+groundtrooper Posted November 24, 2020 Share Posted November 24, 2020 5 minutes ago, Shawn said: I can confirm he's no longer taking PayPal. I told him I would be making payment with PP but he didn't bother to tell me he wouldn't take PayPal but now wanted GPay until I was ready to make payment. Sadly, I will no longer be ordering from Best. Had many good dealings with him over the years but he's just too much of a headache to deal with and now with PP payments no longer an option It's just not worth it anymore for me personally. That's so crazy about his PP choice. I guess if I am gonna do my order that I have been planning I gotta figure out GooglePay. ugh. Nothing like making your customers jump through flaming rings that are placed on top of a shark tank. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+x=usr(1536) Posted November 24, 2020 Share Posted November 24, 2020 Experience over the years with Best has taught me a couple of things: Consider the website to be their catalogue, and place your order over the phone like people did for decades before online ordering existed Know what you want to buy in advance (like doing mail-order from a catalogue by phone) as well as your customer number Yes, the website is disorganised. Best bet is to search it using Google's site: operator. No customer number? Let Brad know that when you call in. I've experienced similar frustrations as many in this thread have when trying to do a purely online purchase through them. That's not going to change. Once I just accepted it and entered a deep Zen state with how they best handle ordering, buying from them became much easier. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGHMW Posted November 24, 2020 Share Posted November 24, 2020 I forgot Best's phone number as I wanted to order a pair of modded CX24 7800 sticks and a modded CX52 5200 stick as well, as well as ask if they still took cores so I could trade them in in order to get a discount on my order, the cores would then be turned into new stock with the improved circuits put in them like the ones I would be buying off of him, it was how he used to do things, and it helped him replenish stock, otherwise you paid more to buy the controllers outright if you didn't have cores to trade in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ApolloBoy Posted November 24, 2020 Share Posted November 24, 2020 I just placed an order with Brad this morning, went just fine. Google Pay isn’t too difficult to figure out so it wasn’t all that different than using PayPal tbh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Posted November 24, 2020 Share Posted November 24, 2020 31 minutes ago, ApolloBoy said: I just placed an order with Brad this morning, went just fine. Google Pay isn’t too difficult to figure out so it wasn’t all that different than using PayPal tbh. It's not just the payment part. The guy has continued to get more and more "unique" to communicate with over the years. Myself I've just reached the point where I'm not interested in dealing with all that just for some parts. I'm happy others are still able to successfully purchase what they want from him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+MrZarniwoop Posted November 24, 2020 Share Posted November 24, 2020 I love his pricing, variety, and even service when an issue arises. I have found it easiest to send him an email for orders, in the exact format he's requested on his website. I send in the morning, and usually late in the evening he says the order is filled and then it arrives a few days later. In 2020, that also means no more than three items to an order, and not too frequently to give him a couple weeks after making an order to let him handle his accounting before placing a second order. Once I realized that's how he works right now, all friction disappeared. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ApolloBoy Posted November 24, 2020 Share Posted November 24, 2020 45 minutes ago, Shawn said: The guy has continued to get more and more "unique" to communicate with over the years. Can't disagree with you there, I found that these days you have to be *very* specific about what items you want (i.e. Atari part number and all) and he also wants you to paste the entire order breakdown in the comment when you make a payment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Posted November 24, 2020 Share Posted November 24, 2020 12 minutes ago, ApolloBoy said: Can't disagree with you there, I found that these days you have to be *very* specific about what items you want (i.e. Atari part number and all) and he also wants you to paste the entire order breakdown in the comment when you make a payment. Talking in the third person and multiple personality disorder like banter involving his communications when he "has to talk" or "has talked" with "the shipping department", "the inventory department" and so on when it's all really just him alone is a little too much for me. I called him out on it a while back which caused him to admit such but he also included the rebuttal that sometimes his son does help him out. Doesn't change the fact that it was him and him alone on 99 percent of our interactions and he's just being a weirdo trying to make himself sound like he's running a company with multiple employees. Why would anyone care if it's just him or a fleet of people? It's important enough to him to keep that game going though. Perhaps it makes him feel more important or accomplished. I dunno and don't care. I was there to buy stuff not play along with his fantasy. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Stephen Posted November 24, 2020 Share Posted November 24, 2020 It's like those one person companies that pretend to have a CIO, CEO, President, head of HR, etc. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_q_atari Posted December 10, 2020 Share Posted December 10, 2020 Just placed my order over the phone. He was pleasant to talk to. He mentioned the 3 item order limit, regaled me with how busy things were and how the ordering department was very busy and working 7 days a week, and advised I place a new order in January for any additional items I might want. So in other words, his usual self. ? Ordering is always easy over the phone with a credit card, and I am sure that is his preferred way of doing business. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simbalion Posted December 10, 2020 Share Posted December 10, 2020 Last time I ordered from Best was the NOS keyboard for my second Atari 800 I was given years back. I think he still took money order when I did that a few or so years ago, which was fine by me. Good to hear he's still going as he has been a lifeline for us with the 5200, especially the controllers! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inthe80s Posted December 11, 2020 Share Posted December 11, 2020 Placed an order over the phone, was very cool to talk to...got my order fast. It's just old school, I got no problem with that. Just know what you want, pay with a card. Fast shipping and great packaging as always. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruggers Customs Posted December 11, 2020 Share Posted December 11, 2020 Hello all! I've been ordering from Bradley off and on for a few years. He always responds to emails on prices and stock inquires. Every transaction has been just like any other from any vendor I've ever done business with. Never been an issue and I always get exactly what I ordered, no mistakes. However, I've never paid with Paypal through him but just by CC via email. I don't know him personally but business wise, he's always been a stand up guy with me. I wouldn't read too much into him not answering emails. I doubt it's anything personal, sometimes they can just slip by. I know, it occasionally happens to me from time to time. If you send emails and for some reason you don't get a response, call him. Someone will pick up the phone there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_q_atari Posted December 11, 2020 Share Posted December 11, 2020 10 hours ago, inthe80s said: Placed an order over the phone, was very cool to talk to...got my order fast. It's just old school, I got no problem with that. Just know what you want, pay with a card. Fast shipping and great packaging as always. Pretty much. I live close by and received my order the next day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laner Posted March 3, 2021 Share Posted March 3, 2021 Did anyone figure out what his public facing eBay account name is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+slx Posted March 3, 2021 Share Posted March 3, 2021 1 hour ago, Laner said: Did anyone figure out what his public facing eBay account name is? Given the disdain his website shows for EBay, I doubt he's trading there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laner Posted March 3, 2021 Share Posted March 3, 2021 (edited) I don't necessarily disagree with your observation, but he claims to have 12K+ positive transactions: Edited March 3, 2021 by Laner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+x=usr(1536) Posted March 3, 2021 Share Posted March 3, 2021 1 hour ago, Laner said: Did anyone figure out what his public facing eBay account name is? There's nothing to figure out - it's 'myatari'. He's had that account for probably 20 years if not longer. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Sauron Posted March 3, 2021 Share Posted March 3, 2021 6 minutes ago, x=usr(1536) said: There's nothing to figure out - it's 'myatari'. He's had that account for probably 20 years if not longer. I thought "myatari" was B&C? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariBrian Posted March 3, 2021 Share Posted March 3, 2021 11 minutes ago, x=usr(1536) said: There's nothing to figure out - it's 'myatari'. He's had that account for probably 20 years if not longer. Foot in mouth?? That is B & C ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+x=usr(1536) Posted March 3, 2021 Share Posted March 3, 2021 (edited) 6 minutes ago, Sauron said: I thought "myatari" was B&C? Nope, you're right and I was completely wrong about that Just now, AtariBrian said: Foot in mouth?? That is B & C ? Pretty much Edited March 3, 2021 by x=usr(1536) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeoNZJ_Slayer Posted March 6, 2021 Share Posted March 6, 2021 Best Electronics is still in business. Recently purchased some stuff. So did many others on here. It is not the fault of the owner that his replies end up in a spam folder. I sometimes find important emails in there also. I keep a separate email address just for business dealings and watch what "free" services you sign up for. I know Yahoo Mail has got real bad. The owner has been doing this since the Tramiels liquidated many of Atari's assets during the 90s. He also does not respond to people that gave him problems in the past. Few tried to rip him off. He keeps a "Do not sell to list". Few have been messing around using different PayPal and different email accounts. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariBrian Posted March 6, 2021 Share Posted March 6, 2021 57 minutes ago, NeoNZJ_Slayer said: Best Electronics is still in business. Recently purchased some stuff. So did many others on here. It is not the fault of the owner that his replies end up in a spam folder. I sometimes find important emails in there also. I keep a separate email address just for business dealings and watch what "free" services you sign up for. I know Yahoo Mail has got real bad. The owner has been doing this since the Tramiels liquidated many of Atari's assets during the 90s. He also does not respond to people that gave him problems in the past. Few tried to rip him off. He keeps a "Do not sell to list". Few have been messing around using different PayPal and different email accounts. Who tried to rip him off and how?? Who was using different paypal and email accounts?? Do you have some insider information or something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+x=usr(1536) Posted March 6, 2021 Share Posted March 6, 2021 24 minutes ago, AtariBrian said: Who tried to rip him off and how?? Who was using different paypal and email accounts?? Do you have some insider information or something? One of the main things he keeps an eye out for are people attempting to circumvent his one-POKEY-per-customer policy, or their prior addition to his 'do not sell to' list. The former is one quick way to get added to the latter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trellot Posted March 6, 2021 Share Posted March 6, 2021 1 hour ago, x=usr(1536) said: One of the main things he keeps an eye out for are people attempting to circumvent his one-POKEY-per-customer policy, or their prior addition to his 'do not sell to' list. The former is one quick way to get added to the latter. I believe I made Brad's Lists that you mentioned as a result of, and I can only imagine this being the case, inquiring about the availability of goods for sale but then not making the purchase. I didn't make the purchase simply due to his claim that he was stupendously busy and had too many orders to ship until the end of the month, or some such detail. I needed them in a week for a birthday so I didn't order. Anyway, after that, all my subsequent e-mail purchase attempts with Best went unanswered; nothing in my SPAM folders. Once I figured out what I thought was going on, and not being one to marinate in frustration, I just gave him a quick call and he took my order....although the stuff did take one month to arrive, which I found entirely suspicious considering his relatively quick shipping methods and the fact that he only lives a couple hours + a few stone throws away from me 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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