For lovers of drinking and soft porn... (firebox.com)

Member Name: ben_83

Product:	firebox.com
Date:	11/05/01 (675 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Some exclusive cool gadgets and toys, an entertaining and well designed website, you don't have to register to buy

Disadvantages: Too few items, expensive postage not included in the price of the item

...otherwise known as your average 'FHM'-reading 18 to 35-year-old male. Firebox.com is squarely aimed at this already over-aimed demographic but, despite this laddish image, their range will appeal to most people.

Firebox.com is unique as far as I know in that, instead of selling books, music or videos (how many more of those sites can the market stand?), its range is made up of an eclectic mix of executive toys and lifestyle items. Included in this are some very desirable little gizmos that, in most cases, are exclusive to the site. However, weighing in at about two hundred items, their selection is quite limited and includes some items (such as mobile phones, jetskis and pool tables) which, if I could afford them, would feel more comfortable buying from a more specialist company.

Firebox.com as a website is very slick. Setting aside the lack of a search function, it's well designed and uncluttered. The sales pitch for each item is also the best I've seen on any e-commerce website. As well as being marginally entertaining (I don't really subscribe to the whole 'lad' thing so some of it leaves me cold. 'Loaded' readers will delight however), there is plenty of information about each item. The merchandise is sold to the user very effectively too and I'm sure I've bought things that I wouldn't have without the site's gentle pursuasion. Whether this a good thing or not, however, is up to you.

Cost-wise, it's hard to comment on Firebox.com due to the exclusive nature of most of the things they sell. The items that are available elsewhere don't seem to be significantly discounted although this is academic as Firebox.com's strength is definitely the merchandise only they stock.

When you come to order, the process is relatively painless. Refreshingly, you don't have to register a username and password to buy from the site and they accept most credit/debit cards.
r>Less refreshingly, however, is the added postage cost. Nowadays, it's only the dinosaurs of e-commerce (I'm looking at you Amazon) that add postage to the price listed on the website but Firebox.com seem to want to buck the trend. This is a very annoying feature of web shopping and one I thought was on its way out. Furthermore, the costs of postage are ridiculous. I ordered a Popshotz dart gun which was listed at £5.95 but ended up costing me £9.90 after P&P was added. To their credit, however, Firebox.com deliver quickly (by Royal Mail first-class) and pack their goods very well.

Overall, Firebox.com offer a very good service let down by a few reasonably major flaws. If there were more items and the P&P were cheaper and included in the listed price then the site would be a shoe-in for a five-star rating. As it is, though, it'll have to settle for four.