1TO10REVIEWS

On a scale of 1 to 10, Crankjam seems creepy and weird.

Wait, hold on.  Let me explain.

While on Facebook, I saw an advertisement related to rock climbing.  I like rock climbing.  So I said to myself: “Why don’t you check that out.”  The ad suggested that the advertisers in question were seeking Beta testers to check out their new rock climbing-based social network.  I then thought to myself: “You’re on a social network right now.  Maybe this one would be cool too.”

So I clicked.  I was taken to a site offering me a free T-shirt to become a beta tester.  Interesting.  Not great.  Just interesting.  That’s a pretty old-fashioned marketing technique for a web 2.0-style site.  But hey, I wear t-shirts all the time.  And clearly these guys are not appealing to Twittering tech geeks (at least, not unless they also climb rocks.)  They are going after a niche (technically, it will have to be a niche within a niche, those who like rock climbing, and who also frequent the internet / social networking world.)  So, they decided to throw some marketing dollars into it.  I sort of get that - I guess.  I mean, they are going after a tough to reach audience.  Kinda.

What really threw me for a loop was the scammy, “sign up for 2 or more credit cards” advertisement I was shown right after I signed up for the Beta.  I gave them my info (email, DOB, gender, the basics), hit submit, and was immediately shown an advertisement displaying an awesome package deal of rock climbing gear, as long as I sign up for at least 2 services, for a fee of no more than $5.  Super ghetto.  Giant turn off.  Totally inappropriate.

I just find the whole thing frankly weird.  Are they trying to make ad money already?   On the signups to the private Beta they haven’t finished offering?  They’re throwing money away on the one hand (paying for ads they don’t really need,) and then trying to re-coup it in a totally inappropriate way on the other (serving creepy, spam ads.)  Here’s what I don’t understand:

• Crankjam is advertising on facebook for beta testers?  $$$
• Crankjam is giving away a free t-shirt for beta testing?  $$$
• Crankjam is pushing credit card schemes (and netflix memberships) after Beta signup?  Too weird.

Now I’m not just trying to be a pill here.  I like rock climbing.  And I like social networking.  I think it could be a great site.  I just don’t understand what they’re doing - seems like they’re robbing Peter to pay Paul.  Why are they buying ads on Facebook to recruit for their private beta?  More importantly, why are they serving spam ads right after.  Here’s some of the things I think they should be doing:

• Use free social media: Twitter, FriendFeed, FB fan pages, Jaiku, Pownce, Message Boards, Discussion Forums, make a funny video on Youtube, create a channel on 12seconds - there’s all kinds of social media and services with which to create community and market yourself.  The key here is to be active in the community, spend time there, follow people, listen to what they say, and make sure they know you’re a real person, not a spam bot.  Then ask them questions.  What do you think of this idea?  Do you know anyone who likes rock climbing?  Get some real market data, and recruit some real Beta testers.
• Partner up with other people - do a little Business Development.  Reach out to the admins at rock climbing forums and retailers - tell them you want to trade some ad space and partner up.  You’re creating a rock climbing social network.  They sell gear to rock climbers (or provide a locale for them to gather and share thoughts.)  It’s a good fit and a win-win situation.
• Contact University groups - every college campus in America has a rock climbing club, rock wall, rock gym, etc.  Every one of those groups has young people who like to climb, every one of which uses the internet on a daily basis.  That’s your target audience.  Recruit them.  Buy them pizza (instead of FB ads) and recruit there.

This is the news announcement they’ve issued, and there’s an excerpt below.  Crankjam is a mass producer of niche social networks based in Columbia, South Carolina.  Lifefitter in turn seems to be a product of another “incubator” called LoudDoor, also based in South Carolina.  Now, the Lifefitter guys seem to sort of “get it.”  They have a blog.  And they’re even writing some posts that express expertise and understanding of their space.  Kudos, that’s sincerely excellent.  They are creating a bunch of niched social networks, online communities for the outdoor (and technologically) minded.  Cool.  Personally I think Ning makes more sense, where existing communities can form their own online social network, but there’s a place for this product too.  It’s even a cool idea.

However, this spammy approach is creepy, up and down. It’s disconcerting.  If I had to give this a numeric rating, on a scale of 1 to 10, I’d call it a 2.  And that’s without ever getting a chance to see the product itself.  Purely based on the experience of finding and signing up for the Beta, I am truly uncomfortable.

New

Lifefitter to release CrankJam, a social network for rock climbers, in private beta.

Columbia, SC: Today, Lifefitter Networks announced CrankJam, a new social network dedicated to the rock climbing community. The site is accepting requests for invitations to the beta program and will be released in private beta within the next 45 days.

“Rock climbing is such an intense sport, it takes a lot of guts to go out and climb all over the world,” said General Manager Bobby Redfern.

On a scale of 1 to 10, these sites are dope (if you’re a tech-weenie on a budget.)

As most of my friends know, I am a gear queer.  I like outdoor stuff.

I wrote a post a few months ago about Steepandcheap, a website for buying cool outdoor gear at low-low prices (insert tv-promo voice here.)  I wanted to put a quick post about a couple of related websites that are also cool, and have more specific foci:

Chainlove: for all your biking needs (at a discount)

Tramdock: If you are into backcountry skiing (for reduced prices)

Whiskey Militia: If you’re a skate-punk on a budget, this site is for you

I’ve been digging on all of these sites, and found good deals everywhere.  In spite of my initial concerns about Steepandcheap, I officially now a fan.  Dig it y’all, these sites are great.

If I were forced to give a numeric rating, I would call each of these a 8 out of 10.

On a scale of 1 to 10, Patagonia probably is worth the money.

Patagonia is expensive.  We call them Patagucci.  The gear costs a lot of money.  However, I think it’s worth it for two reasons:

1. The gear is of super-high quality, and lasts a long time.

2. If for some reason you decide that you need to exchange, return, or otherwise change your mind about a product, they have the best warranty policy of all time. No questions, no arguments, no discussion.  Give them the old one, and they’ll give you the new one.

I had a piece of capilene long underwear that split a seam.  I brought it in and showed it to the retail employee. They put it on the counter, checked the size, grabbed a new shirt in the same size and color, snipped the tags, and handed it to me.  That was it.

If pressed for a numeric rating, I’d give them a 10 out of 10 for customer satisfaction and warranty policy.

My Review: 1

I am incredibly disappointed. I have a bone to pick and a forum from which to descry the ineptitude and irresponsibility which is www.myshoestore.com. To put it another way, they suck as badly as it is possible for an E-tail shoe store to suck. Al Bundy would be an improvement to their sales team.

My fiancee (soon to be wife) needed a pair of hiking boots for our honeymoon in New Zealand. We looked the old fashioned way, and 3 different brick and mortar shoe stores were unable to provide the right boot for her size 5 1/2 foot. So we went online, and found the right pair of boots, “available” in the right size, for a good price. And with free shipping! El yay.

So I placed the order, received an on-screen confirmation with the promise of an email confirmation to come. No email came. I check my spam folder, and still no email. My credit card was charged - a total of $158.99. I waited three days, and when I still had received no word I called the customer service line. I was told that the order had been placed and received, and that it normally takes 10 days to fill an order and ship it out. The customer service rep said that my email had most likely been placed in spam by accident. She promised to re-send the email, and suggested that I check my spam folder. Great.

So, I kept an eye on my inbox for the rest of the day. No email. I checked my spam folder repeatedly. No email.

Oh well, they said it would take a little while for the shoes to arrive. So I waited. I waited for 12 days. No email. No tracking number. Nothing. So I called again.

I spoke with a woman who informed me that the shoes I had ordered were out of stock. At this point I have paid $160 for boots. I’ve waited more than 3 weeks. My honeymoon is now less than 2 weeks away. I’ve received no emails from the company. I was told, in person over the phone, that my shoes were on their way. They have my money. I have no shoes.

Enough I told her. Forget it, please refund my money. And that is when I learned that it takes 30 days to process a refund. A refund for an item I never received, an item that is not available. So I ask for a supervisor. A supervisor was unavailable, so I asked for a call-back. Guess what happened.

I hate myshoestore.com. They are evil, smelly, and despicable. They deserve less than a 1 rating, but this blog is called 1to10reviews so I cannot give them a lower mark. It just wouldn’t make sense.

So I am making it my mission to join every review website and rating website I can find to give them a poor ranking. The have created an enemy in me, and I will shout from every rooftop available to me that they have terrible customer service, lousy communication, they steal money without providing goods or services, and they should be run out of business as quickly as possible.

Here is my review from RateItAll.com:

Here is my submission to the Better Business Bureau:

I’ve threatened to submit companies to the BBB, but this is the first time I actually did it. It feels good. I am still looking for more review sites. If anyone knows of any good ones, please leave a comment and let me know.

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UPDATE:

According to the most recent comment, MyShoeStore.com seems to be out of business.  When I visit the webpage it seems to be down.  I’d like to think that I had a little something to do with it. 

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FURTHER UPDATE 7/7/08:

It’s official.  Their site has a goodbye and goodnight message posted up.  Here is a screenshot:

I don’t know if I really had anything to do with it, but I sure feel vindicated.

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Comments on this thread are closed.

My Review: 5

Julbo is a manufacturer of high quality optics for the outdoors (sunglasses, goggles, etc.) They are based in France, and they have two websites; one for international users, and the second tailored specifically for the United States. I have owned two pairs of Julbo’s Nomad sunglasses, but I suspect I will not own a third.

I like Julbo glasses in general.  They are a well known brand, considered to be high quality,  and 100% UV protective.  You can get multiple lenses for their glasses, and they have optics which focus on a variety of outdoor activities, from mountaineering to water sports to urban lifestyle.

The Nomad in particular is a mountain piece with a neat twist.  They feature removable face shields that snap into place along the stems.  These convert a regular pair of sport sunglasses into mountain goggles which help shield the eyes from dangerous glare off of surrounding snow. This glare can cause retinal damage and permanent blindness in extreme cases.  Sun damage to the eyes at high elevation is extremely common and extremely dangerous, and many mountaineers use protective goggles with leather shields to avoid this danger.  The Nomad is a more versatile (and arguably more stylish) option.

But the damn lenses scratch.

I owned a pair, which I purchased from REI, and the lenses scratched to the point of un-usability.  I returned them and recieved a new pair, which have now scratched as well.  I am generally careful with my gear, expecially expensive and potentially delicate items like mountain sunglasses.  I think that these are overly prone to scratching, and it’s annoying.  A close friend and climbing partner named John has also owned a pair of these and encountered the same problem.

I think that these glasses are well designed and versatile.  They fit somfortably, stay in place on my face, and they look reasonably cool. But even though I keep them in a case if they are not on my nose, and I always clean them with either an optic friendly wiping cloth or soft clean cotton, they consistently wear poorly and become unusable.  I want them to be a ten, but they are sadly only a five.