27 replies to this topic

[Alfond]

Anyone have any experience with this company.  They seem like an excellent resource, but their webpage design makes it hard to take them as a serious company.

[nofrills100]

Their website is the sole reason I have never bought anything from them. I give up looking for anything within a minute of getting on their site.

[CPUWIZ]

Alfond, on Sat Jun 23, 2012 4:32 PM, said:

Anyone have any experience with this company.  They seem like an excellent resource, but their webpage design makes it hard to take them as a serious company.

Use the search function, this question gets asked all the time and there are many many answers.

[jaybird3rd]

Don't let the website stop you; they're an excellent supplier, with probably the most exhaustive collection of Atari merchandise and replacement parts on the market today.  They're very busy at the moment (I just placed an order with them myself), but all you have to do is e-mail them with a list of items you're interested in, and they usually get back to you quickly with a quote.  They also offer a printed catalog, which includes much more than is listed online.

My attitude about their website is this: it was probably created a very long time ago, in the bad old static HTML, color-and-font-tags, tables-for-layout, "dear-God-don't-make-me-maintain-this-website" days, and updating it at this point would mean a complete rebuild.  Since they're a relatively small company, I'd much rather see them put their resources into developing new products like their gold replacement parts for the CX-40 and CX-52 joysticks.

[Alfond]

CPUWIZ, on Sat Jun 23, 2012 4:40 PM, said:

Use the search function, this question gets asked all the time and there are many many answers.

Sorry, there were no posts on the first two pages under the search results dealing solely with the reputation of Best Electronics.  Didn't feel like going through all 19 pages.

[Scrabbler15]

Alfond, on Sat Jun 23, 2012 4:32 PM, said:

Anyone have any experience with this company.  They seem like an excellent resource, but their webpage design makes it hard to take them as a serious company.

I bought the CX-40 repair kit from them not too long ago.  Their website does make it difficult, though.

[Alfond]

jaybird3rd, on Sat Jun 23, 2012 4:46 PM, said:

Don't let the website stop you; they're an excellent supplier, with probably the most exhaustive collection of Atari merchandise and replacement parts on the market today.  They're very busy at the moment (I just placed an order with them myself), but all you have to do is e-mail them with a list of items you're interested in, and they usually get back to you quickly with a quote.  They also offer a printed catalog, which includes much more than is listed online.

My attitude about their website is this: it was probably created a very long time ago, in the bad old static HTML, tables-for-layout days, and updating it at this point would mean a complete rebuild.  Being a relatively small company, they probably don't have the resources for that, and I'd much rather see them continue to develop new products like their gold replacement parts for the CX-40 and CX-52 joysticks.

Thanks for the info.  Usually poorly designed websites indicate bad companies, but I guess they are the exception to the rule.  I definitely want to get their catalog as it seems to be the ultimate resource on everything Atari related.

[CPUWIZ]

Alfond, on Sat Jun 23, 2012 4:47 PM, said:

CPUWIZ, on Sat Jun 23, 2012 4:40 PM, said:

Use the search function, this question gets asked all the time and there are many many answers.

Sorry, there were no posts on the first two pages under the search results dealing solely with the reputation of Best Electronics.  Didn't feel like going through all 19 pages.

I'll make it short for you, the website blows and the service is great.

[nofrills100]

Alfond, on Sat Jun 23, 2012 4:51 PM, said:

Usually poorly designed websites indicate bad companies, but I guess they are the exception to the rule.

Yes, occasionally there are amazingly good traders hiding behind seriously bad facades. This is a reflection of  their 'old school' philosophy of business, which is not concerned with websites or advertising, but instead on the genuine aspects of trade and a passion in the field that they operate in. There is a similar guy in the Italian classic auto scene, in California, who's advertising looks like an 80's spam for 'as seen on tv' products (he doesn't even have a website), but who infact has a tonne of some amazingly rare stock parts. Everyone gets scared away, but the lucky bastards who delve deeper get rewarded

Edited by nofrills100, Sat Jun 23, 2012 5:08 PM.

[Curious Sofa]

Nothing but positive experience with Best Electronics for me.  Especially, as stated above, their Gold 5200 controllers.
Nothing but positive, that is, except for navigating their website.
But yeah, just look around, find what you want, email them and they'll get back to you with a total, costs, answer any questions, and away you go.

[AtariLeaf]

CPUWIZ, on Sat Jun 23, 2012 4:57 PM, said:

I'll make it short for you, the website blows and the service is great.

That about sums it up. I've made two purchases and both went very well and quickly. Great communication and fast shipping (I'm in Canada too).

HOWEVER, he does seem to have a bit of a "soup nazi" reputation so for your own good, if you order the turkey chili but don't get free bread, just forget it and let it go or no soup for you!

[sqoon]

Best Electronics has always been absolutely top notch to deal with, and their website is not that difficult to maneuver. I have ordered many things from Best, and my only complaint is that they require minimum $20 per order.

[H311bender]

Yes the website is a mess that looks like it was time warped form 1995, but they do have great customer service and and I've never had any problems with them. They also accept Paypal if you order more than $50 if you don't want to use a credit card.

[AtariBrian]

i agree about him kinda being like the soup nazi,  lol thats funny you said that...  NO ATARIS FOR YOU!!!

Edited by AtariBrian, Sat Jun 23, 2012 9:13 PM.

[S1500]

With it being 2012, there are I bet lots of ecommerce solutions that are all practically written for you. Didn't he have offers by people to redo his website for free? If so, he should take the offer up on that.

[high voltage]

Excellent company. I met Brad at the Atari show on 31st July 1994, Novotel in London. He came over to sell some wares. I was into VCS, and he didn't bring any games, mostly ST stuff. Got some Atari plastic bags and a Ms. Pac-Man mobile from him.
Before that I already had the Best Electronics catalogue, which is excellent. Used to order Best VCS protos from him. The next catalogue was the last one, it's huge and well worth getting.

[Atarian7]

Alfond, on Sat Jun 23, 2012 4:32 PM, said:

Anyone have any experience with this company.  They seem like an excellent resource, but their webpage design makes it hard to take them as a serious company.

They get lots of spam so ,like it says on their website, put something like "Atari Sales" in  the subject line of your email.

[J. McDermott]

I've ordered a few items in the past and thought the service was (considering the maze of a website) surprisingly very good. I haven't received the soup nazi treatment but thanks for the heads up!

[godzillajoe]

Ordered lots of stuff from these guys, never an issue.  The website is clunky but I just call and talk to someone and get what I need with no worries.  Highly recommended.

[phuzzed]

I've ordered from them for many years... even back before they had a website.  Excellent service.

[Brian R.]

Their website does stink. But they are extremely knowldgable, have tons of stuff and can be very helpful.

If you can't find what you're looking for on the site, call them.

I recently bought two sets of their CX40 upgrade kits. I got the new PCB boards, inner handles and fire buttons and springs. I rebuilt two controllers with them and they feel excellent.

Some years ago I bought a couple brand new four-toggle wood grain systems, and a NIB junior. That was neat to be able to do.

Unfortunatly the rebuilt 5200 controller I got from them in quick time stopped working.

[AtariBrian]

Brian R., on Thu Jun 28, 2012 8:50 PM, said:

Their website does stink. But they are extremely knowldgable, have tons of stuff and can be very helpful.

If you can't find what you're looking for on the site, call them.

I recently bought two sets of their CX40 upgrade kits. I got the new PCB boards, inner handles and fire buttons and springs. I rebuilt two controllers with them and they feel excellent.

Some years ago I bought a couple brand new four-toggle wood grain systems, and a NIB junior. That was neat to be able to do.

Unfortunatly the rebuilt 5200 controller I got from them in quick time stopped working.

what did the 5200 controller stop doing?

[Brian R.]

Numeric keypad and start-pause-reset buttons no longer work.

I can get the start-pause-reset to work for a short while, but after a few light uses to start games it will stop responding.

I have a controller I pulled out of a car wash trash can that fortunately works better. (I dropped a new mobo in the system I found with the controllers.)

[AtariBrian]

Brian R., on Thu Jun 28, 2012 8:57 PM, said:

Numeric keypad and start-pause-reset buttons no longer work.

I can get the start-pause-reset to work for a short while, but after a few light uses to start games it will stop responding.

I have a controller I pulled out of a car wash trash can that fortunately works better. (I dropped a new mobo in the system I found with the controllers.)

did best put in the gold refurb? or just the updated carbon dots?

[HammR25]

I call them when I want to order something.  I've called them at 2 or 3 in the afternoon and it was shipped the same day.