The cheap price is indicative of poor quality.
- Versatile
- Lightweight
- Made of real leather
- Poor construction
- Flimsy materials
- Cell phone compartment too small for most phones
The Buxton Bag is an over-the-shoulder leather bag with numerous zippers and compartments designed to store all the things (wallets, clothes, cell phones, water bottles, etc.) folks carry around in the course of a day. For about $20, plus $8.95 shipping and handling, you get the bag and a free My Li'l Reminder, a digital voice recorder that fits on your keychain (we have a separate review on that gadget). For an extra $8.95, you have the option to get a second bag. The Buxton Bag is made of genuine -- albeit very thin -- leather, and is available in red, tan or black. http://www.consumersearch.com/as-seen-on-tv/my-lil-reminder
Most reviewers don't have very kind things to say about the Buxton Bag. Users say the bag's leather has a plasticky feel and that it doesn't seem very sturdy. We also found reports of zippers falling off or leather separating from the seams after only a day of use. Others complain that the cell phone compartment won't snugly hold most popular models. When it comes to carrying things, a reviewer for AssociatedContent.com says the bag was "more of an inconvenience and aggravation than it was a super organizer as the infomercial claimed."
Although the bag has an enticing price tag, reviewers say, you are better off spending more for a durable, well-constructed leather bag that will hold up over time.
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Our Sources
This blogger says the Buxton Bag's shoulder strap is too wide, the leather feels like plastic, and there are too many zippers and pockets. Numerous comments attest to the bag's flimsiness and shoddy construction.
Review: Ugliest Bag Ever: Buxton Bag, Dec. 30, 2007
Reviewer Donna Thacker buys a Buxton Bag and tries to fit her stuff in it. She complains that the cell-phone compartment is too small to fit her LG Shine, and concludes that the bag is "more of an inconvenience and aggravation than it was a super organizer as the infomercial claimed."
Review: Product Review: Buxton Over the Shoulder Organizer Bag, Donna Thacker, July 1, 2009
3. HonestInfomercialReviews.com
After sifting through comments about the Buxton Bag sent in by consumers, this reviewer provides a synopsis. He says the bag is flimsy, its zippers break easily, the leather quickly comes apart from the stitching, and the cell-phone compartment is oddly configured.
Review: The Buxton Bag from Hell, Editors of HonestInfomercialReviews.com, Jan. 4, 2009
4. Amazon.com
More than 70 owners post reviews of the Buxton Bag, where it earns an unimpressive rating of 2.5 stars. The majority of users are disappointed by the flimsy material, which began to fray and tear almost immediately in some cases. One user says that the outer zipper fell off after only three days of use, and "it's very clumsy to carry if you load it up like they demonstrate on TV."
Review: Buxton Bag, Contributors to Amazon.com
You'll get cash -- but not very much.
- Easy to use
- Poor rating from the Better Business Bureau
- Low per-ounce rates
- Packages may be lost or stolen
- Mail insurance may not cover full value
The concept is simple: You request an insured envelope from Cash4Gold; place your gold, silver or platinum jewelry in the mail and wait for a check or electronic payment. Unfortunately, credible review organizations say it doesn't always work that smoothly. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has collected hundreds of consumer complaints about Cash4Gold.
"There appears to be a serious problem with packages sent to Cash4Gold not being received," the BBB states. Cash4Gold includes $100 mail insurance with its prepaid envelope -- $500 if you use FedEx -- but if you send items worth more than that, the BBB recommends buying your own mail insurance and using a courier service with delivery confirmation.
When a reporter for KSL in Salt Lake City, Utah, tested Cash4Gold by sending $60 worth of gold jewelry, Cash4Gold offers just $9.58 for the shipment. "Good Morning America" conducted a similar experiment; Cash4Gold offered $66.05 for $410 worth of gold. In both cases, local gold buyers offered far more for the same gold, much closer to market value. In the "Good Morning America" test, Cash4Gold doubles its offer when the reporter asks for her jewelry back. ConsumerReports.org says its test yielded similar low offers from the three gold-redemption companies it tested, including Cash4Gold.
Cash4Gold says it will return items to customers who reject the payment as too low -- but only if you request the return within 12 days of the date Cash4Gold issues its check. If you select direct deposit instead of a check, you waive the return policy.
Credible broadcast and print sources have evaluated Cash4Gold. ConsumerReports.org and "Inside Edition" both conduct tests by sending pre-appraised gold to Cash4Gold and documenting the resulting offers. ABC's "Good Morning America" and several other TV stations do the same. The Better Business Bureau's website provides a clear summary of customer complaints. ComplaintsBoard.com posts dozens of complaints, but there is no way of verifying that the complaints are all written by real consumers. The Consumerist, a blog affiliated with the not-for-profit Consumers Union (publisher of ConsumerReports.org), includes a post by a fired Cash4Gold employee alleging that the company is a scam -- along with a lawsuit filed by Cash4Gold in response and a follow-up investigative article that supports the former employee's claims.
Our Sources
In this review, ConsumerReports.org editors send identical pieces of gold jewelry to several different online gold-redemption companies (including Cash4Gold) and compare payments to local jewelry store and pawn-shop prices. All the cash-for-gold companies offer far less money than the local options. ConsumerReports.org offers helpful tips for avoiding getting scammed when selling gold.
Review: Cashing in Gold? Here's the Catch, Editors of ConsumerReports.org, Nov. 2009
This page summarizes the hundreds of complaints the Better Business Bureau has received about Cash4Gold. They give the Florida-based Cash4Gold a C rating, which is up from a D-minus it received in 2009. The BBB has revoked Cash4Gold's membership in the Bureau, as well.
Review: BBB Reliability Report for Cash 4 Gold, Editors of Better Business Bureau
"Good Morning America" tests three mail-in gold companies by sending $350 worth of gold. Cash4Gold offers the lowest price: $66.05. When the journalists ask for their gold back, Cash4Gold doubles the offer. This article provides a wealth of advice for consumers considering selling their gold to a mail-in company.
Review: Gold Rush: People Rush to Sell Gold Instead of Finding It, Elisabeth Leamy and Vanessa Weber, March 20, 2009
Syndicated TV newsmagazine "Inside Edition" conducts an investigative report, sending gold valued at around $1,000 to Cash4Gold. They receive an offer of around $200, which is doubled to $400 when they call to get the pieces back.
Review: Cash4Gold's Superbowl Ad, Editors of Inside Edition, Feb. 4, 2009
A reporter at this NBC affiliate conducts an investigation of mail-in gold companies, similar to the one later conducted by "Good Morning America." She sends $60 worth of gold to Cash4Gold and is offered $9.58 in return. Like the "Good Morning America" reporters, this reviewer gets a better offer from a local buyer, and she offers a list of tips for consumers.
Review: KSL Investigation: Putting Money-for-Gold Offers to the Test, Debbie Dujanovic, March 5, 2009
After publishing its "10 Confessions of a Cash4Gold Employee" article, Consumerist.com (whose parent company is a subsidiary of Consumers Union, publisher of ConsumerReports.org) publishes this investigative article on Cash4Gold's business practices, sending in gold after having it appraised. All the mail-in gold companies offered amounts lower than market value, but Cash4Gold's was "the lowest amounts of any firm."
Review: The Article Cash4Gold Doesn't Want You To Read, Ben Popken, Sept. 2, 2009
The Consumerist.com blog publishes this post from a former employee of Cash4Gold, outlining the various steps in what the former worker describes as the "Cash 4 Gold Scam." Cash4Gold filed a defamation lawsuit against this former employee and Consumerist.com posted a long feature investigative article backing up the employee's claims. Both are linked here.
Review: 10 Confessions of a Cash4Gold Employee, Ben Popken, Feb. 2, 2009
This website posts dozens of complaints written by consumers say they were ripped off by Cash4Gold, although there is no way to confirm their complaints. Posts include the original fired-employee posting (discussed in the above review) and a response from Cash4Gold CEO Jeff Aronson.
Review: Cash4Gold Complaints, Contributors to ComplaintsBoard.com
Good in theory, but not very durable
- Saves space
- Keeps contents dry
- Material isn't durable
- Bags tend to not stay airtight
- Leaves contents with a plastic smell
The Pitch: "Triple Your Storage Space!"
March 2009. Reviewers say that Space Bags -- when they actually work -- do what they're supposed to do: create additional storage space by compacting the bag's contents with a vacuum seal (using a standard vacuum cleaner to suck excess air out of the bag). Unfortunately, most people who buy Space Bags report that they rarely work as they should. Space Bags are made of nylon, but most consumers find the material to be very flimsy and prone to rips, tears and leaks. The bags also tend to not keep their airtight seal over time -- anywhere from a few hours to a few months. Other customers say that although the bags work, they leave their contents smelling like plastic.
There are a handful of owners who have had positive experiences with their Space Bags. When handled carefully, they say the bags remain sealed and help to create more storage space. A news crew in Raleigh, N.C., tries out the Space Bag in one of their regular "Does It Work?" segments, and comes back with a somewhat positive review. One test bag leaks, but another seals properly and stays airtight when submerged in water. Regardless, the reporters say the overall construction of the Space Bags is flimsy.
Customer reviews on both InformercialRatings.com and Amazon.com are mostly negative, with most users saying that the Space Bags do not remain airtight and rip too easily. InfomercialScams.com, a site dedicated to customer complaints, has over 100 Space Bag customer grievances, many citing instances of ripping, tearing and broken zippers. Customer reviews on Epinions.com are almost entirely negative, citing the same complaint that the Space Bags rupture very easily.
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Our Sources
WRAL reporters test vacuum-seal Space Bags with both stuffed animals and clothing. The first bag seals without any problem, but a seam springs a leak after a few minutes, causing the bag to expand. The second bag works better, flattening the contents and remaining sealed. They test out the promise that Space Bags lock out moisture by submerging the second bag in a hot tub, and after a few minutes underwater, the contents were still dry. Space Bags are advertised as being made of nylon, so they're more durable than plastic bags, but the WRAL team found the material to be very thin and susceptible to puncturing. Overall, the WRAL team says that Space Bags could help alleviate some storage issues, but being prone to popped seams and punctures, they may not be worth the cost.
Review: Does It Work?: "Space Bags", Editors of WRAL, Nov. 28, 2005
More than 120 customers who bought Space Bags post reviews to InformercialRatings.com with mixed results. Some of the users say that the bags work as advertised, keeping their contents vacuum-sealed. But the majority of users report that their Space Bags didn't work very well, the most common complaint being that they simply don't stay airtight. Some users also struggle with the zippers on the bags and say that the material tears and punctures easily.
Review: Space Bags Reviews and Ratings, Contributors to InfomercialRatings.com
InfomercialScams.com allows customers to post gripes about infomercial products they purchase, and over 100 report complaints about Space Bags. Again, the most common complaint is that the bags do not remain sealed. Customers also complain of broken zippers and flimsy material that tears easily. A select few say that their Space Bags remain airtight, but leave their clothes smelling of plastic.
Review: Space Bag Complaints, Contributors to InfomercialScams.com
4. Amazon.com
Out of more than 30 customer reviews on Amazon.com for Space Bags, more than half are negative. Some users report that the seams of the bags easily pop, thus losing their airtight seal. There are also complaints that the zipper can easily slice the material if you're not careful. A handful of reviewers have positive experiences with the Space Bag, though some of them express concern about the flimsy bag material.
Review: ITW Space Bag Storage Bag Combo Pack: 3 Pack, Contributors to Amazon.com
5. Epinions.com
Over 15 customers review Space Bags for Epinions.com, with only a couple having positive things to say. Once again, the complaints are that the bags don't remain sealed and they rip easily. One positive reviewer finds that Space Bags work well if handled carefully, and another has good luck with the bags after going through a couple that didn't work.
Review: Space Bag Combo Reviews, Contributors to Epinions.com