I'd driven by this store so many times in the past, I decided to head in and check out their wares. I didn't need anything other than some glass screens, but wanted to check out the quality of their products.
There are plenty of products on the shelves, but unfortunately, most of them are mass produced, cheap pieces of glassware. You can tell not only by the quality, but by the prices. There are shelves chock full of exactly the same item. Same color, pattern and form. This place is probably good for beginners or people looking for something cheap and dispensable ("concert piece"). If you want a good selection of high quality equipment, don't waste your time.
I decided to purchase a few things to see if my suspicions were true and here's where things got a bit "shady". The first thing I asked for was a pack of screens. The shops that I frequent, they'll show them to you and even let you pick out which ones. Not here. No big deal. I was asked how many, at least. The next item was a glass spoon. This time, the clerk was more than happy to show one to me and allow me to inspect it. Looked good enough, and only $10 (see the previous paragraph), so I grabbed one. Finally, I saw a small water pipe that I knew a friend would be interested in. I asked for one of those , as well. This time, there was no option to see the piece. He immediately grabbed one and made a b-line to the register. As I'm approaching the register, he had already began wrapping up the items and bagging them. I even tried to strike up some conversation, saying "nice shop". He just smirked at me and let out a dry, single "ha". Ok, then.
As soon as I got home, I immediately opened everything. Here's where things became more obvious.
The screens were made poorly. Two of the three looked pretty bad, and one of them has already broken (I've only had them for about a week...). The spoon is the highlight. If I needed one, it might have became an everyday accessory. It's fairly thin glass and will obviously break on the first slip/drop, but what SHOULD one expect for $10? Now on to the water pipe. The true reason is review has been posted. I could tell that it was extremely thin glass. I could tell that it was mass produced by the shelf of about 50 identical pieces it was on. What I couldn't tell (because I didn't see it) was that the glass stem was cracked, and useless. No wonder it was taken off of the shelf and immediately wrapped up, right? Just like the screens...
I checked the receipt. No mention of a return policy at all. I then realized that I didn't see any notices inside of the store about their return/exchange policy I knew I was going to head back, but just to try to exchange the stem.
I couldn't head back immediately, as it was already late that night, so they would've been closed by the time I got back there. I work full-time, like most grown adults, so my time is limited. I also have a family, and make plans with them from time to time. This was one of those times. I couldn't make it back to the store for over a week, eight days, to be exact. I had the receipt. The same clerk was there. I explained the situation and politely asked to exchange the stem. Just the stem. I noticed that they sold stems separately, so I figured that it wouldn't be an issue. The clerk just gave me a blank stare. I unwrapped the piece to show him the deeply cracked stem, and he instantly said "sorry, no returns" and pointed to the register counter. They have a zero return policy that apparently includes exchanges, though that part isn't mentioned. There's no notation of this anywhere (including their receipts. It's on a small strip of paper, about an inch thick in size, glued to a glass shelf at the register). I said that I just want to exchange the stem, but he refused. He then smirked and said "we don't sell broke stuff here".
That was it. I was done with this place. I would also strongly recommend others to do the same. I understand the type of product by the customer base I've seen go in and out (younger men, early 20's). The customer approach, however, is unacceptable under any circumstances.
TLDR; Lots of cheap products, in both quality and price. Whatever you buy, inspect it VERY closely before purchasing, because your out of luck once you're out the door. Don't expect good service, at all. Expect blank, impatient stares and cold replies. Honestly, if you can drive here, drive to another shop elsewhere. It's worth the time and gas money. read more
