Post by Dracul on Sept 21, 2014 14:13:23 GMT -5
I have had numerous experiences with many airsoft stores, online and in person, and I'm going to give my opinions on them based on my experiences and the experiences of some of my close buddies, whom I obviously trust.
Evike:
PROS:
Prices and selection are the best in the States, and their physical store is pretty awesome. They got pretty much everything you need, including a lot of internal parts. Customer Service is pretty good, I have had multiple RMA's with them, they supply free shipping for returns, regardless of what it is. Their whole RMA system takes a good while, but its worth it.
CONS:
Tech work is unprofessional. I'd stay away from any of their custom guns and would not send anything to them for repair or upgrade. They will give you a sheet of paper with barely any info and just say "its fixed" or something else vague. That might work for some people, but it doesn't for me because I want to learn. One buddy needed gears to be replaced, Evike did not test fire the gun prior to maintenance, and nor after they "fixed" it. Once he got it back, he fired three rounds and it broke again. So, they pretty much replaced whatever, and didn't even bother look into the problem my buddy was having. With another buddy, he sent his gun it to get a new hopup and bucking, and again, they did not test the "fix". The gun wouldn't feed. When asked, they replied with "it was wasn't tested because testing wasn't requested on the work order." Even the manager said the hopup and bucking was not made for the gun he turned in for upgrade. So, the techs didn't do anything about it, they just slapped it in and didn't bother to call my buddy and say something like "Hey, the parts you want in this does not work with this, here is what we can do instead........" Their web admin, constantly lists the wrong info on the site, and the site is disorganized in some areas. Like the BAR is listed under sniper rifles, some M16's are called M4's, AK-47 slings are also called "Garand" slings (they are tan canvas, mind you), and FPS listings and weapon history are constantly wrong, as well. I had a lot of trouble getting sniper rifle parts from them that actually work in my guns because of their listings, in the end when I complained to a manager, they authorized a RMA for items I got from multiple orders and RMA's. Also, they are able to get contracts to sell certain new guns and new items first, before other guys, and will jack up the price because of it. It happened with the MG42, they were the only to have it for awhile in the states, and had the price set to 500 bucks, the moment other stores got them in and sold them for the standard price, Evike put them on "sale" to match the other guys. Sometimes, they will get batches of Lemons from the factories, and they won't take down the listing from their site, despite all the reviews talking about it, and probably returns.
FINAL WORD:
Despite a rather long list of cons, Its a great place to go and probably the best, especially when they got great deals going on. I really suggest it, but really pay close attention to the customer reviews and double check info about an item on another site to see if you can get more, correct information. If they got a hot new item out, that no one else has, wait until other stores get the item and see if the price drops.
Airsoft Mega Store:
PROS:
Prices are genuinely cheaper cheaper than Evike. Customer service is great, their customer service lines open extremely early, which is great for us East Coasters. Their return policy is pretty good as well, only problem is that you have to pay for shipping unless it is a gun you got and it was defective, BUT, their whole RMA process is much faster than Evike's. So, it evens out in my opinion. They have been getting better selections, and they know how to market to the standard airsofter. So, if you look past all the "operator elite SF CoD and Battlefield wannabe" stuff, its a great site too look through.
CONS:
Their website and it's organization has been getting better, but their search engine just plain sucks. They don't have a lot internal parts, and they don't have a physical store. Expect to some tech work on your own if you buy from their pre-owned section, but stay even farther away from their custom guns. My buddy got a custom M4 from them, and the Delta ring was held on by hot glue.
FINAL WORD:
As long as you stay away from anything they take out of a factory sealed box and open it up, or you if you know and expect that stuff to be bad, not work, or break, you will be good to go.
Airsoft GI:
PROS:
To be honest, I can't really think of any pros.
CONS:
All their stuff is over priced, and they never had any item that only they have. Their tech service is awful. My buddy had tech work done, he bought a Patriot kit and standard, front wired, M4, and gave them to these guys to put together (note, the wires on a front wired M4 have connectors that are easily detachable to push the wires through the small hole under the outer barrel, and wiring that disconnects and reattaches in the hand guards, typically have the tamiya connector and fuse assembly). When he got it back, it was put together, but they cut down the wiring, down below the detach points and having the tamiya connector right in front of the hole. Making it, so that if you had to take the Patriot apart, you had to disassemble the tamiya connector completely, and due to the small hand guard space of the Patriot, you can only really use small LiPo batteries with it. Which is something that is not advisable because they took out the fuse assembly. The whole thing was pretty bad. In store, my buddy was window shopping for a while, and their workers never came up to him personally, asking if he needed help.
FINAL WORD:
Stay away from these guys, they don't offer any good.
Airsoft Extreme:
PROS:
Their upgrade and repair service is IMMACULATE and highly professional. When ever you get something fixed or upgraded, they make a highly detailed log of what they did and what the problem was. And you can easily learn from it. Their youtube videos, "Tech Tips", are of great education ap quality and I learned a lot from them. Their physical stores are kind of small, but their staff is well knowledgeable. They do have a lot of fancy parts that you don't see around a lot, like CAR-15 metal bodies, and such. Their customer service is truthful. After I moved away from California, I was e-mailing them about a problem and told them I was thinking about sending a gun to them. They replied with a solution to the problem, and was not asking me to send it in. No, "If you want, you can send it in and we can take a look at the problem ourselves" shady bull crap. They can also special order parts and items for you, it seems like they have a lot of connections to Asian dealers. In store, their staff greets every customer that walks in, and immediately asks if they need assistance. And if you were to get there before they open, a worker will come up to you and politely say that they are still setting up and open in a few minutes, and still greet you again when walking in after doors open. Being a mom and pop small chain, their level or hospitality reflects that greatly.
CONS:
Their website is alright, descriptions and pictures are not in great detail. I'd recommend calling in or e-mailing them when inquiring and looking for certain items.
FINAL WORD:
If you could make it to any of their physical stores, do so, its great. And if you need any tech work done on something, these are the guys to go to. Forget everyone else.
EHobby Asia:
PROS:
Their selection is awesome, and prices are pretty comparable. Since its a Hong Kong based dealer, they can sell things with out proper licenses, which is a plus in my book because licensed items are greatly more expensive. They force you to pay for the trademark, and not the quality. Their selection of internal parts is amazing. They still deal out SYSTEMA and they have a lot of items not a lot of other big dealers here get. They are the only site I've seen that sells the MG34 and MP41. Their costumer service is great, may be a bit slow and language barrier might add to that. They also seem to be a good dealer for East Asia (brand's name, I believe) reproduction stuff. Only place I've found to have Vietnam era "South Vietnamese Tiger Stripe, Adviser's type" repro uniforms.
CONS:
Only thing that ever stopped me from really ordering from them more, are shipping fees, but its not really a con. One should expect that since it is in Hong Kong.
Although, their shipping is pretty fast, my buddy gets stuff in from them with in two weeks consistently.
FINAL WORD:
If you have the money to dish out for specific items that no one else has, I'd order from these guys. My buddy had a lot of successful business with these guys. And if you are ever in Hong Kong, check out their physical store. Don't be like me and forget to check it out when I had a libo port there on deployment.
Godfather Airsoft and Tactical:
PROS:
These guys have been around for a loooong time. About ten years ago in Jersey, it was called "Red and Black Paintball", and then it changed to "Godfather Paintball". During my final year in the Corps, I looked into it, and to my surprise, they almost completely changed over to airsoft! Their store is well laid out and spacious. First place that I've seen the Project Honor camo. Website looks well organized.
CONS:
Haven't done business with them yet, so I can't say.
FINAL WORD:
Their physical store is awesome, but I can't really say more than that. Since I didn't buy anything there. I do plan do so in the future.
Airsplat:
PROS:
Sometimes they have good deals.
CONS:
Website is horrific, and their search engine is worse than Airsoft Mega Store's. They don't have a lot of internal parts, and the ones they do, are a bunch of unheard brands. Customer Service is awful, there is no communication between departments, and managers do not wish to show their face in the walk in store. They had this one deal, where if you spend enough money, you will get a free gun. The gun that I wanted in question was a WE P226. I call them in the morning before heading out, asking about it, and they said they had it in stock, and the deal is still on. So, I go there, only to find out that P226 was taken down from the deal online. I complain about it, and the floor workers are confused as hell about it. They attempt to reach the manager via instant messaging on the computer, they didn't bother calling him or her, nor did they ring him or her up on their walkie talkies. I waited there for a few hours. One of the warehouse workers comes out and says they still got the P226's in, but the floor workers said they couldn't honor the deal. And the other free guns were all proprietary LPAEGs and "dual powered" spring/electric guns. I decided to cut my losses and walked out with a LPAEG G36...
FINAL WORD:
Between the awful customer service, lack of communication between departments, the unwillingness to honor their advertised deals, and their "random", in the middle of the day, changing of advertisements, I'd stay far, far away from Airsplat.
Echo1 USA:
I haven't really shopped from them but my experience with their customer service was pretty awesome.
PROS:
I bought a boneyard M28 sniper rifle off of someone else for 20 bucks. Story from the guy I got this from is that some one screw him sold him this rifle, not as a boneyard, but was much so. It was missing a lot of parts. So, he tried fixing it, gave up and just wanted to get rid of it. When I got it, I searched online for replacement parts, I need the hopup, bucking, cylinder post, and the bipod screw (the bipod screw doubled as a main body screw) to at least get it working order. Problem was, Echo1, nor anyone else ever made an aftermarket replacement for the screw. I email Echo1 about this, and explained them the situation. I asked them that I was seeking out dimensions of the screw, so I can pick one up from the Home Depot. They replied a few hours later, asking for my address, so they can send a factory bipod screw out to me... FOR FREE. Didn't even charge for shipping! I just got the screw in today, and it was precisely what I needed. This is some damn good American Customer Service here.
CONS:
Not much of one, but I guess to avoid trademarking and licenses disputes, they give fake names to most of their guns (example:"SOF" is the name of their FN FAL line). Being an American company with an actual face, they are prone to legality issues regarding gun names and such. Again, not much of "con", just have to dig through their sight a bit to see what name is what type of gun.
WHAT I'VE HEARD:
I don't have an article or website to prove this. From I've heard is that, while their guns are technically clones, that they get all the parts from China, but they assemble and test the guns here in the States. So, been known to have some really extraordinary high level Quality Assurance. I never heard someone buying a lemon with Echo1's name on it.
FINAL WORD:
Their customer service alone, is making me want to buy from them, and I will in the future.
OTHERS:
I haven't done business with these, so I'm just going off what I have observed.
Fox Airosft:
Seems to be a reputable retailer, only place in the States that I've seen sell LCT AK's. Red-Alliance forum members swear by LCT.
Airsoft Atlanta:
I hear a lot of good things about them. One thing that really sticks out from the rest, is that their sniper rifle parts selection is really top notch for being here in the States.
That about all I have. I've seen other online stores, but since I haven't done any more than browse online, I can't really say any more on them. I hope this helps out others in selecting where to go for airsofting needs.
Evike:
PROS:
Prices and selection are the best in the States, and their physical store is pretty awesome. They got pretty much everything you need, including a lot of internal parts. Customer Service is pretty good, I have had multiple RMA's with them, they supply free shipping for returns, regardless of what it is. Their whole RMA system takes a good while, but its worth it.
CONS:
Tech work is unprofessional. I'd stay away from any of their custom guns and would not send anything to them for repair or upgrade. They will give you a sheet of paper with barely any info and just say "its fixed" or something else vague. That might work for some people, but it doesn't for me because I want to learn. One buddy needed gears to be replaced, Evike did not test fire the gun prior to maintenance, and nor after they "fixed" it. Once he got it back, he fired three rounds and it broke again. So, they pretty much replaced whatever, and didn't even bother look into the problem my buddy was having. With another buddy, he sent his gun it to get a new hopup and bucking, and again, they did not test the "fix". The gun wouldn't feed. When asked, they replied with "it was wasn't tested because testing wasn't requested on the work order." Even the manager said the hopup and bucking was not made for the gun he turned in for upgrade. So, the techs didn't do anything about it, they just slapped it in and didn't bother to call my buddy and say something like "Hey, the parts you want in this does not work with this, here is what we can do instead........" Their web admin, constantly lists the wrong info on the site, and the site is disorganized in some areas. Like the BAR is listed under sniper rifles, some M16's are called M4's, AK-47 slings are also called "Garand" slings (they are tan canvas, mind you), and FPS listings and weapon history are constantly wrong, as well. I had a lot of trouble getting sniper rifle parts from them that actually work in my guns because of their listings, in the end when I complained to a manager, they authorized a RMA for items I got from multiple orders and RMA's. Also, they are able to get contracts to sell certain new guns and new items first, before other guys, and will jack up the price because of it. It happened with the MG42, they were the only to have it for awhile in the states, and had the price set to 500 bucks, the moment other stores got them in and sold them for the standard price, Evike put them on "sale" to match the other guys. Sometimes, they will get batches of Lemons from the factories, and they won't take down the listing from their site, despite all the reviews talking about it, and probably returns.
FINAL WORD:
Despite a rather long list of cons, Its a great place to go and probably the best, especially when they got great deals going on. I really suggest it, but really pay close attention to the customer reviews and double check info about an item on another site to see if you can get more, correct information. If they got a hot new item out, that no one else has, wait until other stores get the item and see if the price drops.
Airsoft Mega Store:
PROS:
Prices are genuinely cheaper cheaper than Evike. Customer service is great, their customer service lines open extremely early, which is great for us East Coasters. Their return policy is pretty good as well, only problem is that you have to pay for shipping unless it is a gun you got and it was defective, BUT, their whole RMA process is much faster than Evike's. So, it evens out in my opinion. They have been getting better selections, and they know how to market to the standard airsofter. So, if you look past all the "operator elite SF CoD and Battlefield wannabe" stuff, its a great site too look through.
CONS:
Their website and it's organization has been getting better, but their search engine just plain sucks. They don't have a lot internal parts, and they don't have a physical store. Expect to some tech work on your own if you buy from their pre-owned section, but stay even farther away from their custom guns. My buddy got a custom M4 from them, and the Delta ring was held on by hot glue.
FINAL WORD:
As long as you stay away from anything they take out of a factory sealed box and open it up, or you if you know and expect that stuff to be bad, not work, or break, you will be good to go.
Airsoft GI:
PROS:
To be honest, I can't really think of any pros.
CONS:
All their stuff is over priced, and they never had any item that only they have. Their tech service is awful. My buddy had tech work done, he bought a Patriot kit and standard, front wired, M4, and gave them to these guys to put together (note, the wires on a front wired M4 have connectors that are easily detachable to push the wires through the small hole under the outer barrel, and wiring that disconnects and reattaches in the hand guards, typically have the tamiya connector and fuse assembly). When he got it back, it was put together, but they cut down the wiring, down below the detach points and having the tamiya connector right in front of the hole. Making it, so that if you had to take the Patriot apart, you had to disassemble the tamiya connector completely, and due to the small hand guard space of the Patriot, you can only really use small LiPo batteries with it. Which is something that is not advisable because they took out the fuse assembly. The whole thing was pretty bad. In store, my buddy was window shopping for a while, and their workers never came up to him personally, asking if he needed help.
FINAL WORD:
Stay away from these guys, they don't offer any good.
Airsoft Extreme:
PROS:
Their upgrade and repair service is IMMACULATE and highly professional. When ever you get something fixed or upgraded, they make a highly detailed log of what they did and what the problem was. And you can easily learn from it. Their youtube videos, "Tech Tips", are of great education ap quality and I learned a lot from them. Their physical stores are kind of small, but their staff is well knowledgeable. They do have a lot of fancy parts that you don't see around a lot, like CAR-15 metal bodies, and such. Their customer service is truthful. After I moved away from California, I was e-mailing them about a problem and told them I was thinking about sending a gun to them. They replied with a solution to the problem, and was not asking me to send it in. No, "If you want, you can send it in and we can take a look at the problem ourselves" shady bull crap. They can also special order parts and items for you, it seems like they have a lot of connections to Asian dealers. In store, their staff greets every customer that walks in, and immediately asks if they need assistance. And if you were to get there before they open, a worker will come up to you and politely say that they are still setting up and open in a few minutes, and still greet you again when walking in after doors open. Being a mom and pop small chain, their level or hospitality reflects that greatly.
CONS:
Their website is alright, descriptions and pictures are not in great detail. I'd recommend calling in or e-mailing them when inquiring and looking for certain items.
FINAL WORD:
If you could make it to any of their physical stores, do so, its great. And if you need any tech work done on something, these are the guys to go to. Forget everyone else.
EHobby Asia:
PROS:
Their selection is awesome, and prices are pretty comparable. Since its a Hong Kong based dealer, they can sell things with out proper licenses, which is a plus in my book because licensed items are greatly more expensive. They force you to pay for the trademark, and not the quality. Their selection of internal parts is amazing. They still deal out SYSTEMA and they have a lot of items not a lot of other big dealers here get. They are the only site I've seen that sells the MG34 and MP41. Their costumer service is great, may be a bit slow and language barrier might add to that. They also seem to be a good dealer for East Asia (brand's name, I believe) reproduction stuff. Only place I've found to have Vietnam era "South Vietnamese Tiger Stripe, Adviser's type" repro uniforms.
CONS:
Only thing that ever stopped me from really ordering from them more, are shipping fees, but its not really a con. One should expect that since it is in Hong Kong.
Although, their shipping is pretty fast, my buddy gets stuff in from them with in two weeks consistently.
FINAL WORD:
If you have the money to dish out for specific items that no one else has, I'd order from these guys. My buddy had a lot of successful business with these guys. And if you are ever in Hong Kong, check out their physical store. Don't be like me and forget to check it out when I had a libo port there on deployment.
Godfather Airsoft and Tactical:
PROS:
These guys have been around for a loooong time. About ten years ago in Jersey, it was called "Red and Black Paintball", and then it changed to "Godfather Paintball". During my final year in the Corps, I looked into it, and to my surprise, they almost completely changed over to airsoft! Their store is well laid out and spacious. First place that I've seen the Project Honor camo. Website looks well organized.
CONS:
Haven't done business with them yet, so I can't say.
FINAL WORD:
Their physical store is awesome, but I can't really say more than that. Since I didn't buy anything there. I do plan do so in the future.
Airsplat:
PROS:
Sometimes they have good deals.
CONS:
Website is horrific, and their search engine is worse than Airsoft Mega Store's. They don't have a lot of internal parts, and the ones they do, are a bunch of unheard brands. Customer Service is awful, there is no communication between departments, and managers do not wish to show their face in the walk in store. They had this one deal, where if you spend enough money, you will get a free gun. The gun that I wanted in question was a WE P226. I call them in the morning before heading out, asking about it, and they said they had it in stock, and the deal is still on. So, I go there, only to find out that P226 was taken down from the deal online. I complain about it, and the floor workers are confused as hell about it. They attempt to reach the manager via instant messaging on the computer, they didn't bother calling him or her, nor did they ring him or her up on their walkie talkies. I waited there for a few hours. One of the warehouse workers comes out and says they still got the P226's in, but the floor workers said they couldn't honor the deal. And the other free guns were all proprietary LPAEGs and "dual powered" spring/electric guns. I decided to cut my losses and walked out with a LPAEG G36...
FINAL WORD:
Between the awful customer service, lack of communication between departments, the unwillingness to honor their advertised deals, and their "random", in the middle of the day, changing of advertisements, I'd stay far, far away from Airsplat.
Echo1 USA:
I haven't really shopped from them but my experience with their customer service was pretty awesome.
PROS:
I bought a boneyard M28 sniper rifle off of someone else for 20 bucks. Story from the guy I got this from is that some one screw him sold him this rifle, not as a boneyard, but was much so. It was missing a lot of parts. So, he tried fixing it, gave up and just wanted to get rid of it. When I got it, I searched online for replacement parts, I need the hopup, bucking, cylinder post, and the bipod screw (the bipod screw doubled as a main body screw) to at least get it working order. Problem was, Echo1, nor anyone else ever made an aftermarket replacement for the screw. I email Echo1 about this, and explained them the situation. I asked them that I was seeking out dimensions of the screw, so I can pick one up from the Home Depot. They replied a few hours later, asking for my address, so they can send a factory bipod screw out to me... FOR FREE. Didn't even charge for shipping! I just got the screw in today, and it was precisely what I needed. This is some damn good American Customer Service here.
CONS:
Not much of one, but I guess to avoid trademarking and licenses disputes, they give fake names to most of their guns (example:"SOF" is the name of their FN FAL line). Being an American company with an actual face, they are prone to legality issues regarding gun names and such. Again, not much of "con", just have to dig through their sight a bit to see what name is what type of gun.
WHAT I'VE HEARD:
I don't have an article or website to prove this. From I've heard is that, while their guns are technically clones, that they get all the parts from China, but they assemble and test the guns here in the States. So, been known to have some really extraordinary high level Quality Assurance. I never heard someone buying a lemon with Echo1's name on it.
FINAL WORD:
Their customer service alone, is making me want to buy from them, and I will in the future.
OTHERS:
I haven't done business with these, so I'm just going off what I have observed.
Fox Airosft:
Seems to be a reputable retailer, only place in the States that I've seen sell LCT AK's. Red-Alliance forum members swear by LCT.
Airsoft Atlanta:
I hear a lot of good things about them. One thing that really sticks out from the rest, is that their sniper rifle parts selection is really top notch for being here in the States.
That about all I have. I've seen other online stores, but since I haven't done any more than browse online, I can't really say any more on them. I hope this helps out others in selecting where to go for airsofting needs.