Brentsbits - Bulk Prices on: Lightning Compatible Cables, USB Car Chargers and 2m/3m Micro USB

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Brents Bits

• 

  alwayslooking on 18/10/2013 - 17:34

  +12

  Your deal might be good, but your products suck and your customer service is even worse.

  If anyone is considering buying from this store, please have a read through some of the customer feedback of his eBay store (http://feedback.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&u…)

  • 

    SickDmith on 18/10/2013 - 17:40

    +3

    LOL

  • 

    Tal_Shiar on 18/10/2013 - 17:52

    +4

    Are you one of his eBay customers?

    • 

      CyberGenesys on 18/10/2013 - 17:57

      +1

      My 2 orders came in reasonable time and were as described. To me, my opinion is most valued ;)

    • 

      Store Repbrentsbits @ Brents Bits on 18/10/2013 - 18:09

      He may well be but because I can't link his ID to an eBay user ID I can't get more specific information about his complaint and problem.

    • 

      alwayslooking on 18/10/2013 - 20:36

      +2

      No, i ordered through his website. All the items ended up being faulty after 3 weeks of use.

      • 

        Store Repbrentsbits @ Brents Bits on 18/10/2013 - 21:13

        order number?

      • 

        alwayslooking on 19/10/2013 - 14:42

        +2

        279 - order placed on Aug 7, order received the following week.

        I emailed you on the 24th of August about the faulty usb car charger.
        No response.
        I emailed you again on the 14th of October, during which I also emailed you through your eBay contact.
        I got an automated message (I think it is automated), saying:
        "Hi there,
        Thanks for messaging me, I endeavour to have all messages responded to within 1-2 business days. Please note that I don't generally answer emails on weekends.
        Please be patient, I will be in touch with you soon.
        Cheers,
        Brent"

        I then got a response from you via email:
        "14 days I'd the rearrange on all my products, this generally covers for damage in transit, dead on arrival and ones that fall quickly. Typically, if they don't fail within that time they last a good while.
        Cheers,
        Brent"

        To me, that reply just means "too effing bad for you"

        Oh, and I emailed you back 5 - 6 days ago, still no reply. I'm being patient by the way :)

      • 

        alwayslooking on 21/10/2013 - 12:45

        7 days now, still no reply. As far as I can tell. I am within your "14 day" period of my USB car charger failing, hence I should be entitled to a refund or replacement right? I should be, but that up to you to decide isn't it?

        I'll be patient and wait for a reply now.

  • 

    arend on 18/10/2013 - 17:56

    +4

    Glad there are others who feel the same way!

    Bought a right angle HDMI plug:
    - bought one from an OzB post after seller said it was as low as the price could get and I needed one
    - first one never arrived
    - second only only sent after weeks of bugging
    - second one lasted less than a week before it stopped working
    - then he dropped the price by half in the next post!

    Sorry mate, not again - crappy products, untrustworthy seller

    • 

      Store Repbrentsbits @ Brents Bits on 18/10/2013 - 18:09

      -5

      What's your ebay id? I'd like to follow up on this.

      • 

        Store Repbrentsbits @ Brents Bits on 18/10/2013 - 18:39

        -5

        interesting, someone gave this comment a neg when all I wanted to do was follow it up. Now that's harsh.

      • 

        Store Repbrentsbits @ Brents Bits on 19/10/2013 - 02:03

        I would really really appreciate some of these neggers for these comments telling me why they are negging them, when I said that i wanted to follow up for arend.

        Just seems counter intuitive. He's complaining so I offer to follow up and you guys don't like that either?

      • 

        arend on 23/10/2013 - 09:21

        Sorry Brent, have been away.
        Didn't expect quite the flame-fest this turned into.
        Have sent you a PM with details.

  • 

    Store Repbrentsbits @ Brents Bits on 18/10/2013 - 18:08

    +4

    Yeah, it's true, I've had some bad experiences for customers, most people do.

    Most of them have come from the following few things though:

    • The single biggest cause of complaint is people not reading the terms and conditions, or reading them and then buying and thinking that they don't apply to them. I actually say at the bottom of them that if people aren't happy they shouldn't buy from me.
    • Australia Post not delivering items, this happens with about 2% of items that I send out. That's an accurate figure and pretty much relates to my negative feedback percentage. If a buyer doesn't select registered or express post and it doesn't arrive, how exactly do they expect it to be followed up?
    • People wanting to return something for replacement but not wanting to pay the postage to return it to me. Well, legally I am not required to do so and on items where the profit margin is so thin, I won't. It's the customer's responsibility to get the item back to me for replacement, it's my responsibility to get the replacements to them. This is in accordance with Consumer Affairs Victoria practice. The only exception to this is where the item is very large, like a TV, then it's up to the retailer to arrange shipping. Think of it this way, if you bought a cable from Harvey Norman and it didn't work when you got home, what would you do? Would you call them and tell them to send you a new one, free of charge without returning the faulty one? Would you tell them to send a courier to get it? No, you'd go back to the store and get an exchange and you wouldn't ask them to compensate you for it. Tell me, why is it any different with an online retailer?
    • People saying an item is faulty and then when I ask them to return it for replacement they refuse to do so, demanding that I send another or refund them without returning the item or even showing any proof that it doesn't work.
    • Me taking a while to get back to some people. This is totally my fault and I have no excuse. Sometimes life happens, I am a uni student and sometimes get snowed under. That's just a reason though, an explanation. I already said there was no excuse. If I get particularly snowed under, I put my eBay store on holiday.
    • Sometimes I miss things. Again, this is my fault and I'll cop the stick for it and when it's my fault I will generally ask the customer what they want me to do about it. For instance, I missed 3 brentsbits.com.au orders and only found them when one of the customers got back to me saying it had been a while. I packaged them up, sent them out and emailed all three of them to ask them what they would like me to do to make it up to them. Within reason, I would have done whatever they asked because it was completely my fault.

    In addition to all that. I have a feedback score of about 9000 on eBay, with 97.8% of that being positive. Only about a third of people even bother to leave feedback when the transaction has been hassle free. People who have a negative experience are much more likely to leave it, which probably skews the numbers even further.

    Any kind of spin doctoring or massaging my feedback numbers aside, go and actually read my feedback. Read the ones with the red mark next to them but how about going and checking the green ones too. only 1 person in every 50 is unhappy with me.

    Think about that. 2% of people have a negative experience with me. Probably less.

    Go back through my other deals here on OzBargain. The occasional person complains but for the most part people are fairly positive about me and what I do.

    So, before saying such blanket statements as "my products and customer service sucks" and suggesting that everything I sell is dodgy and I never do anything for anyone. Put it in context. Yes, some people weren't satisfied but the overwhelming majority of people are.

    I hold both myself and my customers to my terms and conditions. They are there in black and white (and some red) for people to read. If it's there in plain english, surely it's reasonable to expect people to abide by them?

    So, yes, I do have some negative feedback but seriously, how about you put what you are saying into context.

    Having said that, what was your problem with what you bought? Did you get in touch with me and what did I respond with? Let's let it all hang out. I'm happy to be honest about it. I may be strict with my T&C but I am honest.

    • 

      Store Repbrentsbits @ Brents Bits on 18/10/2013 - 18:40

      To the person that negged this particular comment. Rather than juts saying you don't like it, how about telling me why?

      I'm happy to have that discussion in a public forum. I've got nothing to hide.

    • 

      Sullie on 18/10/2013 - 19:09

      +1

      I haven't done any business with this seller, but I thought the post sounded genuine. I might just get one of these cables.

    • 

      Dalton on 18/10/2013 - 19:13

      Hi Brent,

      The wire used in your cables seems good, but the plugs really let you down. The microUSB clips lose their spring, and the casings, which seem to be glue or heat sealed, come apart.

      It is really hard to find good quality microUSB cables over 1.5 meters. I'd pay a few extra dollars for a well made, low resistance cable. To be precise, I would pay $5-7 for a low resistance 2 meter cable that had properly moulded terminations.

      eBay is loaded with cheap rubbishy cables, or expensive brand name cables. Why don't you have a go catering to those of us looking for something between these two extremes?

      I'm speaking as someone who bought two of your cables, had them break very quickly, and yet did not leave you negative feedback on eBay.

      Cheers mate.

      • 

        Store Repbrentsbits @ Brents Bits on 18/10/2013 - 19:31

        Interesting, I wonder how many others would pay that much for a solid cable like that. It's something I will look into, maybe having a budget and premium line of cables.

        Thanks for the feedback, I really appreciate it.

      • 

        Matt P on 18/10/2013 - 20:59

        +5

        the problem is, how do you know who is selling decent cables that will last longer and who is just charging 10 bucks for cheap pieces of shit

      • 

        Store Repbrentsbits @ Brents Bits on 18/10/2013 - 21:15

        well, you don't really, of course. Seller reputation and whatnot. It's the danger of shopping at the bargain end of the market I guess. I'm not in any way suggesting that shopping at the bargain end means that you deserve being ripped off or anything like that but cheaper prices typically mean that costs have been cut somewhere.

      • 

        Mat_Lab on 18/10/2013 - 23:06

        Please sell quality items only.
        Junk causes more hassle than it is worth. Relying on N.B. Terms and Conditions is no way to try and justify selling junk.

        You are asked for a suggestion.

        Charge a realistic price - Eg. $8
        A decent warranty period - Eg. 6 Months
        Free warranty returns

        If the product is good you will not have any returns that require replacement.
        Your quality reputation will grow and you will sell more and make more money with less effort.
        (You won't need to spend so much time defending poor quality products, appeasing angry customers, receiving and re-sending additional cables).

        In my business I do not sell any junk. I get a massive amount of free business through personal and online recommendations.
        I only once sold a junk product and as soon as I realised it was a poor product I pulled it immediately. Too many returns, too many unhappy people that might damage my reputation and too much cost to correct the problems caused.

        Sell quality products and your reputation and business will grow.

      • 

        Store Repbrentsbits @ Brents Bits on 18/10/2013 - 23:11

        You are running on the assumption that my products aren't quality. What I am saying is that at the bargain end of the market, where OzBargain resides by the way, fault tolerances are higher. Cables fail. I am not relying on terms and conditions to justify selling junk. Again I point to my eBay feedback, sure there's 2% of people that aren't happy for whatever reason, however, there are 98% that are. Which means that 98% of the cables that go out work as advertised.

        Don't preach at me fella. I don't normally get rude but who exactly are you to be giving this sort of advice?

        Do you know how many deals I've seen that are supposed to be quality products at the price bracket you have suggested that have been negged to death by the people here? A bunch. Quite a few. Your sermon applies to all businesses in general but frankly applies to none specifically.

        I source good quality products for the price I sell them at. I have stumbled once or twice but have also publicly acknowledged it when I did.

        People want to pay $1-$2 for cables. So I fill that market as best I can with the best quality products I can in that price bracket.

        Back in your cage sir. Your generic, overly preachy advice is frankly unwelcome.

      • 

        Mat_Lab on 18/10/2013 - 23:32

        +4

        You asked earlier for a way to distinguish a quality product over what you currently sell. I was merely suggesting my opinion.

        Instead you decide to attack me.

        I was going to pull apart your above comments, but I will let it slide and suggest you go get some rest.

        Please do not attack others that you do not know especially when they are offering real advice that is used by successful businesses everywhere.

        Lastly I cannot help myself. You said
        "You are running on the assumption that my products aren't quality."

        Yep that is true.
        DOA products - only extended to 14 days out of the goodness of your heart.
        DOA products means they are quality products?

        I am not talking about quality at a price. I am talking about a product that will be working six months from now.

        Take a breath and relax.

        Finally - OZBargainers do not just buy the cheap and nasty products.

        I consider a bargain is only a bargain if it does what you need it to do and you get it for a good price.

      • 

        Store Repbrentsbits @ Brents Bits on 19/10/2013 - 01:45

        DOA means that sometimes things don't work, so I of course offer to replace them. It's not out of the goodness of my heart, it's the decent (not to mention legal) thing to do.

        I also stand by my statement as well, you are running on the assumption that my products aren't quality. Everyone is so dead keen to point to my eBay feedback, well guess what, look at it, read the green and the red (and the few greys as well). The overwhelming majority is stating that they are very happy with what they have bought and my shipping etc.

        I didn't ask for a way to distinguish quality products, check it out, someone else asked for that. I can find quality products at any price bracket. Quality of course being a term relative to the price people are willing to pay.

        To respond to your "finally". OzBargainers do often buy the cheap and nasty product because the price is king here. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Some sellers might be unscrupulous and take advantage of that to unload junk. I do not, I try and sell a quality product for the price and for the most part hit the mark.

        Count up all the people that are suggesting that I suck. Compare that to the several thousand orders I have filled through my various OzBargain posts over the last 10 months or so. Again, the percentage is small.

        So, again Mr. Businessman, find who was asking for the advice and give it to them.

        The only suggestions I have solicited here and in another thread were asking how I might make myself more clear so that everyone knows what to expect in a transaction.

        There are a few simple things to pay attention to when buying from anyone:

        • If you don't like their prices
        • If you don't like their products
        • If you think their terms are unfair
        • If their terms make you suspicious
        • If anything makes you suspicious

        Then for god's sake, don't buy from them. Go buy from someone else. Don't buy from them and then complain about the things that were told to you up front.

        It's like all the people on those Airport shows, they are told to turn up 2 hours before their flight and then turn up 10 mintues after checkin closes and then expect the airline to make it right. How many times do you see it happening? Very very few.

        Same principle. I will bend over backwards to give you everything you are entitled to, whether you have asked for it or not. I will not do so to give you things that you are not entitled to but expect.

        It's really really simple. Yes, I'm going on a bit. Will it cost me business? Maybe, we'll see. Do I want the business of the people who are turned off by me telling it like it is? Probably not. I run high volume, low margin. That's my choice of course but I sure as hell don't have the time to waste on people who are trying to get more than they paid for.

    • 

      mycosys on 21/10/2013 - 11:41

      +2

      A number of your terms are outright illegal, such as exchange only or only warranting products for 14days. Just claiming 'exchange only' is an illegal action in australia

      http://www.accc.gov.au/business/treating-customers-fairly/co…

      • 

        Store Repbrentsbits @ Brents Bits on 21/10/2013 - 13:14

        I see what you are saying, especially with regard to refunds. I don't stipulate no refunds at all, just no refunds except where legally required. I offer remedy for faulty products and my warranty etc takes into account the product and price paid for it.

        Based on advice I have received I am complying with everything I must, however, if the ACCC or Consumer Affairs were to tell me otherwise, I would fix it immediately.

        I have read all those things and to the best of my knowledge am complying.

        Anyway, I'm done defending myself here. I have tried being reasonable and explaining myself over and over again and while your response was very appropriate, most haven't been. Purple van but from me or not, that's the beauty of a capitalist society, people can let their wallets do the talking.

        That wasn't meant to be a rude reply to you, just after 3 days I'm a little over it. I'll be responding to specific, deal related queries only from here on in and just reporting any attacks that are made, rather than feeding the trolls (of which I don't consider you one, just to be clear)

        Cheers

  • 

    Store Repbrentsbits @ Brents Bits on 18/10/2013 - 18:11

    One thing I will be doing though is coming up with a better returns process. Often envelopes come back with items in them with no return address and no identifying information. So I am currently sorting it out with my web developer to get an RMA system in place, which might take care of some future issues like this.

    • 

      AFA on 18/10/2013 - 18:46

      +6

      I read through the negative feedback and all the customers just seem like retards and that dont read the listings or do not understand the give and take of ordering online.

      • 

        Store Repbrentsbits @ Brents Bits on 18/10/2013 - 18:59

        +4

        Thank you. It's nice to know I'm not a madman screaming alone in the wilderness. Of course, we might just both be mad…..

• 

  Knightelf on 18/10/2013 - 17:38

  +2

  Whose bits are better, Brent's or Jake's?

• 

  heathwithnoteeth on 18/10/2013 - 17:44

  +1

  i find the lightning/usb cables you sell need a bit of a hack to work, such as plug the lightning connector into the iphone first and then the usb plug into charger for them to work. just sayin'

  • 

    Store Repbrentsbits @ Brents Bits on 18/10/2013 - 17:52

    I only have an iPad Mini but the ones I use from my own stock seem to work OK. Thanks for the update though, that's interesting to know, and of course annoying for you.

• 

  Pigey on 18/10/2013 - 18:06

  I wouldn't buy anything from Brent.

  Bought 3 Lightning cables and within a month all had broken.
  Emailed him about it and got this reply.

  Sorry but they are beyond the returns and exchange timeframe of 14 days.
  Cheers,
  Brent

  • 

    Store Repbrentsbits @ Brents Bits on 18/10/2013 - 18:14

    Yep, most cables last quite a while, some don't, they are $1.xx cables after all. I source the best quality I can and usually stuff is pretty good but sometimes some of the items in a shipment aren't.

    I offer 14 day replacement and clearly state it's for DOA goods only. Usually if it's within a reasonable timeframe of that 14 days I'll let it go and sort it out because I, more than most, know how crap Australia Post can be. I will also be flexible if it isn't strictly DOA and breaks within that 14 days as well.

    Again, this is clearly stated on the eBay listing. I do my best but as stated in the lengthy post above, I try to be fair and honest but I am also fairly strict with my T&C.

    Finally, as I said, I do try and source the best quality items that I can but you also need to be aware, you are purchasing at the very very low end of the market. $1.34 for a lightning cable including shipping? When Apple is selling their genuine one for $25. Do you think the extra $23.66 is pure profit? Or do you think that perhaps different materials, testing and fault tolerances are used, which might drive up the cost of manufacture?

    Don't get me wrong, I actually hate it that you didn't have a good experience with me but not so much that I am willing to lose a lot of money about it when I was clear about everything in the listing. I'll help where and when I can but I still run a business.

    A lot of people might not like that comment but it's the truth, I run a business and the object is to make a living, not to lose money just to keep someone happy when their issue falls outside the stated T&C. Even big manufacturers will generally not help you when your item is out of warranty.

    • 

      Lord Fart Bucket on 18/10/2013 - 19:04

      +2

      Can you then at least update the description of the cable to:
      "Crap quality, if it lasts more than a month you're lucky"?

      • 

        51ngh on 18/10/2013 - 21:46

        +1

        How long do you WANT a $1 cable to last ?

      • 

        Lord Fart Bucket on 19/10/2013 - 07:55

        32 days minimum.

    • 

      mycosys on 21/10/2013 - 11:44

      +2

      this is actually illegal and if you cant/wont warrant them to last a reasonable amount of time, then don't sell them, that's the law, Try looking up 'implied warranty of merchhantability'

      • 

        Knightelf on 23/10/2013 - 12:57

        If an Apple $25 cable lasts 2 years (assuming it does), it's reasonable for a $1 cable to break after a month ;p

  • 

    johnno07 on 19/10/2013 - 19:06

    So an official cable costs exactly 18.65 times as much as one from Brent, yes? So that means that if one breaks every month and you replace it, you will have spent $25 after 18 months. What is the chance that an official cable from Apple breaks within a year and a half? High.

• 

  maplesyrup on 18/10/2013 - 18:23

  +3

  Bought 1 cable - died in a week. Had it replaced - died in a week :(

  • 

    AFA on 18/10/2013 - 18:47

    +2

    what do you guys expect for the absolute cheapest cables available?

• 

  Blugok on 18/10/2013 - 18:54

  What about this guy's experience?
  http://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/119440

  • 

    Store Repbrentsbits @ Brents Bits on 18/10/2013 - 19:26

    +1

    I've commented, clarifying things and honestly repeating a lot of what I said above.

    All my listings are clear and have everything spelled out in them as clear as I can be. As I said a couple of times in that thread, if you have any reasonable suggestions as to how I could be clearer, so there are less misunderstandings, I would be happy to implement them.

    Most people's issues are with the fact that they don't think that the terms apply to them, or that they are somehow an exception and then getting angry because I say no. If you read through all of my listings, you will know with pretty much unfailing accuracy what I will say yes and no to.

• 

  BuyNow Think Later on 18/10/2013 - 19:04

  +1

  Buyers beware! I bought a Brentsbits pure copper core micro USB cable which only can charge but not sync my devices. It's not worth to waste my postage/time to send it back and get another one of the same. Do I keep sending it back for a poor quality product? I since bought a few of the Tikbro pure copper core micro USB cables which can all charge and sync my devices without any issues. If you want pure copper core micro USB cables, get the Tikbro ones.

  • 

    Store Repbrentsbits @ Brents Bits on 18/10/2013 - 19:24

    +1

    OK, so you receive one faulty product. That's bad, all will agree. I suggest you return it and I will replace it because you assume that all my cables are bad, rather than you receiving a faulty one.

    You then go on to suggest because you had one faulty micro USB cable, out of the thousands that I have sold, that the sample of one you have seen suggests that every single one is bad and therefore not genuine? You do realise that a sample of one isn't actually a sample, it's just a single instance right?

    Also, I offer a replacement, you choose not to take it and that's MY fault? Exactly how does that work? Love you to explain it to me.

• 

  BuyNow Think Later on 18/10/2013 - 19:14

  Strange, a few people have received poor quality cables but there haven't been any neg on this deal yet.

  • 

    Store Repbrentsbits @ Brents Bits on 18/10/2013 - 19:29

    Why would they neg this deal? The prices are cheap. Positives and Negatives are based upon the merits of the deal, not the past experiences of a few people out of thousands of customers.

• 

  andyken on 18/10/2013 - 19:46

  +2

  So just wondering did the lighting cable work with ios7? Can it sync or only be able to charge?

  • 

    Store Repbrentsbits @ Brents Bits on 18/10/2013 - 20:03

    -1

    These new ones that are being offered in this deal? Yes, they should do both. I don't own an iPhone 5S with iOS7 on it but I confirmed with the manufacturer that they do. If you would like to test it in your car with a car charger before purchase, and you are coming to pick them up, then I would be happy to let you test one prior to purchase.

• 

  theora on 18/10/2013 - 21:38

  +2

  Bought quite a few things from Brentsbits and have only had one problem with any of it. Had a cable fail but seeing I think the price I paid was $3 for 5 cables, didn't bother even making a complaint because the other 4 worked fine and for that price really, what can you expect. It would have cost me more to send it back than it cost to buy would have cost Brentsbits more in postage to send me a replacement than the cable was worth in the first place. Certainly no complaints from me and I'll be taking advantage of this sale as well.

• 

  greenie4242 on 18/10/2013 - 23:17

  +4

  This is no comment on Brent himself, but the 'copper conductor' USB cables I bought last time are rubbish. I know he did a lot of research and genuinely believed they were better than standard cables, but they are simply too thin to be of any use.

  I just tested again with a multimeter - Original Samsung cable charges a Galaxy S3 at 1 amp. 'Junk' cheapie USB cable I bought from eBay (with thicker wires but very loose connectors) charges around 680mA. Brentbits 'copper conductor' USB cables - I purchased four - two don't work at all, and the other two won't supply more than 300mA. The phone discharges quicker than it charges, so while the phone may say 'charging' it'll still go flat if you try to use it at the same time. Same with my ZTE tablet, most I get get out of Brentsbits cables is about 300mA. Other cheapy cables provide between 500-580mA, and stock charger supplies more than 1 amp if used with a good cable. If only one cable was faulty I'd understand, but all four? Two of the cables don't even seem to seat properly at the micro-USB end.

  I would have returned them but I was stuck in hospital when they arrived and it took me ages to test them properly. As Brent has explained, postage to return them for a refund or exchage would probably cost the same as my initial purchase, so I just binned them. They're no use for anything.

  I got sick of USB charger cable roulette and ended up just buying a whole bunch of USB connectors and soldering my own charging cables, now I have two or three metre long thick power wire that can easily handle FIVE amps, and can charge anything.

  • 

    Store Repbrentsbits @ Brents Bits on 19/10/2013 - 01:47

    Was that from the first lot of micro USB cables I sold? Those ones were junk and I didn't find out till after the fact.

    If they were the copper wire ones, which length were they? Some of the longer ones didn't perform as well as the 1m ones.

    Doing your own cables, now that's a good idea :-)

  • 

    BuyNow Think Later on 19/10/2013 - 07:59

    Greenie4242, you may try the Tikbro micro USB cables with 1M, 2M or 3M in length. I find all of them I bought can charge and sync my devices. I don't have a multimeter to test mine. May be you could test them if you happen to buy them. The seller put them on special prices from time to time here.

• 

  ZRXS12 on 19/10/2013 - 00:36

  +1

  At the end of the day your selling junk and it seems your not even doing any compatibility checks.
  Just relying on the manufacturers word.
  You're dealing with dodgy manufacturers who will say anything to make that sale in a country that is quite like the wild west. Fortunately Australia is not like that and if you don't pull your finger out hopefully you'll be managed out of your business.

  • 

    Store Repbrentsbits @ Brents Bits on 19/10/2013 - 01:51

    Wow, go get em champ. You tell me how I run my business. Tell me again which suppliers I deal with and how they deal with me. You've obviously been privy to all my communications.

• 

  llama on 19/10/2013 - 00:48

  +1

  I will accept it but only if you pay the Paypal fees as well, which amounts to an additional 5%. You might think that's a bit much when you look at the Paypal fees schedule and it reads 2.9% and you'd be right except that I am on an unpublished Paypal fees schedule and 5% is what I get charged, I'll soak up the per transaction cost.

  Unfortunately, you've lost me as a client now

  I can handle the poor quality items, dreadful packaging and undercharged postage (eg: 10mm thick items sent as a 60c letter)…

  … but lying is where I draw the line.

  • 

    johnno07 on 19/10/2013 - 19:12

    +1

    Hahaha you would prefer to pay $6.95 to have your $1 cable sent as a parcel? What a joke of a complaint.

    Letters are up to 20mm btw.

    • 

      ZRXS12 on 19/10/2013 - 23:03

      -1

      Letters are upto 20mm and they are for LETTERS not anything else.

      Just saying.

      • 

        johnno07 on 21/10/2013 - 19:17

        +1

        Refer to my comment above.

        …you would prefer to pay $6.95 to have your $1 cable sent as a parcel? What a joke of a complaint.

      • 

        ZRXS12 on 21/10/2013 - 20:51

        -1

        Kind of irrelevant.
        If the Rep is willimg to violate the terms of Australia Posts letter service then he can hardly blame them for any losses or hold it against the customer just because he used a service for something other than that for which it was intended.

        I'm assuming the Rep advertises free postage for most things?
        If he does, well it is free..

      • 

        johnno07 on 22/10/2013 - 09:45

        +3

        Kind of irrelevant.

        Not "kind of irrelevant". The simple fact is - the only way an online business can viably sell items that are this cheap, is to send them as a letter. Unless you offer pickup - there is no other way to do this. If you send it as a parcel, the cheapest rate is $6.95. 500-600% the price of many of the items being sold on Brentsbits. Can you imagine the complaints if Brent was selling these items for $8 instead of $1?

        If the Rep is willimg to violate the terms of Australia Posts letter service then he can hardly blame them for any losses or hold it against the customer just because he used a service for something other than that for which it was intended.

        Do you think that sending something as a "letter", that's not really a letter, all of a sudden makes it more likely to be lost? What difference does it make if it's a cable is inside the envelope instead of a singing Christmas card? Do you think they look at the outside of the envelope and say, "hmmm - pretty sure this bastard is violating our terms - lets bin all his stuff!"? If Aus Post loses a "letter" that contains a letter - it's their fault. If Aus Post loses a "letter" that contains a USB adapter - guess what? It's still their fault. Besides, Brent stated above that the loss rate by Aus Post is about 2% - he didn't say anything further about it than that.

        I'm assuming the Rep advertises free postage for most things?
        If he does, well it is free..

        SMH. You are new to this online thing aren't you? Do you think that advertising "FREE POSTAGE!" on your website automatically makes the world's postal systems bow down to you and offer to render their services at no cost? "Free postage" means it's included within the cost of the item. In this case, a $1.34 cable includes $0.60 for postage.

        Furthermore, Australia Post's definition of a letter is:

        To be considered a letter, your item must:

        • weigh less than 500g
        • contain flexible items**
        • have a rectangular shape
        • be no larger than a B4 envelope (260mm x 360mm x 20mm)
        • be no thicker than 20mm

        ** Letters should not contain stiff objects such as bottle tops, pens, items enclosed in a hard case, and so on. High-speed letter sorting equipment could damage such objects, or the objects could damage other articles.

        And before you say anything - the "rectangular shape" refers to the shape of the envelope itself. As if Australia Post would stop you from sending a card that was round/triangular etc.

        Nothing in the official definition of a "letter" on the Aus Post website prevents a small USB cable/adapter/whatever from being sent as a letter."

      • 

        ZRXS12 on 22/10/2013 - 10:49

        -1

        You would need to look through their terms and conditions, not just a quick note on their website.
        But hey you're the expert.

      • 

        ZRXS12 on 22/10/2013 - 11:03

        -1

        Of course there is a postage cost to the retailer but that's Brents problem no one elses as long as he advertises FREE postage it is FREE to the customer.

      • 

        Store Repbrentsbits @ Brents Bits on 22/10/2013 - 11:06

        +1

        I'm not sure what difference that makes to anything?

        The reason postage is offered as free rather than an item cost + postage is that eBay had a minimum price of $1 so there's no way to do it mostly.

        Also, part of eBay's search algorithm is based on whether postage is free. If it's free, you are higher on search results.

      • 

        johnno07 on 22/10/2013 - 18:17

        You would need to look through their terms and conditions, not just a quick note on their website.

        No I do not need to look through their terms and conditions. Australia Post definition of a letter is clearly stated here: http://auspost.com.au/parcels-mail/domestic-letters.html

        But hey you're the expert.

        Wouldn't go that far. But I've had a craptonne of experience with Australia Post and actually prefer to research facts before using my mouth like a Niagara Falls of false information.

        Of course there is a postage cost to the retailer but that's Brents problem no one elses as long as he advertises FREE postage it is FREE to the customer.

        It is of no consequence how much Brent's postage costs are. The price of the item is the price of the item. If it's $1.34 with free postage - it costs you $1.34. If it's $0.74 with $0.60 postage, it costs you $1.34.

        The number of times I have literally hit my face with my palm is astounding. I don't even think you know what you're arguing about anymore.

      • 

        Ughhh on 23/10/2013 - 11:51

        +1

        I've had return a faulty lexar usb to US once and the post office lady said I could just send it as a letter as that was the cheapest option.

  • 

    Store Repbrentsbits @ Brents Bits on 20/10/2013 - 19:32

    -2

    No idea why my comment was deleted but it comes down to this. You call me a liar about this. Can you prove it? Because I can prove I'm not. If like an apology please.

• 

  T1OOO on 19/10/2013 - 01:09

  +1

  Bought 5 3 months ago. All died with in 2 months.

  I ended up caughing up $25 for a real one.

  I'd recommend oz bargainers ignore this. It's not right what apple do charging so much. [sentence removed] Woollies sell em for $6.99 bought one too as I can return it if I need to and its cheap for a back up. Not as good as the legit though but decent.

  Edited - Mod: Removed personal attack

  • • 

      Pigey on 19/10/2013 - 02:46

      +2

      Acceptable quality takes into account what would normally be expected for the type of product and cost.

      http://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/consumer-rights-guarantees/…

      A cable is expected to last more than 14 days. Consumer law should protect me here.

      I brought up this issue a few months ago, but didn't want to take it further as it was not worth my time. I left positive feedback on eBay as soon as the package arrived, which I'm sure most people do.

      http://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/110574

      • 

        Store Repbrentsbits @ Brents Bits on 19/10/2013 - 05:50

        -2

        Exactly, I would also expect it to last longer than 14 days, it's why I replace them if they break before then. You might also want to refer to:

        http://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/businesses/fair-trading/guara…

        As this provides a much more detailed explanation of the various bits and pieces assosciated with the concept of acceptable quality.

        Don't get me wrong, I aim to have my cables last longer than 14 days, much longer. I have found that if cables last past that time then they will last a good while longer but if they are going to fail early they will fail within that time period. That's why I have a 14 day warranty, not because I assume they will all fail on day 15.

      • 

        Pigey on 22/10/2013 - 03:29

        I bought your cables to be used as spare to be used as backup at work, used them perhaps once a week.

        I used one cable maybe once or twice and I was extremely careful when removing them each time. It died about 4 or 5 uses later.

        At the end of the day it's probably my fault and should 'stress test' the cables when I get them.

• 

  pmupsinep on 19/10/2013 - 09:52

  +5

  Step back for a second here..we have a super arrogant seller who admits he forgets to fulfill orders, that his business isn't a priority for him, palms off customer grievances as them not reading bs "terms and conditions", abuses customers or people on here who question him or provide childish and unprofessional replies, and then most important thing - sells absolute worthless junk that has a life expectancy measured in days.

  The only reason he could possibly survived this long is because of Ozbargain and exploiting everyone here looking for a good deal.

  • 

    Store Repbrentsbits @ Brents Bits on 20/10/2013 - 20:07

    -3

    OK, so apart from the fact that the majority of times you post anywhere on Ozbargain it's to denigrate people, offers and be generally negative (I did a profile stalk and had a look at a small random sample of your copious 2600 comments), let's take your issues point by point.

    I do have a couple of initial question though. Are you now or have you ever been a customer of mine? What did you buy? did you have a problem with it? Did you send it back for replacement?

    If you haven't bought from me before then some of your commentary is barely relevant at best. However, here's my point by point:

    "we have a super arrogant seller" - some people mistake forthrightness and honesty as arrogance. The same way that politeness and manners are often mistaken for flirting in this day and age

    "who admits he forgets to fulfill orders" - do you prefer a seller who seems perfect because he lies, or one who admits he's human and owns up to his mistakes honestly? I would have thought the latter

    "that his business isn't a priority for him" - that's not what I said at all, that's just the inference you took from it. I said that I had things happen which made me busier than usual and guess what, sometimes those things are more important than business. My exams are one of those things, now given that I can generally plan ahead for those I have taken to putting my eBay store on holiday so that people don't get messed around. The unexpected things happen. I don't expect any sympathy but between this, uni and other commitments, I work 18 hours a day. Solid. So yes, sometimes things happen. I own up to it and try and make it right when I can.

    "palms off customer grievances as them not reading bs "terms and conditions"" - again, you misrepresent what was both said and meant for your own purposes. I don't palm off every complaint or issue. I resolve most of them. What I did say and mean was that most of the negative feedback on eBay is because people purchased from me, agreeing to those terms and then kicked up a stink when the terms didn't suit them any more. I don't know how much clearer I can be other than to say in large, bold letters at the bottom saying that if the terms aren't satisfactory then please go buy from someone else. Is that somehow unclear? So to summarise, not all issues arise from T&C disputes, most are resolved. The ones that aren't usually result in negative feedback. There is a much smaller proportion of negative feedback that is a result of something I did and I own that.

    "abuses customers or people on here who question him" - I don't think I've been abusive, except when personally attacked and even then have been pretty low key about it. I typically will respond to someone in the tone and spirit with which they have addressed me. The longer a conversation goes on though, the more likely I will be dragged down to their level. George Carlin has a great quote about that. Again, I do my best, I'm human but try and let my better angels rule me.

    "childish" - Proof please

    "unprofessional replies" - people usually accuse someone of being unprofessional when they don't get what they want.

    "sells absolute worthless junk" - again, your proof please. Even the most cursory examination would show that 98% of people are happy with their purchases from me. Are they stupid? Have they given me positive feedback when all I've done is rip them off? Of course not, they've been happy and responded appropriately, which gives the strong indication that what I am selling is neither worthless or junk.

    "has a life expectancy measured in days" - again, you are warping the context of what is said to support your own specious argument.

    "The only reason he could possibly survived this long is because of Ozbargain and exploiting everyone here looking for a good deal" - you need to be a little more intellectually rigorous in making blanket assertions and statements, there's plenty of reasons I could have survived here. Maybe I'm just lucky. I think it's more likely that out of the thousands of orders I have processed from OzBargain that most are happy with their purchase and the very vocal minority are the ones upon which you are basing all your assertions and claims.

    Seriously, I would have taken your post a lot more seriously if I hadn't gone to have a look and realise that you are basically posting negatively the majority of the time (again, based on my small random sample that I looked at) and in none of them did you give a + to a deal.

    Try being a bit more positive. No compromises or solutions ever come out of vitriol.

    • 

      pmupsinep on 20/10/2013 - 20:59

      +1

      I'm not going to bother reading your entire post of waffle, but I find it funny how you have time to profile stalk people, nit pick posts and try and attack people, but don't have time to run your business? I'm sure the people who have had their orders forgotten or have received poor customer service would be impressed.

      P.S. Do you think someone with the name pmupsinep is actually worried what anyone thinks of them, especially a failing business owner?

      • 

        Store Repbrentsbits @ Brents Bits on 21/10/2013 - 08:01

        -1

        If you aren't going to bother reading it, why bother even responding? It just means your response is irrelevant to the discussion at hand.

        I would also, for a laugh, love to hear what has lead you to believe my business is failing.

      • 

        pmupsinep on 21/10/2013 - 08:28

        -1

        Still focusing on me? Wow. And how many times will you edit your comment? Why not focus on the disgraceful amount of negative feedback on Ebay that you have? Even hacked accounts wouldn't look so bad, it's the worst I have ever seen. Doesn't surprise me one bit though.

      • 

        Store Repbrentsbits @ Brents Bits on 21/10/2013 - 09:18

        -1

        Aha. I am a little slow on the uptake. You are just trolling for fun. Got it. No more feeding the troll. Back to your tiny life there fella.

    • 

      Pigey on 22/10/2013 - 03:31

      +1

      You can't retract positive feedback.
      I leave feedback within a few days of the items arriving.
      I'm sure most of your customers do the same.

      I would retract it and leave a neutral if I could.

      • 

        CyberGenesys on 22/10/2013 - 09:22

        Maybe you should (as I do) forget to leave feedback for a month or two after it arrives.

• 

  C-Nut on 19/10/2013 - 10:54

  +2

  Personally, I think we're being a little harsh on Brent. He's been quite open about his products and the way he conducts his business. He seems to be only defending himself. I've bought a few bits and pieces from him through Ozbargain-published deals and haven't personally had problems with any of them. That being said, buying a $1-$2 cable, I'm not expecting that it is going to be a quality product. If it breaks, I'll go buy another one. If this becomes a repeated incident (products keep breaking) - from Brent or any other retailer - I'll stop buying from them and leave appropriate feedback.

  • 

    Store Repbrentsbits @ Brents Bits on 20/10/2013 - 20:08

    Thank you

• 

  johnno07 on 19/10/2013 - 19:10

  +2

  Give it a rest, people. If you don't want to deal with the potential grievances of buying an EXTREMELY BUDGET item - don't buy it! Go buy a branded equivalent for 10, 20 or 30 times the price and revel in your incredible luxury.

  • 

    andyken on 19/10/2013 - 19:34

    +1

    I agree with you, you get what you pay for, Brent selling the cable quite cheap, you know it is not real APPLE PRODUCT which will cost you 30 times that Brent sell. Thanks rep for your honesty

    • 

      Store Repbrentsbits @ Brents Bits on 20/10/2013 - 20:09

      You are most welcome, I do my best

      • 

        Store Repbrentsbits @ Brents Bits on 21/10/2013 - 08:03

        -2

        How on earth does this comment get negged. Someone is obviously just trolling through this post and negging anything and everything I say.

  • 

    Store Repbrentsbits @ Brents Bits on 20/10/2013 - 20:09

    People also seem to forget to take into account that it's not a $1.34 cable. After fees and postage and whatever it's about $0.60 cable :-)

• 

  heathwithnoteeth on 19/10/2013 - 21:56

  +2

  no problems here from a happy customer…. but haters gonna hate.

  • 

    Store Repbrentsbits @ Brents Bits on 20/10/2013 - 20:08

    They will do indeed. They tend to be very vocal here too :-)

    • 

      Click_It on 20/10/2013 - 23:34

      +1

      I'll probably buy some tomorrow. I've had mostly good experience with Brent's cables, all the ones purchased through Ozbargain still work great. I did buy some from his eBay page once and those were sketchy, it was as though they were completely different stock but I'll give him benefit of the doubt.

      Brent, I'm on my phone so I haven't had a chance to read through everything, are these new cables thicker and higher quality than previous ones? (ie faster charge times)

      • 

        Store Repbrentsbits @ Brents Bits on 21/10/2013 - 08:02

        They are definitely the same stock :-) Just so you know.

      • 

        alwayslooking on 21/10/2013 - 20:41

        So, will you be replying to my email?

      • 

        Store Repbrentsbits @ Brents Bits on 21/10/2013 - 21:13

        -1

        I have answered all emails about this deal that I can see, gone through the spam folders etc. Can you send me a PM here with your name and I'll do a search and follow up with you.

      • 

        alwayslooking on 21/10/2013 - 21:24

        Ok, so I have sent you a PM, several emails and messages on here. My order # is 279.

• 

  heathwithnoteeth on 22/10/2013 - 11:05

  +2

  this should be locked… no good can come of this constant bickering

• 

  tonester on 22/10/2013 - 17:47

  Attention: @brentbits says that his products should last 1-6mths, with cables being 1-3mths

  so if you buy expecting one to last for >1mth but it stops working after <1mth, then it's unfit for purpose and being not easily fixed is deemed a major failure such that you are entitled to a refund according to australian consumer law

  however, @brentbits believes incorrectly in this case that he - not you - has the right to choose if you receive a refund or replacement

  to help enforce this, besides reporting to the accc or complaining to cav, lodge a paypal/ebay dispute within 45days of your purchase or chargeback with your credit card provider

• 

  bragains on 09/11/2013 - 04:44

  Bought 2, one DoA. Requested to send back DoA cable, postage costs more than cable itself. Leaving comments and negative feedback due to asinine approach taken by seller (Brent).