Online Gear Shopping

This blog post is to share some of my experiences with online sports gear purchases.

Online Shops:

These are some of my favourite online gear shops with a good range of products, responsive customer service and good pricing. Most of them have live-chat help, or respond to emails promptly. I have also called to enquire about orders and been properly guided through the steps over the phone. There are many other sites for specific products, which I would not list in this post. Do exercise due user-diligence and take note of some features of good online sites (section below) before you make a purchase.


(1) Non-specialist Shops:

backcountry.com
campsaver.com
hermitshut.com
moosejaw.com
whittakermountaineering.com

These shops are non-brand specific and have a good selection of both outdoor and generic sports. They have an excellent customer service which answers any technical questions you have on the gear, or general purchase enquiry. You will need to do a security verification of your Singapore credit card before the purchase is shipped. The company will charge a random small amount (~USD cents/ dollar) to your credit card. You will then have to let them know the exact amount charged or verification code (from credit card bank) via email or live-chat. Once the card is verified, your purchase is completed.

rei.com
rei.com/outlet

One of the largest coop in USA with a wide selection of both outdoor and generic sports. They also carry their in-house REI brand. Check out rei-outlet.com as well for hugely discounted & clearance products. You should be a REI member for better deals.

mec.ca

This is a well-established coop in Canada. Like REI, it has an immense range of sports equipment, from high mountains to deep seas to canoes and so forth. Its education site has a wealth of information on how to take care and choose gear. Its in-house MEC brand is good value-for-money. Petite users might wish to check out its children's sizing. You have to be a MEC member in order to purchase.

sportsbasement.com

This is a large sports store in California stocking a huge range of sports equipment. It has an outdoor & camping section, but the selection is not as extensive as the specialist stores. That means, for instance, if you wanted a full range of North Face or Marmot gear, you might not find it there. But its merchandise is typically a few USD cheaper than the official retail prices. The energy gels and drinks are especially cheap. Great customer service when you visit the store. I love going to the physical store. It is a community-type of shop which holds regular running, cycling and other training sessions for the nearby community.

paragonsports.com

This is a sports store chain in USA, mostly the East Coast/ NYC. For general sports, triathlon, running etc. Does not accept Singapore credit cards online. I placed an order online, followed by a phone call to make a 'manual' purchase & payment. After that, the order was delivered properly.


(2) Specialist Shops

Then there is a huge range of brand-specific specialist shops that offer online shopping and delivery as well. You can google for any major brand and be guided through its official website. Not all of them provide online shopping service - they defer to their dealers or outlets - but you can check. Some of the brands that I love to browse are:

Mountain Hardwear
The North Face
Patagonia
Under Armour Outlet


Customer Care & Service:

You would want to check that you are purchasing from an authentic USA-based online shopping portal before making your purchase. Many cheap websites are from China and other dodgy places and you may receive fake/ defective/ excess products, or have trouble contacting their so-called "Live" customer support, or face extreme inconveniences with return policies.

(1) Contact
A good online site should provide prompt response (email, website form etc) to your query. It will also list all channels in which you can contact them (incl a telephone number, physical address etc). I usually get a reply within 1 business day, and certainly within 2 business days. In the rare occasion that I do not, I will call and be able to get the right assistance.

(2) Refunds/ Exchanges
A credible online site (usually the ones based in USA or Western markets with established consumer protection rights) will allow for a full refund or product exchange within a sufficient duration (eg. 30 days). This will be stated upfront on the website, together with the Return Shipping Address and instructions. This information will be repeated on your invoice when you receive the products. Follow the instructions to log your return (they will issue you a return code) and ship the merchandise back. Some sites even let you print a pre-negotiated (cheaper) shipping label if you are within the USA! and they alert you that they have received your parcel. Most times, I get my credit card refund within 10 business days. Bottomline: they make it extremely easy for you to return your unsatisfied purchase.


(NB: In stark contrast, the unreliable Chinese sites will be uncontactable and with non-full disclosure of the above information. When you actually need to enquire about a product or seek a refund, you have to chase them multiple times for a reply. There is no telephone number to call. The 24h "Live" support does not work. The return shipping address is not stated upfront, and not given despite repeated asking. Then they will try to dissuade you from returning, and ask you to re-sell the goods instead! *incredulous*)


Payment & Delivery Notes

For Singapore credit card users - Do take note of some of the additional verification and steps required (as described above), and take these delays into account when planning your shipping. Do NOT ever disclose and send your credit card information via email.

Delivery within USA - Most online shops ship free within USA above a certain purchase amount. Generally they do not do international shipping. If they do, it is usually very costly. If you are travelling to USA, do note that not all shops ship to hotels. For residential addresses, most will not deliver to a USA PO Box address - pls check the instructions.

Delivery to Singapore - Try comgateway.com The site gives you a free USA postal address to ship your purchases to. It then consolidates all your purchases, repacks them (to reduce packaging and save shipping costs), and forwards them to your designated international address. Some credit card verification is required as well, read the website guide.

*vPost by Singpost is not very efficient despite its marketing. The online tracker did not work. I had to call Singpost daily to locate my shipment in its partner warehouse and get it sent to Singapore.


Happy shopping! :)