online stores

[PB ninja]

Just wondering

[MuckRaker]

Just my own opinion, but any poll with more than three choices is pretty good ... this one also has some significance since almost everyone here turns to the Internet to buy stuff. Thanks Ninja.

[Counterfeit]

I know which one is the worst on that list :(

[Nemessis]

BBT sucks down with bbt down with bbt. I like paintballgear and i hate paintball online

[MuckRaker]

What's wrong with BBT ... I've got 99 percent of my stuff from them with no hassles or problems. They stiff you guys?

[Counterfeit]

BBT is absolutely the worst store ever they have screwed me way over both times.

[Nemessis]

half my paint came broken from them and their service sucks

[justin]

don't buy from 888paintball.com. I have heard their service sucks, and the company that runs 888paintball.com and voodoo-paintball.com is National Paintball Supply(www.npbs.com) and if you buy from them, you are just hurting any of your local shops that buy their products from National Paintball Supply.

[MuckRaker]

I've ordered three cases from BBT and never have I had broken paint. did you order it regular ground ship or express (one, two or three day air)? Usually paint shipped express receives rougher handling than regular ground freight. Better luck next time.

[Richy_C]

My spyder came form them and there was no hassle, but the are in cali, so if you live far away of course some paints gonna break

[Irongut99]

I don't see I&I sports on the list??
You can't beat there return policy(30 day no hassle)
and wicked e-mail specials!!!

[TLplus84]

BBT is great man. I have ordered from there 3 times, and none of the times have I had anything but great service.

[weasel]

xpaintball.com has the best prices anywhere and has okay service. I don't like splatball because they have the worst prices.

[ElectricHead]

how come these polls never have countypaintball, i ordered off them and their customer service was great!

[Angst]

http://www.iisports.com has a policy where if you order a gun or any other item that’s out of stock they can give the "next item down". So say you order a Sypder, if your model is out they could potentially send you a Sting Ray.

[MuckRaker]

Well, I ordered a Raven Nuvis 1 mask from BBT on Friday, it'll be here Wednesday, and Saturday, I'll be wupping up on some newbies ... seeing as how I'm too old to actually go after any experienced players :p

[TLplus84]

WOO HOO target practice...heheh i'm serious newbies are like moving targets..i guess its wrong...BAH what does my concience know? haha

[Batman]

What about national paintball supply?

[antiramie]

Try xpaintball.com. Its the best prices ive seen and they have a pretty decent sized selection.

[TLplus84]

BBT is my personal favorite though...reasonable prices and great service.

[MuckRaker]

The thing I like best about BBT, they match their competitor's prices, find it lower somewhere else, call them and get the same price.

[elTwitcho]

All these people who get burned (including myself on one occasion) are why I beleive people should buy from local proshops. That and, internet paintball stores have taken a bite out of proshop sales, and if the trend continues, do you think proshops are gonna be around long? Moving further down the chain of events, proshops are all gone, and who is gonna fix your marker?

[TLplus84]

if proshops are gone...who's gonna fill our tanks? I really don't think proshops are gonna disappear....i buy my stuff from proshops becuase the price difference between proshops and internet is not that big if you add shipping and stuff.

[MuckRaker]

Yeah, people said the Internet would be the demise of daily newspapers ... hasn't happened yet, in fact, circulation figures for most major newspapers are increasing ... Internet shops aren't going to kill off local proshops ... especially the ones that are associated with fields, cause guys, the people who've got the fields are making a killing. Figure this ... at one local field here .... 40 people rented equipment at $35 a pop ... also were charged $10 field fee and $5 to fill their tanks ... plus whatever the refill rate is. Well, not counting refills, that's $2,000. And that doesn't count about 30 or 40 folk who showed up the same day with their own equipment but also had to pay field fees and have their tanks filled, nor does it take into account the fact that most of the people plahing that day bought paint at the field ($25 for a quarter case, $45 for a half case and $70 for a full case). So in one day, that guy made a lot of money, more so than anyone one sell from his store.

That one field is open on Sat. and Sun. only and does an equal amount of business both days. He also has a second field behind his proshop which is open Thur. - Sun. and also does a hefty amount of business.

As for equipment sells, i'm not going to make many major purchases from his store because his prices are higher than online stores. But, if there's an accessory I want, and his price is within $10 or $15 of the online store, I'm going to the proshop. If I had money to burn, I wouldn't even shop online. But for me, and probably others, it's an economic necessity.



[Edited by MuckRaker on 01-16-2001 at 02:58 PM]

[TLplus84]

remember...there's shipping that's involved in Internet purchases too...and if you buy a gun from a proshop..there's usually a warranty on it..but if something breaks during the shipping..it's such a pain...also if you buy from the proshop..no agonizing waiting period..hehe

[ssgohan]

that really sucks. but on the bbt issue. bbt is a great site. they have the best selection. i have ordered from them 2 times. i have never ordered paint from thembut i trust them enough to buy it. also they have great customer service. answers all of my questions.

[TLplus84]

Every time i ordered from them, they have never been out of stock. It's great. They are probably overstocked all the time..hehe

[mesa38]

local proshops are the way to go if you add in the shipping its only a few bucks more and most places will help you out with the local purchases. online there are a lot of good sites but ive had really bad experiences with xpaintball.com and they have the smallest selection ive seen

[TLplus84]

if you go to Paintballbarrels.com, they give HELLA good prices for barrels plus...FREE SHIPPING..hehe

[Counterfeit]

Originally posted by ssgohan
that really sucks. but on the bbt issue. bbt is a great site. they have the best selection. i have ordered from them 2 times. i have never ordered paint from thembut i trust them enough to buy it. also they have great customer service. answers all of my questions.

Really I delt with them twice. And I will never do that again. The customer service was horrible the guy I talked to was rude and lied to me. They overcharged me. They sent the wrong idem(the exect thing I said not to send. They did not tell me that they were out of stock on half the things I ordered. But they still charged for the thing they were out of stock on.

[MuckRaker]

[i] Really I delt with them twice. And I will never do that again. The customer service was horrible the guy I talked to was rude and lied to me. They overcharged me. They sent the wrong idem(the exect thing I said not to send. They did not tell me that they were out of stock on half the things I ordered. But they still charged for the thing they were out of stock on. [/B]

Counter ... they just knew it was you calling ... :eek: I just received my Nuvis mask and Sandana from them TODAY. I ordered it Friday, they told me it wouldn't arrived until Thurs. because of MLK day ... but surprise, I opened the box at 1 this afternoon ... BBT ROCKS!!!

This is my seventh order from them, they're always courteous on the phone, very helpful, on several times they've recommended stuff that was less expensive than what I originally wanted (and that stuff worked just as well), and they've always shipped when they said they would.

I've never had anything to complain about.

[TLplus84]

hey muckraker tell me how that nuvis mask is..i donno if i should get a new mask or just get the bottom part of the Flex 7 mask and put it on my SPectra..

[MuckRaker]

I'm gonna put it through the paces Saturday ... I'll ya know how it holds up.

First impression ... the mask is very light, the lens is sharp and the tint is not excessive ... Now I just need the Dam visor.

[TLplus84]

hrmm...is it a thermal lens or a single lens? hrmm..i donno...i liket he JT masks' looks better..

[MuckRaker]

It's a single lens, but has anti-fog material "fused into the lens" according to owner's manual.

[TLplus84]

eh...i'd rather have thermal lens..

[OutOfPaint]

I've shopped from most of the stores on the poll. So far don't have any problem yet..
My last order was an evolution loader from 888-paintball. They even enclosed Paintball2xtreme magazine in the box.. What a surprise.
About the local proshop, I go there from time to time to fill my tanks and get some paint after wasted most of them on my backyard try to nail the pigeon. 555555
But I have to drive more than 15 miles, man! I must be living in a wrong place.
Anyone know any proshop that not too far from Hollywood, CA??

[TLplus84]

wow..i thought there would be alot of paintball proshops in Kali....by the way...is it true about the blackouts? what's it like?

[OutOfPaint]

Yep! the black-out is real..
Yesterday, there was black-out somewhere in San Francisco. Poor people. I really feel sorry for them. :)
My house still safe. Maybe it's not my turn yet.. Hope it stays that way.

[MuckRaker]

Originally posted by TLplus84
hey muckraker tell me how that nuvis mask is..

Nuvis performed very well ... didn't fog up any. It was about 55-60 degrees when we started playing today ... later warmed up to 65, but it was overcast and very windy. All in all, I can't say I have any complaints. I'll probably do a detailed review in the reviews section after I've used it a few more times.

[polarbear]

Originally posted by TLplus84
if proshops are gone...who's gonna fill our tanks? I really don't think proshops are gonna disappear....i buy my stuff from proshops becuase the price difference between proshops and internet is not that big if you add shipping and stuff.

That is not always the case. Around here it is almost double the cost if you buy from the pro shop. Example I bought a Modle 98 and flatliner from BBT a year ago or so. It cost $220.00, The local store wanted $200.00 for just the marker. And another $119.00 for the barrel. Until local shop stop charging such high prices it just doesn't make sence to buy from them. And shipping is usally less than the tax I would have to pay if bought locally. All the problems I've had with any of the on line stores have been fixed with one phone call. As for filling tank I do it myself we have a fill station. Now that I have vented about pro shop, I do think there good to have around. But until they stop charging an unfair ammount I don't feel very sorry for them.

[Freakazoid]

Originally posted by TLplus84
BBT is great man. I have ordered from there 3 times, and none of the times have I had anything but great service.

Where did you order your TL?

[polarbear]

Originally posted by OutOfPaint
My last order was from 888-paintball. They even enclosed Paintball2xtreme magazine in the box

I've ordered from them a couple of time and each time they have sent the magazine. I think it's nice touch. And they match prices or beat them. I like them alot. One time They did screw up a order, they forgot one of the things I ordered. I called them and they just sent it out no questions asked.

[NickR]

There isnt just a one store that is the best. Some stores have the best price on one gun, while the worst on another. It depends on what your looking for. Shop4paintball.com has the lowest CO2 prices, along with many of the lowest gun prices. Some of the gun prices are lower at other stores though.

[Intimidator]

http://www.iisports.com/iisports/

This place ships fast. I order a M98 with a flatline for $260 out the door. I put in the order at 10:30 PM and got it the next day at 1:00PM. They are in Southern CA and so am I but, I still think that is fast.

[TLplus84]

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by TLplus84
BBT is great man. I have ordered from there 3 times, and none of the times have I had anything but great service.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Where did you order your TL?

I ordered from bbtpaintball.com , aka big boys toys.

[NickR]

Shop4paintball is good.

[Edited by NickR on 02-25-2001 at 10:30 PM]

[Intimidator]

Originally posted by NickR
I have used an origonal piranha, a model 98, and a shutter.
The model 98 was long and uncomfterble. I could see my reflection in the shutter, and so could you people at the other end of the field. And the regualar piranha was a rental. It was beat up. But I still like the solid feel it had.

Ok, this is the topic. "What store do you use most?" under the Thread "online stores"

[Edited by Intimidator on 02-25-2001 at 10:32 PM]

[Counterfeit]

Originally posted by MuckRaker
As for equipment sells, i'm not going to make many major purchases from his store because his prices are higher than online stores. But, if there's an accessory I want, and his price is within $10 or $15 of the online store, I'm going to the proshop. If I had money to burn, I wouldn't even shop online. But for me, and probably others, it's an economic necessity.


Same here I only make big purchaces online or ones where I can't get the product at my local store or it is way over priced. Plus I buy all my paintballs and air from him.

[MuckRaker]

Paintball, like any other hobby, is so DARN expensive. My dad was into sailing, he had a plaque in the cabin of his boat, "The definition of a Boat: A large hole in the water into which one pours all his money."

Sound familiar??

[Silent Knight]

BBT Paintball is the best! I have no problem at all with them. I always get my orders on time, everytime. BBT Paintball has excellent customer service along with a great (and fully functional) UPS tracking service. [b]BBT[/]Rocks!

[MuckRaker]

Originally posted by polarbear
[QUOTE
That is not always the case. Around here it is almost double the cost if you buy from the pro shop. Example I bought a Modle 98 and flatliner from BBT a year ago or so. It cost $220.00, The local store wanted $200.00 for just the marker. And another $119.00 for the barrel. Until local shop stop charging such high prices it just doesn't make sence to buy from them.
:D
Yeah, it's hard to justify spending that extra money at the Pro Shop for something I can get for a significant discount online. But I understand the plight of the Brick-and-Mortar owners. Our local store is small, in a densly urbanized area, so rent/mortgage is high, plus utilities, plus payroll, etc ... It's really hard for the store that carries a limited number of items to complete with Big Online Stores like BBT or Paintballgear.com. I wish the local guy would lower his prices, cause I'd be there every purchase, but I also understand why he can't slash them that low. What a Catch 22.

[SmartBall]

Originally posted by MuckRaker
What a Catch 22. [/B]

Nice words! man you sse that movie too? you must be old! J/K ;)
no but i see what your saying, our local proshop isn't actually in it's own building, so basically, if they don't do good, there outta there :( the guy that works there is real nice too, he knows a lot and he's alway's willing to help. thats about all you can ask for. :)

[MuckRaker]

Catch 22, the original M*A*S*H* and Kelly's Heros are perhaps the three best war movies ever made.
:D
Knowledge and experience, those are two qualities that some Online Stores will never be able to touch. At the local pro shop, the owner and his employees are all tournament and rec players ... one of them can diagnose the problem just by listening to the way the gun sounds when you fire it ... You definitely can't get that type of expertise in a chat room or over the phone.

[TLplus84]

Originally posted by Muckraker
Catch 22, the original M*A*S*H* and Kelly's Heros are perhaps the three best war movies ever made.
you forgot Saving Private Ryan..that was a nice movie..
Anywayz Muckraker is right..like at my Proshop, Opie from image runs it, and it's amazing what he can do just by looking at your gun for like 5 minutes...I had major valve leak..he heard the gun once and was like"new valve"....i can do that with spyders now, since i have alot of experienc with them..but hand me an Angel..you'd be better off giving it to a 4 year old..:eek:

[Skelo]

I stick to http://www.xpaintball.com and http://www.paintballondemand.com because they have great prices and fast shipping.

[Skelo]

I left out one, http://www.stalkerpb.com is a great place to shop for barrels. I just picked me up a PMI Razzor for 35$. Everywhere else it was 50$ and higher!

[Model98]

Well...in my experience with proshops, I have 2 proshops near my place of residence which I frequent (which for the sake of keeping this post to the point I will call proshop A and proshop B). I found that one charges less than the other.

I went in one day to get a double trigger put on my M98, proshop A wanted to charge me $49.95 ($29.95 for the trigger + $20 to put it on + Sales Tax), the reason for the $20, according to the airsmith, was that it was a custom gun job :mad:.

Now when I went to proshop B, they charged me $19.95 + Sales tax for the double trigger and they put it on for free for me :).

I was wondering, has anyone else had a similar experience to mine?

The moral of this post is, it helps to shop around :D.

[polarbear]

Originally posted by MuckRaker
Originally posted by polarbear
[QUOTE
That is not always the case. Around here it is almost double the cost if you buy from the pro shop. Example I bought a Modle 98 and flatliner from BBT a year ago or so. It cost $220.00, The local store wanted $200.00 for just the marker. And another $119.00 for the barrel. Until local shop stop charging such high prices it just doesn't make sence to buy from them.
:D
Yeah, it's hard to justify spending that extra money at the Pro Shop for something I can get for a significant discount online. But I understand the plight of the Brick-and-Mortar owners. Our local store is small, in a densly urbanized area, so rent/mortgage is high, plus utilities, plus payroll, etc ... It's really hard for the store that carries a limited number of items to complete with Big Online Stores like BBT or Paintballgear.com. I wish the local guy would lower his prices, cause I'd be there every purchase, but I also understand why he can't slash them that low. What a Catch 22.



The local store here also has a web site. Their prices on the web are reasonable, and they say they will matcth prices. Then why not give the same break to the locals? That's just plane wrong. They already sock you with $120.00 a case for field paint. At least they could cut the equipment prices.

[MuckRaker]

That is kina off, Polar. Does the pro shop also run a field? It could be like here where the proshop is making a killing off the fields it runs. Maybe in your case, they're trying to get sells through the internet cause they don't want to worry with the sales tax. Anyway, I think I'd have to blow a gasket wtih the store owner.

[polarbear]

They do have a field. But the store and the field are not co-located. I real like the field. I'm even a member. But it just pains me to pay more for stuff as a regular customer than some guy 1,000 miles away. They just started the web site. So if you think about it it was the profits from the locals that let them expand. Does not make sence.