. It's always good to be able to see a larger picture to take a closer look at the details and how some items work.

I find their order tracking system is easy to use. Log in and you can see your order details and its status. This updates whenever your order reaches a different stage. You can also edit your personal details, add more delivery addresses and credit/debit cards. Something I'm quite impressed with is there's even a date reminder feature where you can set a date to be notified about via email so won't forget someone's birthday. Not just that, they have a link to increase text size in places. You can change text size in your browser's View menu but to include it on their site is very thoughtful. I'm very impressed.

10 / 10! - Overall, an excellent site with excellent site features. Great stuff!

PRODUCTS, PRICES & STUFF

Their range of products is quite good with cool gadgets from all sorts of categories but I think their items are too expensive. I've found items cheaper in shops and I'm usually saying online prices are usually lower. I ordered a Desktop Air Conditioner, which was around £25. While the item was delayed, I found it in the Index catalogue for around £16, so I decided to buy it from there instead. I had my eye on this Credit Card Manager thing, which was on sale so I proceeded to change my order at Boys Stuff to the new item. Turns out the sale was over for that item so I made a snap decision and chose something else.

I had seen an LED Ear Lite (a torch your wear round your ear) for just over £13 plus postage on a previous day. It came to just over £16. Item arrived in good condition a few days later, works a treat. About two days later, I found it at The Gadget Shop for £7(!), so I decided to buy another one but from The Gadget Shop and the price was actually £5! They just hadn't changed the price tag to the new price. The item is identical.

I like bargains so unfortunately; I wasn't particularly impressed with Boys Stuff's prices but not particularly disgusted either. I didn't think they were bad enough for me to close the window and look elsewhere straight away. Some items are better value when on sale. There are some items that they can't increase or decrease the price of so look out for those if you can't find it with free delivery elsewhere.

There are also items that are hard to find elsewhere so those may be good items to buy from them. Overall, I'm impressed with their range of products and their site but I don't like to pay more than I have to so if I can buy something for significantly less by going elsewhere, then obviously I'll go 'elsewhere' for the item if I can.

7 / 10 - Prices are a bit high but they have a good selection. Not a bad site to browse if you're not sure what to buy someone. They have stuff that I couldn't find on other Gadget online stores. They do put some of their items on sale every now and again so look out for those.

DELIVERY & STUFF

Delivery is quite quick and only takes a few days if paying for standard delivery costing £4.95. There are premium delivery options and even same day delivery, which I've not seen any other online store offer. This option is dependent on location so you do need to contact them to check if it's available first.

Premium delivery is quite cheap starting from £5.99 for Next Day delivery. If some items are out of stock, and you ordered more than one item, then by default they will deliver when everything is in stock but you can specify for them to deliver as each item is in stock and they'll give you 25% discount on delivery. I would have thought it would be the other way around but I can't complain about discounts!

Standard delivery takes about 3-4 days and this is quite accurate from my experience. Saturday delivery costs £9.99. I'm quite impressed as delivery time is short and premium delivery is surprisingly cheap but places like Play.com, whom also sell gadgets, offer free delivery on everything so it may be best to shop their if it's just one or two items you're after. Prices are sometimes the same between the two sites but at other times, Play.com are cheaper.

7 / 10

CUSTOMER SERVICE & STUFF

Customer service is quite good. The item I ordered was not in stock at the time but there was a 'stock expected' date on the listing page. As it wasn't far off, I ordered the item. However, the status of the item remained the same and the stock due date remained on the expected date, even after the due date, so two days after the due date, I phoned up. They don't mind giving you their phone number unlike some companies.

You can find it on their site in the Contact section, the guarantee information page, your order confirmation email, despatch email, delivery note, and probably a bunch of other places. Anyway, got an answer straight away and the woman who answered said that she would check with her supervisors and that she would call me back.

I didn't receive a call back (she probably forgot) so I phoned up the next day. Got an answer straight away and I changed my order to something else. Not had any problems after receiving the products so I can't say but overall, the customer service is quite good.

I also got a short survey with my order asking how pleased I was with the service and if I was unhappy with the way my item was shipped, to tell them and the manager would personally shoot the person who packed the item (with a potato spud gun that is).

9 / 10 - Knocked off a point for not getting a call back. Still, fairly competent customer service. I wasn't put on hold and got straight through and the staff were helpful.

OTHER STUFF

Their site is secure and they offer a 30 day money back guarantee. They also own girlsstuff.co.uk so clearly, they're not sexist. That's where you find the more girly gadgets. They also have several other sister sites: Gadgetstuff.com, minimotoandstuff.co.uk, fitnessandstuff.co.uk, which are also worth checking out. Well, some just redirect you to certain categories.

They also have a newsletter if you feel like receiving emails about their latest products, sales, etc. Also, you can request a brochure from them if they don't send you one already. They send you it for free.

VERDICT

This is heaven for any gadget freak, well almost. The products are a bit pricey and you have to pay postage, but they have a good selection and their site is easy to use with lots of the features you expect from an online store as well as a few extras. Not just that, they even have a good sense of humour without sounding unprofessional and make it a fun place to shop. Only thing is I wish they could lower their prices and maybe offer lower or free postage.

That's not to say you shouldn't shop there. I think you should price check first. Boys Stuff have stuff that I can't find elsewhere and these are the things I'd get from them. Recommended, depending on what you're after.

8.5 / 10 - Overall. Nice place to shop for when you don't know what to get someone or if you find something you can't find elsewhere. Prices aren't all great but look for sales! Recommended!

Thanks for reading!

Summary: A place to shop for your Gadgets