Your opinion of on-line shopping
 

I am in the mood for a new sewing machine...I don't really need one, but husband is encouraging me to go for it. Whether I do or not is still up in the air.

What I want to know is the the places you have loved dealing with, and also, the ones you had trouble with. If you prefer to send me a pm with the names of the places you did not like dealing with and why, that is fine. I may be slow in responding, but sure will appreciate the feedback.

I have heard several mention a place in the south negatively, and always wonder which one that is. I had an experience in getting my first Juki that you would not believe. Fed Ex first delivered it to the wrong address. When they went back to get it, the people at that house said it had been stolen from their front porch. I always found that hard to believe, but too long to go into detail.

So ended up calling the dealer and they sent out a new machine. This time they sent the wrong machine...I just happened to catch it before I opened it and before the UPS guy left. So returned it and they sent out the right one. I don't know if sending the wrong one was on purpose, or not. But have always wondered if this place is the one that everyone complains of.

I have only had one good experience from on-line shopping and that is when I've purchased from MSQC. Received my order when I believed it would arrive. Aside from them all other experiences have been horrible. I try to shop local enough that I don't mind a little drive. Do I need it that bad? is what I ask myself.

IMHO I would only shop for a new sewing machine locally.
1 ~ you always will be able to deal with a person (s)
2 ~ if you need help they are there for hands on

I would 'interview' local dealers, to see which one melds well with me.

For fabric, notions, thread, batting, etc, I love shopping on line but I know what brands I like and I usually end up going to the same vendors. Bobbin Central for thread, Hancocks of Paducah, thousands of bolts, Fabric depot for fabric. Notions I shop around sometimes to consolodate to save on shipping, sometimes I am looking for very specific items that only a few vendors carry. So far all of my online shopping experiences have been good and I have no nightmare tales to tell.

But for a sewing machine, nope, I want to test drive like a car. I want a dealer nearby I can go to for servicing and trouble shooting etc. I wouldn't by a car on line, nor would I buy a sewing machine nor any other high ticket item. I want the support of a brick and morter shop should anything go wrong.

The only machines I have purchased on line were Vintage and a Singer anniversary machine.

I have an older computer running Windows XP which limits me to IE8, I could NOT shop on Crafty (require IE9 or higher) and could NOT enter my CC info on Fabric .com. Since I end up doing lots of scrappy charity quilts, I prefer the options of buying a 1/4 or 1/8 of a yard. That is why Fabric Shack is my favorite. I also have had excellent service from Hancock's of Paducah. There catalogue always inspires me! Both have discount shipping charges TOO!!

Agree with what Grammy wrote. The best way is to meet local dealerships at quilt shows. That is how I ended up buying both of my Bernina. They open boxes with NEW sewing machines and you can find a good bargain since they want to them so they don't have to pack them up at the end of the show. You do need someone locally to show you the ropes and especially if you have any problems.

personally- I shop on line a lot --- for fabrics, supplies---- I would not ever purchase a machine on line- I want local service, I want to check out my machine- test drive it, have the free 'new owners classes' and somewhere to go if I have a problem.

Try using Firefox for your browser for shopping Craftsy. I haven't bought anything physical from them but was able to sign on and watch some of the free classes they offer that way.
I hope this helps,
Rodney

I got my Brother sewing Embroidery machine for Amazon through Kens sewing and Vac they have been very helpful and no problems that they didn't fix that was almost 4 years ago

I have purchased online quite a bit. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a sewing machine from Amazon *provided* it is sold by and shipped from Amazon. Amazon is very good about returns. If I bought a sewing machine that way, I would be sure to take it out of the box immediately and try out all of the features to make sure everything works before the window for returns closes.