SpecWarfare.com Review

[AnthonyG]

Placed an order with this site last week Monday night. My order consisted of some Flyye gear (FAPC Gen 2, and an assortment of pouches) and a pair of ZTactical Comtac IIs. Prior to ordering I watched enough review videos, and read a few posts on other websites, to feel comfortable ordering through them.

I've been somewhat hesitant to order gear outside of Canada, given the low value of the Canadian Dollar over the last few months, but I've been determined to get a Flyye vest, and no one in Canada carries their full line of products. When I placed my ordered the exchange rate was 0.85 USD = 1 CAD; paypal used a rate of 0.815 = 1 CAD. Fortunately, SpecWarfare's prices are somewhat cheaper than other HK retailers, plus they offer a 15% discount if you "like" their facebook page. This is kind of nice since it balances the effects of the weaker dollar.

Before applying the 15% discount I did a side-by-side cart comparison with ShootercbGear.com and found the cost after shipping to be within a few dollars of each other. Shooter has slightly higher prices, but cheaper shipping, while SpecWarfare is cheaper up-front, but charges more for shipping. I ended up going with the faster shipping method (for about $15 more), given the fact that the last item I ordered from HK took a month to arrive, and I hate waiting. Their website says express shipping takes 3-5 days, excluding customs clearance (for my postal code they actually quote less time, at 3-4 days).


Ordering Progess:

So, my order was placed on January 12th (monday), and I received a shipping confirmation 2 days later on the 14th (wednesday), included a tracking number.

Then almost a week after my shipping confirmation (Tuesday the 20th), I get an email at 11:30pm from sales that says my vest is out of stock, asking if I still want the rest of my order. I respond at 11:35pm, that I only want my order if all items are in stock. I also asked them when they are expecting more stock, and to check my shipping confirmation, since at the very least, someone at their store already created a shipping label for my order.

This morning I woke up to an email that said my order was "In-stock now, [and] will ship asap".

I'm fine with being patient, but I'd really like to know when my order was sent, if it is being sent, or if they're just messing around with me and don't actually have my items in stock. It's unreasonable to assume my shipment would arrive in 3-4 days, but waiting a week to inform your customer an item is out of stock is very poor customer service. At the least I was expecting my order to ship in 8-10 business days.

I'll update this thread if the tracking number they gave me ever starts working. From my understanding Speedpost tracking numbers aren't very reliable or accurate. So far I've been unable to find any other reviews of SpecWarfare on ASC, I'd like to hear about other people's experiences.

[AnthonyG]

So after 2 more emails asking them about the status of my package, no response. I think it's fair to say these guys have poor customer service, as I'm still not confident that all the items I ordered are being shipped to me.

This morning I checked my tracking again and noticed that it finally updated. My package departed Hong Kong at 7:15am local time.

[BioRage]

Usually with HK retailers takes 2-5 business days to process, then another 8-10 days when it departs to arrive in Toronto.

Just my experience with most HK retailers, ideally 3 weeks to get your items here landed. Sometimes I've been lucky and gotten my items from Ehobby within a week.

They also all have bad e-mail communication, so don't hold your breathe when you e-mail them. They respond within 3-5 business days, by that time your item is already being shipped out.

ONLY retailer that I knew had constant follow up and picture proof before the item was shipped was Tokyo Model Company.

Hope It gets sorted

[siggypoo]

Hopefully with all purchases included.


Location: YYZ VOR 062 radial, 17.5 DME FL5280

[AnthonyG]

Guess 3-4 day shipping is possible. It's just the processing from the seller that takes ages.

My package is sitting in Scarborough ATM, and Canada Post has my package scheduled to arrive Friday, which is 4 days after it departed HK.

Fingers crossed for no import fees.

[AnthonyG]

Never got any further communication from SpecWarfare, but everything arrived. And looks good. I'll probably do some sort of video review of the vest I got.

They put a really low value on my package, no customs or taxes, which is not what I expected.

So my consensus is if you are patient, definitely order from them.

• Website Interface: 9/10 (easiest of all the sites selling Flyye Gear)
• Prices: 9/10
• Product Variety: 9/10
• Stock Accuracy: 8/10 (Seems like their store list is decently accurate)
• Shipping Time: 9/10 (based on SpeedPost service only)
• Shipping Cost: 7/10 (a bit more expensive than competition)
• Processing Time: 2/10
• Communication: 4/10
• Packaging: 7/10 (Everything came in a 14x14x11" box, no extra padding or wrapping other than the plastic the bags came in)

10% discount code: SA-QMVU20

[brock0]

I placed an order from them over the holiday as well. Took a few weeks, but arrived OK.

However, after I placed the order and paid they "discovered" that half the stuff I ordered was out of stock and partially refunded me shortly after the order had shipped. Would have been nice if their site actually reflected what was in stock and if they had given me the option to find something else or cancel the entire order before they put it in the mail when they couldn't fulfill the entire order.

[AnthonyG]

Perhaps it depends on what you order. I mean it wouldn't make sense to send me a bunch of pouches without a vest to attach it to.

I guess I'm thankful my items came back in stock during our correspondence.

[Corinth]

My first time ordering from Specwarfare.com was on March 13, 2015. I only ordered one item because I would rather give Canadian retailers my business as opposed to ordering from the U.S or China. However, in this one instance I found something that I couldn't easily track down in-country.

On their website they had an "Endo Glock Tactical Stock" (SKU: BD3640) which is actually not a stock but an adapter so you can attach a buffer tube to your Glock and it was only $8.00. Now, I knew prior to ordering this item that I was probably going to get a hunk of crap. So, $14.00 USD later (roughly $18 CAD) I placed my order and I immediately received a confirmation e-mail with a notice that my order would be shipped shortly. Now, it was Friday when I made this order so I figured it was already the weekend over there and wouldn't expect anything to start moving until the following Monday. In reality, it shipped on the Tuesday, March 17, so I was feeling pretty good.

I get a tracking number and frequently check the Hong Kong Postal Service and Canada Post for updates. On March 23, Canada Post informs me that my package has been accepted at their facility in Mississauga and that it has been sent for Further Processing. Which means the lads at the Canadian Border Service Agency are going to take a peek at my package to make sure there's nothing in there that's contraband. I mean, it's probably a fifty cent piece of highly toxic plastic... what could possibly go wrong? Cue extremely ominous Stanley Kubrick-esque music now.

March turns into April and I'm beginning to get a little nervous, I begin to feel like one of those morons who check their tracking number only seconds after placing an order. You know those types, fidgety buggers. Finally, I explore the CBSA's website, because Canada Post won't make inquiries once Customs takes an item for processing. Only April 7, I make a general inquiry to Customs asking whether or not I can't ask about items being held for processing. I receive an e-mail two days later from them saying that I should check Canada Post. But it's all for naught, as when I check Canada Post I discover the customs has released my package and that it has been shipped from Mississauga to my local P.O. April 9, I receive my package and I'm elated.

The big moment arrives and I open my package and find a small cardboard box, it's pretty plain and has "ENDOFACTICAL STOCK" printed on it with the image of the adapter on it. I open the box, inside I find the item I purchased. Well, my first impression was pretty negative just based on the appearance of the material itself. Very rough, not smooth or polished... like it was mass produced from a mold. Whatever, it feels sturdy enough which is all that really matters. So, I take it out and proceed to insert a fresh buffer tube into the threaded slot only to find that the slot is millimeters too big. Cue palm to face. I figure maybe it's just this one buffer tube, so I try a different one and same story. I borrow a buffer tube from a Norinco (Real Steel) and what do ya know, it doesn't fit that either.

I have myself a good think, to which I come back to the original thought I had a month earlier. It's a hunk of crap. I e-mail Specwarfare through their website and through hotmail, no answer. I'm not really sore over losing out on $20, I just thought I would see what they would do for me in the situation of having a defective product. Well, I decide to file a dispute through PayPal and I state my reasons and leave a message that the seller (Specwarfare) will see. A few days later I receive a notification that my request for a refund was declined and a message stating that the item that I purchased was made for, and I quote, "any REAL buffer tube". One sentence long message. I'm a tad irate so I explain, quite politely, that the dimensions on either an airsoft M4 buffer tube or the receiver extension on a real steel M4 is exactly the same. Go figure they would model these things rather closely after their real world counterparts. Well, they message me back and tell me to send it back for a refund. I say cool, send me the shipping details and an RMA and I'll get on it. That was five days ago, I'm still waiting on a reply.

As it stands, I am not very pleased with the whole situation. I don't care if I get a refund or not, but getting jerked around about a faulty item is not something I care to put up with. For that reason, I give Specwarfare a 2/10 and only for my own personal experience. If you're looking for an Endo Stock Adapter, just go to EndoTactical and buy one for $100 and you can use it on any Gen 1 through 3 model of Glock. I apologize for the long-winded review. >.>

[xav1982]

Any of You guy's have a working coupon for that website?

[AnthonyG]

Nope. I emailed them last week about their facebook coupon. Looks like it stopped working.

I placed another order just last week at shootercbgear.com The experience was much better.

There was a code for 12% kicking around but I think it expired the day I ordered.

[xav1982]

Yeah I also like shootercbgear but specwarfare was having some pretty hard to find PTS stuff in stock..