Shop details for DealsMachine
Dealsmachine.com was one of the leading Online Stores for consumer electronics, gadgets, and toys. With a wide selection of everything from smartphone and tablet accessories, toys, gadgets, tech, watches, sports equipment, and home and garden supplies, DealsMachine had the potential to satisfy all your online shopping needs.
Since its start in 2006, the Shenzhen, China-based web company has been known as "ahappydeal," "BestAfford," and since May 2014 as "Dealsmachine." Its largest customer base (about 20%) was based in the USA and Canada, where Dealsmachine enjoys great popularity despite local web giants such as Amazon and eBay.
Experience with DealsMachine
We placed a few orders on DealsMachine to see how it works for ourselves, and were pretty happy. Our experience is summed up below.
Pros
Cons
Payment
Express Checkout is available without a personal DealsMachine account via PayPal. Customers who prefer to order through the traditional checkout process must first make an account on DealsMachine, and may pay via Credit Card (Visa, Mastercard, AMEX, Discover, and Diner's Club), as well as Western Union, Wire Transfer, and, of course, PayPal.
As always, we recommend paying with PayPal, as their superb Buyer Protection program allows you to open a case on any payments made within 45 days and get your money back in case anything goes wrong with your order.
Shipping Costs and Delivery Times
DealsMachine offers its customers many different Shipping options to choose from. In general, you have the choice between the cheapest Flat-Rate Shipping (7-25 business days), the Standard Shipping (6-8 business days), and Expedited Shipping (3-7 business days). Unfortunately, Free Shipping is not usually available and all shipping costs vary by weight and type of shipping selected. The Flat-Rate shipping is usually cheapest and seems to average between $2.50 and $6.00 for most products.
Free Shipping is only available on certain small items. These items have a special "Free Shipping" marker on their product page.
DealsMachine and Customs
Although our orders from Dealsmachine had no problems getting through customs without fees, it's always a possibility that your order may be stopped and inspected by customs either randomly or because of a problem. As a result, it's always worth it to review your country's rules regarding international mail orders to know what to expect should your package be stopped.
For shipments entering the US, extra taxes and fees on your product are possible. Not every item is taxed when entering the country, and the majority are only subject to a nominal processing fee of between $2 and $9 in the case of a random customs stop. The amount to be paid, however, can vary widely depending on the product and how it’s sent. If you are concerned about your item, or are planning to order goods in excess of $500, it is worth it to check with the Customs Office at the port of entry to confirm any extra fees.
Any extra taxes or duties on your shipment will either be paid at your door when the mailman drops it off, or the package may be held at your local post office. In which case, you will need to go pick it up and pay any applicable fees in person.
Returns
Unlike some of its competitors, Dealsmachine will not reimburse your shipping costs for any returned or exchanged items. You must also report any intended returns to Dealsmachine Customer Service in advance in order to have your request approved.
For any products that arrive defective or damaged, Dealsmachine has a 30-day return policy to receive a replacement or get the old item repaired. You still need to pay return shipping costs, but the replacement or repair is free. Should your item have nothing wrong with it and you decide to replace it anyways, Dealsmachine still offers the 30-day return policy but charges a restocking fee of 15% of the original item's value on top of any shipping fees. If you expect you may want to return an item you should be sure to read the fine print, as some items on Dealsmachine may only be returned within 7 days.
Certain products (mostly expensive electronics) are protected under Dealsmachine's 1 Year Guarantee, which gives buyers the opportunity to send the item back anytime within 12 months of delivery for free replacement or repair. Buyer's must still cover shipping costs, however.
Conclusion
If you know what you want and are sure that you want it, Dealsmachine was a good place to score some quality tech and gadgets at pretty good prices. With a vast selection of products, Dealsmachine was competitive with other Chinese Webshops and international competitors alike. Unfortunately, they once again decided to change their business and went offline with Dealsmachine.
Alternatives
| Alternative 1: |  Tomtop | Huge selection of electronics and gadgets, more flexible return policy, better customer service |
|---|---|---|
| Alternative 2: |  Gearbest | Another huge selection of Tech, Gadgets, and Toys. Better return policy and free shipping are available. Newsletter features lots of exclusive coupons. |