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I have ordered several loose gemstones, minerals and fossils from this website in 2017. Jon, the owner is very friendly and extremely knowledgeable about what he sells. He knows great technical details about mineralogy, including things such as inclusions and micro-structures in the mineral specimens. The site includes microscopic images of the stones for sale along with technical descriptions. Jon is very quick to ship purchases and to answer any questions about what you are buying. Some of the interesting specimens I've bought from here include a piece of fossilized mammoth ivory, and an artificial gemstone called Linobate; both of these are rare collectors items.
Tip for consumers:
Don't be afraid to email the owner if you have any questions about the item you want to buy. He answers very quickly and he has a great deal of experience in gemology.
Be aware that the shop is in the UK and prices are in pounds; make sure to calculate in your currency before buying.
I decided to buy a last minute Christmas gift for my nephew from Amazon Canada on December 17th. Amazon stated that "This Item will Arrive Before Christmas" so long as I paid for extra "Express 2 day shipping." I paid the extra cost for the 2-day shipping and expected the item on Dec 20th.
As of the December the 23rd (3 days after "guaranteed delivery date"), no item. Then an email from Amazon stating "We recently learned that we may miss your delivery promise for your Amazon.ca Order and apologize for the inconvenience."
According to the tracking number of the carrier, the item hadn't even left the warehouse!
It's really very simple Amazon Canada: if you can't keep a delivery commitment, don't make that commitment in the first place.
Now I am out in the crowded, chaotic Christmas rush looking for a replacement gift in a store.
I am so angry at Amazon Canada over this incident that I will not be shopping with them again anytime soon.
Update: After some emails back and forth, Amazon agreed to refund my money, and the refund has been put through on my card. I received no explanation from them as to why the item never shipped.
Tip for consumers:
Don't trust anything they say on delivery schedules, especially if it involves buying a gift for a critical date (Christmas, someones birthday, Valentines, etc).
EBTH has a nice looking webpage and some good items, but the the good ends there. I won a bid on small piece of jewelry from them in early September. Their page would not generate a shipping cost estimate for me, and when I contacted EBTH, my request for a shipping cost was bounced around from agent to agent.
Each agent gave me a different answer but admitted they weren't sure what to do. It took two weeks to get me a shipping quote, which I duly paid. Then, an agent added another $25 fee on top of the shipping, and my VISA, with no explanation. I had to email/call multiple times to get them to clarify total price, after which EBTH dropped the extra $25.
It took them 10 more days to ship the item, which ended up being further delayed due to EBTH making a error on the address label. Overall it took 5+ weeks to finally ship a small item through a domestic carrier.
The only silver lining here is that the item I bought was very pretty.
EBTH really needs to get their house in order and have clear and consistent ways of handling shipping and orders.
Tip for consumers:
Be prepared for much confusion about billing practices and shipping. Their website may or may not give an accurate shipping cost for your address.
Be prepared to call or email to complain if they double bill you.
Use a credit card to pay for purchase. If they do over-bill, you can notify the credit card company to withhold the transaction.
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