David T.

TopTenReviews obviously uses Amazon's statistical data to create their lists. At least 1 of the associated links for each product will take you to Amazon where you can quickly and easily add the product to your cart. Expect alot of marketing agendas to be integrated in there as well. This does not give a real world experience for the avid shopper looking to find the best offering in a given product category. For this, we need an actual product review.

I have also spent alot of time reading online reviews and TopTenReviews are some of the worst examples I've seen. A good thorough review should be done by someone who is able to use a product to it's potential and takes time to reads a product's documentation. I say this because I just read a review on TopTenReviews that was very poorly done. It was for a portable steamer/vacuum. They obviously did not even know how to use the unit correctly let alone using it to it's potential. And using a machine in ways not consistent with the unit's intended purposes could be a hazard.

Bottom line is, you have to know how to use something before you can justify being qualified to review it. And I find TopTenReviews to be so inadequate and lack the knowledge to give any advice whatsoever. Depending on the product, improper use of a product could cause serious harm to someone. That said, TopTenReviews should consider having their reviews audited by a 3rd party to ensurer they are not putting someone in harm's way. And that goes for many other review sites that try to promote themselves as a professional resource like TopTenReviews

If anyone wants to know about the shaky review done on TopTenReviews, here are the details:
Category: Portable Steamer
Manufacturer: Vapamore
Model: MR-50
The review scrutinized the unit for reasons such as, but not limited to:
1- a narrow mouth limiting suction
2- too heavy
3- problem vacuuming whole pieces of cereal
4- only able to pick up a few ounces of metal screws

The test bed appeared to be a vehicle and the reviewer simulates bringing the Vapamore MR-50 as a travel companion being to clean up messes like pet hair pieces of food on the floor. Steamers are an excellent method for cleaning surfaces like counter tops, wood, tile, upholstery, carpets and more. But one of the main things I notice about the portable steamers available today is that we have to use a towel or rag to wipe up the moisture and left over dirty water from the steam. Vapamore invented the MR-50 as a dual function device. It steams and Vacuums. Any knowledgeable person should have understood what this means

But the reviewer at to-tenreviews was trying to use the MR-50 as a standalone portable vacuum, which is absolutely NOT how it was intended to be used. It's the moisture and dirty water that remains after using the steam feature that this vacuum function was designed for. Sure, it can do some some debris but the reason for it's small narrow mouth is because the MR-50 was designed to be much like the larger full size steamer/vacs that some of us have used/rented to do our carpets. You are supposed to thoroughly vacuum your carpets before you steam them. If you want to steam your carpets you must clean up any and all debris that is loose, big or small. Commercial steamers apply the steam and vacuum the dirty water and moisture afterwards. They have a vacuum function too. But, you don't use them as the stand alone vacuum that cleans the carpet before you steam clean it. Proper use of this type of equipment dictates that we thoroughly vacuum our carpets with a standalone vacuum and THEN you use the steam cleaner. Of course it can also vacuum. But it's limited capacity to vacuum smaller pieces of debris is not a limitation, it is because that function is designed to be used in conjunction with the steam clean function.

1- Ordered 2 CV axles BUT - 1 was defective.
2- The order was supposed to be shipped the same day if I ordered within the time specified, which I did. BUT - The order was not even processed until 2 days later and who knows when it shipped
3- The order was showing as being available, in stock, and based on information on screen, was coming from NJ which is my state. Sales tax was also applied to reflect an in state purchase and I also questioned and confirmed these things in chat prior to the sale BUT - The order was shipped from Texas?
4- CARID claims they are selling a Cardone remanufactured part that meets and likely exceeds all OEM specs and quality BUT - The spindle nuts that come with OEM CV Axles have flanged nuts with built in washers that spin and the Cardone CV Axle I received came with a cheap nut, no flange. The not diameter was smaller than the hole in my wheel hub which is just plain nonsense. This CV Axle part # only fits specific vehicles and every one of those vehicles comes with a flanged spindle nut that will properly retain the spindle when connected to the wheel hub and bearing assembly. Sending this cheap nut is either stupidity or an attempt to cut a cost down.
5- Carid says they beat competitor's if they have a lower price on the same item. They said I'd have this RMA in 24-48 hours. They were supposed to swap it for another one. I was also told I would get the label to send my old CV Axle for a core refund. BUT - CARID has lied to me over and over regarding an RMA for the defective CV Axle. Over 10 days have passed, I've just been forced to pay another week for a rental car and since I know the RMA for exchanging this defective part is not going to get me a replacement any time soon, I was forced to buy one elsewhere. I actually got it directly from Cardone. Go figure. Let's look at the costs in comparison per each CV Axle

CARID: $49 +$30 (core charge) + $10 (shipping)= total cost of $89 + sales tax
CARDONE: $41, free shipping, NO CORE CHARGE=total cost $41 NO SALES TAX

My experience when handling issues involved several online chat sessions, I think 2 phone calls and a few email exchanges that were one sided since they never replied. SO far, they only sent emails that were automated indicating they received a message from me and they would respond. One telling me that flange nuts would be shipped. That was over a week after the problem was reported. From the initial onset of the ordering process I had to call them. I called them on the phone 2 days after the order should have shipped. I wasn't happy but I was more than cordial and understanding. I wanted to cancel the order as it still was not showing it was even processed yet. Well, they issued me a $25 gift credit. But it's only good towards a future purchase, which will never likely happen after my experience. Anyway, I was able to deal with waiting for the item. I expected it by Friday or that weekend but got it the following Tuesday. Fine right.? Well, A day or so later I got to the boxes. The 2 CV Axles came in separate boxes as if they were separate orders directly from Cardone. Each was double boxed with very good protective packing inside. Nothing was damaged and the boxes were in perfect shape. But, as is the case, sometmes a part is defective. In my case, only 1 CV axle was defective, the other fine. And here is where CARID becomes one of the worst companies I have "ever" dealt with both online & offline.

In CARID's defense, they did see to it that Cardone sent me 2 flanged nuts, both of which I received and although they are not even close to being as good a quality as my OEM originals, they will be acceptable. I do not agree with any statements claiming this part meets or exceeds OEM quality specs and feel that saying so is just a lie.

I spent so much time appeasing this company. Since I just bought 2 CV Axles, 1 of which worked fine, I was able to replicate the defect in a video. I took photos or the part, as well as all boxes. The information I provided was more than I have had to supply any other vendors for online purchases in the past but I did this so they can clearly see the problems. On top of the defect, the photos clearly show the defective part was also incorrectly assembled. A rubber boot was pulled 2 inches too far restricting proper movement and flexing. Carid should have issued me an RMA# by now but instead, me and my money are in a state of limbo. It has been over 10 days since the very first communication that clearly states my RMA and instructions would be provided to me within 24-48 hours. We've exceeded this 24-48 hour time frame long ago. I've spent alot of time making further contact with CARID and each time they say I will receive email with my return authorization and instructions within 24-48 hours. They had 2 CV Axles drop shipped. Both were also charged core fees. Since one is still good, I was also told they will provide return labels for shipping my old CV Axles back to them. So I am stuck in limbo for over 10 days waiting for the following:

1: The label to send back one old CV Axle for a core refund
2. The label with RMA to return a defective CV Axle for a refund. The refund for this also includes a core fee

Carid says they match pricing of other vendors. Well, appears that Cardone sells these same axles directly to us consumers. But I am still trying to get the bloody RMA to send back a defective item and also send back the core for the one I kept. But now I have discovered another twist in the midst of all this. Carid is trying to double dip:

Get this, I have now learned that CARID has me in limbo waiting because they are trying to pass off the defective CV Axle as a "Damage Claim" with UPS. We all know this process causes waiting but CARID is making me, the customer, wait for that process to be carried out. How unfair is that? I'm already against this because I know for a fact that this item and it's inherent flaws/defects, are a direct result of improper manufacturing and poor assembly by Cardone. No shipping boxes were even tainted in the slightest and you just cannot cause damage to the internal components of a CV Axle by rough handling of the box. It is not a fragile item and the part iteself is designed to handle abuse from off-road 4 wheel drive vehicles. Of all the nerve of CARID. They are scamming UPS with a bogus damage claim that isn't even possible. CV Axles either work properly or they don't. And unless it is installed and abused to the max, there is no way possible that UPS or any other handler could cause damage to a CV Axle. Unless they dropped it in the road and a tractor trailer ran it over, causing it to be destroyed and that would be so evident as it would have destroyed the box it was shipped in. As I said, the boxes were pristine. This is an absolutely ridiculous claim for them to even try and say it was damaged in shipping.

So, all things considered, CARID is all about getting paid. They do not spend any quality time making sure customers get any refunds when they are due. Whether for a returned item or a core charge, CARID will make you wait and it would not be unreasonable to assume they would like to make the refund process so difficult so as to try and deter you from pursuing for core refund. They have a time period you must send back the core and by causing alot of confusion and misleading you, they will cause that time period to expire. Suspicious and questionable to say the least

Bottom Line: CarID is a real joke when it comes to actual service. They talk a good game, they even get great reviews for the sales of parts that are not defective. But the moment you have to deal with a return or get a core fee refunded, the uphill battle begins and ends based on how badly you want to get what you are rightfully entitled to. In other words, you won't get it without a fight. Personally I think CARID should be banished from online sales. PayPal should revoke their privilege as a penalty for the unforgivable runaround they give me and others who have also posted about the exact same issues.

But thank GOD for PayPal and their dispute process. Many other credit cards offer similar protective options but PayPal is just an awesome way to protect yourself when buying online and let me tell you, this is an absolute must if you want to buy something from CARID. I'm going after them lock stock and barrel for what they put me through. Not once have I shown them that I am not a patient understanding customer. They have taken this for granted but they just seem content to push someone. Not sure who runs this company and what their game is but so far it just looks as if they could care less even about following their own protocols. I want my RMA and may just opt for a return of the complete order just to break any and all ties with this unworthy company. No customer deserves to be put through such a painstaking process like this. I cannot say enough negative things about this company but I bet their are plenty of other people who will gladly add more horrible experiences that resemble mine. Let the truth be known. This company should be avoided at all costs. So far it seems like a lose lose for anyone foolish enough to chance buying from CARID. I am paying another week for a rental vehicle due to misleading promises and this 24-48 hour waiting period that they have once again exceeded from my last correspondence with them. Now it's my turn. I'm done working with this on their terms as it is very clear they do not know how to service a customer. CARID is an example of just how poor an online buying experience can be. It's easy to sell products online. But it's the service after the sale that shows a company's true colors. It doesn't get any worst than this with CARID._______________________________________________________________

So CARiD replied and expressed their sympathy or whatever they want to call it. They wanted my order #. I see no way to reply on this site. How am I supposed to reply to the CARiD comment below?_______________________________________________________________
UPDATE: as of 12-20-2017, my PayPal dispute was finally resolved. I had to dispute my transaction this way because CARiD just isn't trustworthy at all. They do not show themselves as knowledgeable representatives regarding car parts at all. They are really terrible with customer service. They offered to refund me a part of the order but it was less than the proper amount. They are horrible at math for sure. My explanation to PayPal was in depth and thorough and all I wanted was exactly what I was entitled to and the amount was correctly calculated. PayPal honored my explanation and they show just why they are a necessary entity in online retail. Thank You PayPal. CarID did try and make things right but listen, if you cannot provide and RMA and manage a return within 2 weeks, there is something wrong with you. And that's being lenient. The average turnaround for good companies to issue an RMA is 1 business day and the turnaround for refunds is within 1 business day from the day a return is received. CARiD gave an RMA several weeks later, then the return was sent. But they did not refund me. The initial purchase was around October 18th 2017 and I just got it refunded December 20th. Even without a PayPal dispute, CARiD never responded with an RMA for over a month. They even removed the transaction from my account which also had a $25 gift card attached to it so I had to bring this up to them so I could at least get my gift card back. So many very very sub-par happenings with them. I cannot give points for much here. I find them inexperienced and not very professional. I do not think they intentionally want to rip someone off. They just run the business poorly for some reason. Maybe some employees are to blame. Hope they get it together. I think it is their intention to do better. I do not hate them. But I think they have alot of work to do on their customer service. Their representatives are not rude. But they need to refine their procedures and policies. I do think they have great potential and their website is actually very good too. I find it more intuitive than alot of other sites. I'll give them another try but with caution. They do have alot of potential to be a great site