Shopping Eagle

Dabs.com specialises in PC Hardware and Software including peripherals such as printers and scanners as well as accessories like MP3 players. If there’s something you need for your computer, dabs.com will have it without a doubt.
Dabs.com wasn’t the first place I looked when trying to find what I wanted (in this case a Pentium D 950 CPU - I’ll be reviewing that shortly!). I usually tend to check the obvious Ciao, Kelkoo, Pricerunner and similar sites when looking for a place to purchase a product, I also had an account from a family member to go by before choosing to purchase from here. Strangely enough, the verdict I actually got from my father wasn’t particularly positive. He had tried to buy a wireless keyboard and mouse set from here a couple of years ago and to his surprise it didn’t arrive! Apparently the customer support was atrotious and he swore never to purchase from there again. I thought i’d give them another chance, hopefully they’d had a little rethink with their policies since then.

The site itself is very easy to navigate. All the products are split up into categories:
+ Components & Storage
+ Computers
+ Electronics
+ Networking & Communication
+ Peripherals
+ Software & Books
+ Clearance Corner
+ Gaming
+ Mobile Phone

Within these categories there are subcategories to which you can add filters to narrow down the results. The search facility available at the top of the page allows you to not only search through the site but also through the filtered results which is really quite handy!
The site is very quick to load and is very easy on the eyes. The layout is such that it complements the navigation and helps you find some real bargains! The advertising on the page is appropiate and does not add to the loading time much with the whole page loading on my 1mbps connection in just under 1.2 seconds.

The prices particularly interested me as I found that they are incredibly competitive. The product I was looking for in particular was £30 cheaper on dabs.com than anywhere else I could find! There is no trickery involved as the delivery prices and VAT automatically updates in your basket before you get to the checkout so you are aware of exactly how much you will end up paying. You can choose for the items to display with or without VAT.

There is just about anything and everything on this site. The items I have found are usually in stock, if not “due in 1-2 days”. I have found this status to be somewhat unreliable however as when I purchased my Pentium D 950 the status was “due in 1-2 days” for a total of 6 working days! I was quite disappointed about this but when I enquired about it, customer support was able to give me an exact date when stock would be due.

Next day delivery seems to come as standard for any items ordered from dabs.com. dabs.com uses either Parcel Force (www.parcelforce.com) or Amtrak (www.amtrak.co.uk) who both appear to be very reliable couriers and a common choice amongst online shopping sites. My particular order was delivered from Amtrak at around 1pm on a Friday. Both couriers provide tracking and from previous experience, Parcel Force’s seems to be slightly more detailed which is a shame, particularly as Amtrak do not allow you to phone up to get an estimated time of delivery.
Delivery charges aren’t too high with prices ranging from £3.25 (£30 or less at 0.5kg or less) to £9.50 (over £125 at more than 10kg). Outlying areas have a further small charge.

I was very pleased with Customer Services when I had to use it.I chose the option of using their online help-desk which is basically a very small web application that is embedded on their web page. It puts your directly through to a member of their Customer Services avoiding phonelines and unmonitored email addresses. The most time I had to wait for the service was 4 or 5 minutes which I was particularly pleased with as I’m sure this time period would have been much longer had I chosen to use the phoneline as the preferred method of contact. The two representatives I was put through to were Jonathan and Debbie whom were both very helpful and managed to solve my very small problems regarding invoices (turned out that I was just being impatient with my email server!). Debbie did take a while to respond, but this wasn’t a problem for me as I just hid the helpdesk window in the background and continued with work, something that perhaps would have been slightly more difficult had I chosen to use the phone lines. Both representatives spoke perfect English, If only all companies’ customer services were like that!

Dabs.com have got a very good returns and refund policy. I would feel confident in returning a product.
+ If the product is faulty, the customer has the right to return it within 28 days of receipt, 14 days for business customers. The return carriage costs are paid for by dabs.com so there’s no reason to worry about having to pay extra charges
+ Goods damaged in transit should be reported within 7 days of delivery so that they can be returned and a full refund given. The charges will be paid for by dabs.com
+ After the 28 days of receipt, if the goods are damaged and the product is within the warrenty period, the customer is entitled to a warrenty repair however charges for the unit to be sent to dabs.com will have to be paid for by the customer. A refund for these charges will be given under certain circumstances, for example if the manufacturer has another plan for such items.
+ If you change your mind, dabs.com will allow you to return the goods if they are in the same condition as delivered. The shrink-wrapped or blister packed products must not be opened, software must not have been installed and the goods must be in a condition for dabs.com to be able to resell them as new. This can be utilised within 10 days of receipt and the return carriage costs are paid in full by the customer

Dabs.com allow for payment via many different methods. They accept major credit/debit cards excluding American Express, Visa Electron, Diners Club, JCB, and Discover. I can say however that I have managed to pay for an order with a Visa Electron card however I wouldn’t recommend it - just incase! A finance package is available to certain private customers between the ages of 18 and 75 who are current in employment. Credit terms can be offered to businesses provided they furfil a criteria on the dabs.com website. Personal Cheques however are not accepted for a number of reasons.

The quality of products from dabs.com is of a very high standard. The items I have ordered have never arrived damaged and have worked perfectly. Even the packaging has been in very good condition! There seems to be no expenses spared as it was packaged well to avoid damage in transit.

Going back to a point I made right at the beginning of this review (and I appreciate you reading this far), I mentioned about my father who had bad experiences with dabs.com in the past. I can gladly rule off any of those points as the customer services was perfect and my order went through with few problems! I’d happily purchase from here again especially with such competitive prices and a broad range of stock!

An extension of the hugely popular Mecca Bingo brand, providing bingo, slot and arcade games online and the opportunity to win big via unique progressive jackpots. The Mecca Games website has recently been overhauled and now looks even more fantastic than ever.

Gamebookers is an international betting group licensed in the UK, Austria and Antigua & Barbuda. handling over 15 m bets per year. With over 95,000 customers in more than 150 countries after just three years of online operation, gamebookers is one of the world’s leading online bookmakers, offering a fully international sports betting service integrated with a wide range of information and entertainment features

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Thats pretty much the main deal.

Rail Europe is the largest distributor of European travel-related products, catering for both the leisure and business traveller. Owned by SNCF, the French National Railway, Rail Europe is best known for the famous Inter-Rail Pass for travel on Continental Europe. You can book your car onto the train from Calais to the South of France with French Motorail.

The site also covers hotel accommodation in France and Britain.

Prices quoted are in sterling.

This website can be useful even if they don’t have the item in stock that you want, because you could check if they sell it and then go to the shop itself if one is nearby. Good prices. Pretty easy to find item that you want. Lots of sales. Quick and Cheap delivery.

They will search 100+ plans to find the right remortgage for you. All bad debt situations considered. Apply NOW and we’ll do all the hard work for you… You could have your cash faster than you think.

Cahoot On line offers a fully flexible loan with a highly competitive intereset rate. Pay what you like, when you like. Borrow it back later. Online statements and payments make keeping track of it a doddle.

Banking online with cahoot is easy, access to your accounts 24 hours a day or use our mobile banking and automated telephone services

The White Company is a supplier of gifts & accessories and home essentials and is available by catalogue, on line or at one of their 6 stores.

I am going to concentrate on the catalogue, once applied you get sent regular ones through the post (usually seasonal) as well as special offers from time to time.

The range is superb and is very high quality, receiving a gift from here would really be appreciated. They concentrate on a ‘white’ theme for most items but do include some others colours, although very tonal & blending in with their theme.

These would make excellent Xmas presents (as it is that time of year!)

So what do they do………………….

…………….Luxury Bath gifts………………

A full range of bath & body products scented with citrus, rose, jasmine & neroli and packed in smart white & black boxes.
There are various sets available to suit your budget, all very well packaged & ideal gifts.
To give an idea –
Luxury body scrub - £12
Luxury travel kit (waffle sponge bag, face cloth, bath & shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, hand & body cream, soap & travel candle - £30
Bath Set (bath & shower foaming gel & hand & body moisturising cream - £13

……………Winter Scents…………..

This includes a range of candle sets of various scents & also an incense stick & cone set – all come gift boxed
Scents available are, cinnamon, clove & orange, rose & honeysuckle, lime & verbena, Lavender & orange, vanilla & sandalwood & teak.
A medium sized candle (140g/30 hours) which comes in a glass that can be used afterwards & packed in a gift box costs £14
The incense & cone set (3 bundles of incense sticks & 40 cones) in a gift box costs £14

……………Perfect Presents…………

A range of items including, padded hangers, drawer liners, vases, scented pillows, oil burner sets, picture frames, tea light holders, scented sachets, pillow mist, home spray, tray & stand, lamp, glass bowls, tea light holders,

They are all very high quality & great if you are looking for something ‘a bit different’ to give as a gift

…………….Tableware……………

Table linen, glassware, placemats, napkin rings, china sets, cutlery, jugs, oven gloves & apron, tea towels – the list goes on …………..

All available in white, they give a lovely crisp look to a table – a great look when entertaining.

…………..Easy Living……………

This section is great, it includes a range of clothing & slippers for ‘lounging’ around in- they say for lazy days, early evenings, yoga or going to sleep in.
Range includes-
Knitted slippers - £22 & suede mules -£30
Velour hooded top & trousers in white & black - £26 + £22
Jersey wear in white, black & grey marl – range includes long hooded jersey dress -£30, hooded top-£25, Cami top & trousers-£30 & long sleeved top & trousers-£35

They are a lovely quality, available in size XS to XL (8 to 18plus) & wash really well

…………..Luxury Cashmere………….

Now these really are the ultimate gifts, the range includes fitted v-neck sweater, gloves, scarf, hat, bed socks, hot water bottle covers, fringed throws & cushions.

They come in soft pastel colours & really are luxury items. They are quite expensive but certainly look quality, to give an idea the V neck sweater is £125 down to the gloves at £26

………….Gifts for him……………

A very ‘manly’ page, colours are white, navy black & grey.

Gifts include towelling robes, S to XL (£60), jersey tops & bottoms , M to XL, (£15 + £20), Cashmere gloves & scarf (£35 + £35) hankies (£15) suede slippers (£29), knitted slippers (£22), leather photo frames (£14/£20), leather cufflinks box (£14), & a gift set (hair & body wash, after shave balm & soap) for £25

…………..Pure Style……………

This section includes a range of bath robes & slippers. The range includes classic (£35), Velour hooded (£45) & waffle (£40).

I have bought both the velour & waffle before, they are both brilliant quality, wash really well & still look good after many washes

………..Luxury nightwear……………..

This includes a range of silk pyjamas, robes & nightdress – these look fantastic! & a range of embroidered anglaise –cami top & trousers & cardigan – all in white!

……………Bedding………

There is a large range of bedding including bedspreads, blankets, cushions, throws, pillowcases, duvet covers, sheets, pillows, duvets.

There are various sets with varying prices but all are a lovely quality & a little different with hemstitching, waffle borders, fine self coloured stripes & rosebud, gingham & candy stripes, Jersey, New England, Flannel & single & double row cord – there is really too much to mention in detail but definitely worth a look if you are considering some new bedding.

A children’s range also includes sets with dinosaurs, Noah’s ark & stars as well as fleecy blankets for cots & single beds.

They also do anti-allergy bedding, new wool check & plaid blankets, linen waters & linen sprays & lavender & cedar balls for keeping it all fresh!

…………….Towels……………

Again, great quality & lovely fresh colours in Egyptian cotton, waffle borders or classic designs.
An idea of price –
Hand towel in Egyptian cotton - £8.95
Bath towel with waffle border - £15
Classic bath sheet - £19.50

They also do accessories such as sponge & laundry bags, palm baskets, laundry stools, bathstands, absorbent hair towels, bath, shower & pedestal mats, tissue box, cotton wool holder, toothbrush holder, soap dish & china drawer trays…the list goes on

…………….Children……….

They have a lovely gingham range available in blue, red & pink
Pyjamas – (12-18 months, £20 up to 11-12 years at £23-also available in navy, duck egg & lilac)
Storage boxes (set of 3)-£40
Padded hangers - £6 per pair
Picture frames - £15
Lampstand & shade -£30 + £15
Large Xmas stocking - £10
Duvet cover - £36
Pillowcase -£11

It really is a lovely, bright co-ordinating range.

They also do striped pj’s in pink, navy, red or blue for £28 (12-18months up to £30 for 11-12 years. A fleecy bathrobe in white, pink, blue, red or navy at £18.50 for 9-24 months up to £22.50 for 10-12 years, fleecy slippers at £15 & fleecy hot water bottle covers at £10.

Another range of pjs include white with a choice of 3 designs (dinosaurs, on the farm or Noah’s ark) – they have a colourful print and cost £15 (wish they did adult sizes!)

There are also other ranges of night dresses, pj’s & bathrobes.

…………….Baby Gift ideas…………

Now these are so sweet & would make a lovely gift for a new baby.

There is a baby bath & massage gift box (with teddy) for £30
Drawer liners - £10
Baby towelling hooded top & trousers - £20
Knitted cashmere shawl -£95
Fluffy sheepskin booties -£17
Soft toys (various)

And finally a gorgeous white bear called ‘Oscar’ who is sold in aid of the NSPCC - £12

………….Gift wrapping…………….

There is an option to have the gift wrapped & sent with a card (including message) direct to the recipient. The wrapping is in boxes or gift bags, for children’s items it is tied in pink or blue gingham ribbon. Gift wrap costs £3

…………….How to order…………….

The details are at the back of the catalogue, you can phone, fax, email, order on line or post in your order

There are also 6 stores , 2 in London, Bath, Guildford, Leeds & Bicester Village. The Bicester one is an outlet which has great savings on discontinued lines, I visit Bicester quite often see items that are still in the catalogue as well at great savings (well worth a visit!)

Payment – they accept cheque, visa, mastercard, delta & switch

Delivery – £4.95, although a same day delivery is available for orders placed before 12 at a cost of £10 and an express for 48 hours at a cost of £8. Otherwise all orders by card are within 5 working days with an extra 4 days for cheque payments to allow for clearance.
(Now & again they have special offers for free delivery)

Guarantee – if any goods do not meet with your approval they can be returned within 3 months (in their packaging) for a refund or exchange.

Gift vouchers are available.

I have never had the need to return ay items, complain etc but there is a dedicated customer service number for any queries

On my visits to any of the stores they have always been very helpful & the phone ordering service is always very easy with pleasant people on the end of the phone.

So, if you want a catalogue here’s what you do –

Call 0870 900 9555 (8am – 11pm Mon-Fri, 9am to 6pm Saturday & 10am – 6pm on Sunday, answer machine out of hours)

Fax – 0870 900 9556

On –line – www.thewhiteco.com (you can order on line as well)

I am sure you will find this a lovely range of gifts & home accessories – they really are of a fantastic quality & I am sure would be appreciated if given as a present.

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