DataBazaar

Full review
Many products previously sold by specialty merchants are now available through a variety of merchants using the web. Even high ticket items such as cars and jewelry are resold by merchants who buy in bulk and essentially compete against the producing company.

One of the areas most ripe for this type of service is office supplies, especially toner replacement for printers. Consumer advocates warned a decade ago of toner replacement scams where unscrupulous businesspeople arrived with orders that were never replaced. These orders were often substandard or badly refurbished items and gave the entire sub-industry a poor reputation, especially among purchasing agents.

The web changed all that, allowing companies like DataBazaar.com to flourish. An authorized HP reseller, the Florida-based company also sells printer and copier supplies for thirty different manufacturers. My recent order with them went off without a hitch and was handled so well that they are now added to my list of favorites. Of course, I will still buy commodity items based on price, but when that is equal, DataBazaar will likely get my business.

Lots Of Consumer Protection

Upon entering the site, shoppers should immediately notice that this is not a garage business. The entire site, from design to execution, seems to be built on customer assurance. A large BBB Online reliability seal sits far above the fold. Those can be faked, of course, but checking the company through BBB shows a business in operation for seven years with a fine record. I am well acquainted with the BBB program and respect firms that adhere to the strict standards.

Likewise, the privacy policies are well written in easy-to-understand language and offer prominent opt out and other functions. At this writing, the company pledges not to share customer information with anyone. Thinking about the plain language approach to privacy, I am even more impressed with the firm than when I first entered their site. Too many organizations cloak their customer data intentions in ambiguities and qualifiers. DataBazaar is refreshingly forthright in their approach.

The company also belongs to other organizations that track its quality and offers live web chat during east coast business hours.

Remember That Price Includes Shipping

A nice bit of competitive differentiation is the firm’s free shipping policy. Unlike other companies, DataBazaar is willing to gain market share at the risk of profits by subsidizing shipping. They reserve the right to use any carrier for this, including the US Postal Service, but there are no minimums, and the company does a fine job in advising customers on order status.

But are they really giving up profitability or simply a higher profit margin? In comparison shopping, I found that DataBazaar.com filled my toner order for $6 less than HP.com and Staples.com. HP charges for shipping, but Staples does not. The markup at the two better known companies was a substantial percentage.

Having qualified as a reputable business, and then further as a price leader, the only issue remaining was whether DataBazaar.com could execute an order well.

Getting The Stuff

I placed my order on a Saturday afternoon, and it was immediately acknowledged by an automated email that provided all the details, including price and carrier, which in this case, was FedEx.

I received a shipping confirmation on Monday evening that again included all pertinent information and links to other resources, such as package tracking. The order arrived Thursday. Sure, Staples would have delivered by Tuesday assuming the item was in stock, but at a higher overall price.

The automated systems and obvious care in providing customer assurance paid off for DataBazaar because I never questioned their reliability. Companies with good fulfillment practices learn this lesson early. By flooding me with information about each stage of the order, I never had time to doubt the company or wonder about my order’s arrival.

The Bottom Line, Clicks and All

What is not to like? The site is easy to navigate, is customer friendly, offers free shipping and wins on price. Clearly they have found a way to stay in business, presumably profitable, for years so this may be a case of the small merchant beating the big guys at their own game. I am impressed and will return.

Five Things To Remember From This Review

1. DataBazaar.com supports 30 different copier and printer manufacturers.
2. Shipping is free.
3. Live help is available via chat, and there are phone numbers and personal email addresses plastered all over the site.
4. In my small price test, DataBazaar beat the manufacturer and a large supplier.
5. The company’s fulfillment systems are very smooth.

Joubert’s FunLink

The FTC does a spectacular job in educating consumers and businesses. They remain a government agency whose advice I have come to respect and often share. Here is the agency’s take on “toner bandits” and other office supply scams:

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/supplies.htm

© 2003 Joubert