Buying Airsoft stuff ONLINE

[BST]

Purpose of this thread is info sharing positive and negative about purchasing airsoft guns or accessories ONLINE.

I FULLY endorse the policy of supporting local 'brick-n-mortar' stores like NASHVILLE AIRSOFT in Nashville or ACTION HOBBIES here in Clarksville.

However there are times when they don't have in stock just the item you are looking for or you need to stretch your dollar more. Plus TN sales tax sucks.

So I would like to start this thread to have members share their experiences and to give new guys like me ideas where to shop and what to expect. Stores like AirsoftGI and Evike, also include Ebay items many of them have ebay stores with lots of items available (like tactical gear from China)

[BST]

Evike.com

Positive:
- easy to navigate website with lots of selections to choose from
- "Holy Cow" specials, I got the one '2 high cap mags for the M4 I ordered for $0.01'
- I used the coupon code for free shipping which is on the website you have to surf for.

Negative:
- It says on the website: "All orders and payments are processed within 1~3 business days for in-stock items" What that really means that they take in your order and send it somewhere where the order is processed for 1-3 days after they receive your payment (ensure your bank card clears). Then if you get free shipping it takes a while to get to your house here in TN since it comes from California. I received my items 2 weeks after I paid for them via UPS.

- When calling store directly to ask about delay in shipping I was on hold for 15 minutes. Customer service agents seemed to me to be mildly familiar with airsoft, certainly not experts or gamers themselves. At least I wasn't talking to someone from India.

[vulrath]

With Evike, the one thing that I've consistently noticed is that if you order on or after Monday at around 2-ish, they won't ship until the following Monday. It is my suspicion that this is because they collect all the orders throughout the week, and make one huge trip to ship them on Monday (probably to save them gas or something). What this means for you, the customer, is that it may take a little while longer to get your stuff, but once it gets to UPS, it'll take one week max to get to you.

[Tactical Donut]

I think Evike is pretty bad. Alright, so, in March, I ordered a piece for my WE 1911 for 15 dollars, 10 dollars shipping was outrageous, and after a couple of days, I received an email that said my order was put on hold. I was a little mad that they didn't have the signs saying out of stock. I figured it would take a week. A month goes by and finally they ship out my item without a tracking number. So, I would come home everyday checking my mail constantly after 4 day period, it normally takes that long with USPS, and for three weeks, nothing arrived. I tried calling their customer service for 3 days straight and could not get a single person. Finally, I had everything straightened out and they shipped a new one, with a tracking number and now I have it. It didn't take too long. /sarcasm

Overall, Evike is the last place I would ever want to go to. I didn't believe my friends but I should have. Just my input.

[vulrath]

Funny, I've never had anything short of stellar customer service. Even that one time my WE SCAR ate its NPAS nozzle, we came to a compromise both sides could agree on (I order another one, then send the old broken one back for a full refund). I've spent a ton of money with them (I started buying from them last August and have averaged at least three purchases per month since), and I don't regret any of it (they happen to have a lot of parts that I've needed that I would otherwise have had to go through individual manufacturers to get, as well).

I think Evike is trying to mend their reputation and turn over a new leaf.

[grant.94]

yeah i really like Evike, they have alot of stuff that airsoftgi can't provide. like for some reason asgi doesn't have g&p's but evike does, and they have alot of unique tactical gear.

[Tactical Donut]

[goga333]

My experiances with evike have been nothing but horrible, things that they say are in stock are backordered, they replace items with so called equivolent items even though for the most part they are lower quality or the wrong color gear. They also send things you didn't order and charge you for it.

[redneckemt]

I've had great dealing with Airsplat... 7 or 8 guns... and lots of other orders made, all without any problems.



Actually had better luck with them than certain Brick n Mortar stores.

[vulrath]

Same here. 3 rifles, several various mags and some BBs, and not a single problem with them.

[DRAGON64]

I have ordered and had great experiences with Airsoft GI, EVIKE (twice), Airsoft Megastore, Airsplat & Hitguns.com

I try to take advantage of any and all free shipping venders when I can.

Recent orders above and beyond those that I have first listed:

Magpul (no word on order yet, coming up on 1-week since it was placed)

1800nametapes (same as Magpul, no word yet)

Airsoft GI (2nd time around)

EVIKE (3rd time around)

Optics Planet (1st timer)

I realise that 1800nametapes and Optics Planet are not Airsoft venders, but they carried all of the items I needed to complete my load outs and kits with name tapes and rifle scopes.

[vulrath]

I've done more than one order with 1800NameTapes, and they've always gotten my stuff to me in a timely manner. I can't remember if they send you anything beyond the confirmation email.

ASGI I've been kinda ticked at lately. Sure, they have a few of the things I've been interested in (G&G G96 and its mags, to name a couple), but their organization ability seems to be lacking. Example: I placed an order (payed with Paypal and everything), and went to check it an hour later, and there wasn't even a record that an order had been placed (they didn't charge my account, thank goodness, or I'd have been really pissed, since I needed that stuff and had to turn around and buy it from elsewhere). That was a couple of months ago, and I haven't needed anything they had to try again.

Redwolf, Ehobby Asia and UNCompany I've had great success with too. They will get your stuff to you usually within 3-5 days, but since they're overseas, shipping's a bit more expensive (after a certain weight, they start pricing by weight, and if you're shipping a gun things can get pricey fast).

[xandman]

-TO BUY FROM-
REDWOLF
AEX
Nashville airsoft
Airsoft Carolinia
Airsoft Atlanta
WGC


-NOT TO BUY FROM-
Evike (3 items bought, 1 defective, 2 shown as "in stock" but not in stock and took over a month to get a refund and took forever to contact back to me)
Airsplat (Same as evike, took forever for contact after I payed for an item)
Collectors airsoft (many negatives about the owner)

Let me expand a little more on my last Evike transaction, I wanted a KWA and some parts for it, and it was labled "in stock", so I have had trouble once before about them listing items as in stock and then they have been sold out for quite a while and not bothered with updating the site. So I decide to call them to confirm they have what I need before I place the order, After I wait on hold for about 30min (listening to the best of Kenny-G, and other assorted music artists you parents listen to) someone finaly answers.

Evike employee: Evike.com how can I help you?
Me: Can I speak with some one in charge of inventory?
Evike employee: Let me put you on hold for a moment.

At this point I calmly walked over to my desk and got my Nintendo DS assuming I was gonna be there for a while, and began to play Tetris. About 10-15 min later there was someone on the other line. Lets call him "Mr.x"

Evike employee: Evike.com this is "Mr.X" how can I help you?
Me: Do you have the KWA SR-12 in stock? and if so how many?
Evike employee: (Typing in the background) Yes sir we do we have 4 in stock at the moment.
Me: Alright thank you , I wanted to make sure you had them before I ordered
Evike employee: Is there anything elce I can help you with?
Me: No, thank you.

No more than 5 min later I was payed in full for the rifle and had my paypal recepit and all I had to do was wait for it to arrive at my door......WRONG, a whole 3 days later I get an email from Evike saying that the Item I ordered is out of stock and will be back in stock in about a month, well I was a bit angry so I emailed evike saying I wanted a refund and I thought it was "funny" how you can sell 4 KWA SR-12s in under 5 min, but I sent it and I didnt hear back for a few days, so I had to do the thing that I hate almost as much as seeing my EX-girlfriend.....call Evike and be put on hold for the better part of my afternoon. After I dialed them (Nintendo DS in hand for the long A** wait) it only took about 20 min for someone to answer this time and I explained to them my problem and then I told them about me being told that they had 4 in stock.

Evike employee: Mr.Powell(me) we are so sorry for this mix up and we will do our best make sure you are satisfied with all of this.
Me: (Trying not to laugh) Satisfied....NO, I just want a refund
Evike employee: Well we are going to have them back in within a few days, we can also include a dead rag and a Evike patch in the order for free.
Me: Your site says reorder is in about a month not "A few days", I want my money back.

The employee said he issued a refund to me and it would take a day or 2 to update and post, well about 2 weeks later, NOTHING, I called Paypal and they show nothing of the matter and I was forced to call Evike again and speak to someone in "accounting" and thay said they will issue me a refund. another 2 weeks pass and I finaly get my money, so it took 4 phone calls, 2 emails and over a month to get my refund. that is why I dont shop at Evike.

[vulrath]

[ProfessorCrow]

I've also had no problems with Evike, and that's where I buy most of my gear and accessories.

The only little snag I had, is after ordering a pack of midcaps, yes, they were backordered.

I waited a month, and they still hadn't shipped. But, I emailed with all the necessary information and was refunded within 24 hours.

I also suggest Ehobbyasia.

Their shipping kills you, but for more exotic weapons I couldn't suggest a better store.

I sent in the order for a Tokyo Marui G36k Recoil Shock(paying $81 in shipping), and received the package in 3 days.

-Crow