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Do you have a friend or family member who is simply impossible to buy gifts for? My grandfather is that person in my life. He doesn't want for much, and what he does want he goes out and gets for himself. He is one of the most wonderful people in my life, thus I usually stress out around his birthday (and Christmas) when attempting to find that "perfect" gift for him. This year, Frontgate Online Store (http://www.frontgate.com) really came through for me!

What is Frontgate?

Frontgate is a catalog and online shop that specializes in high quality products for the home. Their motto appears to be "Outfitting America's Finest Homes", and judging by their merchandise and their prices they really do cater to the wealthy. They offer a wide range of items, from nice furniture to electronic gadgets to collectibles to gardening items.

A word of warning -- these are "high quality" items, and as such they go for quite high prices. In the "Clearance" section I found the Gold Deluge Showerhead on sale for $145 (marked down from $179), the 15-Gallon Stainless Steel Push Trashcan on sale for $169 (marked down from $285), and the Sheepskin Slippers on sale for $49 (marked down from $79). I cannot imagine spending that much for any of those items. That being said, there are some excellent gift ideas on the site (more on that below), as well as some fairly decent bargains to be found.

The Website:

The website is very attractive and well laid-out. I would even go so-far as to say it looks "classy". They aren't going for bright, vibrant colors to grab your attention, they are just going for a simple, elegant look. As someone who has designed my share of web sites, I really like the look & feel of the site.

Thumbnail images of each item are presented for a given category, then you can select the item to see a larger picture and more in-depth description. I like the fact that the item's dimensions are usually given -- particularly on furniture items. It also tells whether or not the item is in stock and is available to be shipped immediately.

Getting Around:

You can shop by browsing through the general categories that are displayed down the left side of the site. Each category is further broken down into sub-categories after it is selected. The general categories are:
* Patio & Garden
* Outdoor Furniture
* Grilling & Entertaining
* Pool & Spa
* Home Care
* Gourmet Kitchen
* Bed & Bath
* Home Furnishings
* Electronics
* Ultimate Gift Ideas
* Holiday & Occasions
* FRONTGATE OUTLET

There are also a group of Specialty/Seasonal Menu selections (which are also further divided into sub-categories). Currently the Specialty menu items are:
* Gentlemen's Domain
* The Ultimate Grill
* Splash Pool & Spa
* Open Air Furnishings

A simple search utility is also provided. You can search by keywords or by the item numbers (as found in the Frontgate catalogs).

How to Order:

You can order items via Frontgate website, which is a typical shopping-cart type application. There was nothing unusual or different during the checkout process -- nothing you wouldn't experience at just about any other reputable on-line retailer.

Frontgate uses SSL (secure socket layer), which is typically how on-line retailers ensure safe & secure data transfer over the web. You do NOT have to create an account with Frontgate to place an order (although you can create an account if you want to -- I didn't).

You can track your order on-line, and will receive an e-mail upon placing your order and whenever parts of your order have been shipped. The shipping confirmation e-mail contains tracking information (if shipped via UPS) so you can closely monitor your shipment.

Frontgate Online accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. You can also redeem Frontgate gift certificates or use online discount coupons.

You can also order by telephone (1-800-626-6488), by fax (1-800-436-2105), or by mail.

Shipping:

Standard Delivery is shipped via UPS standard ground service and is expected to arrive within 2-5 business days. Faster shipping options are also available (2-business day for an additional $8.95, and next business day for an additional $18.95). The shipping charges (as copied from the Frontgate site) are:
Orders up to $25.00: $5.95
$25.01 to $50.00: $8.95
$50.01 to $75.00: $11.95
$75.01 to $150.00: $15.95
$150.01 to $300.00: $20.95
$300.01 to $500.00: $26.95
$500.01 and over: $29.95

Items deemed "oversized" will incur an additional $12.95 charge, which is added to the regular shipping & handling charge.

Large and heavy items are shipped via "Truck Delivery". A shipping agent will call you to verify time and delivery details. An additional charge is added to the normal shipping charge, based upon the cost of the truck-delivered items. The chart is as follows:
under $1,000.00: $75.00 per address
$1,000.01 to $2,000.00: $145.00 per address
$2,000.01 and over: $225.00 per address

"In-Home Delivery Service" is also offered -- meaning that your item is delivered to your home, uncrated by 2 or more people, placed where you want it (either inside or outside your home), and all packing materials will be removed. For this service, you must add a $275.00 (!!!) charge to the standard shipping & handling charges.

Gift wrapping is available for an additional $4.95

Extra Details:

Sales tax is charged only on orders shipped to Ohio.

Online coupons are often available. Catalog discounts are also honored on the web site. Frontgate gift certificates are also available.

You can request a free Frontgate catalog subscription from the site. You can also sign up to receive e-mail notifications of special offers and new items.

Customer Service:

I did not have any problems with my order or my item, so I have not had to deal with Frontgate's customer service. They do appear to be very accommodating, offering a phone number and e-mail address for contacting customer service, and providing a return shipping label with every order.

Frontgate offers a 90-day return policy and a 1 year guarantee. If you are not satisfied with your item for any reason, you can return it within 90 days for a replacement or a full refund (whichever you choose). Frontgate will repair or replace any product for 1 full year after purchase.

Frontgate also offers price protection. If you find the same item in another catalog for less (including shipping and handling) within 90 days from the date you purchased it, they will refund the difference. You must mail the other catalog's advertisement and order form to Frontgate's price protection department.

Our Experiences:

I came to Frontgate in a somewhat backward way. In my quest to find something for my grandfather, I found a very attractive World War II coin set in another, unrelated catalog. My grandfather fought in World War II, and had a passing interest in coin collecting a few years ago. This coin set emphasized the fact that coins were minted differently during the war because copper and nickel were needed for the war effort. The coins during the war years were made with steel and silver, and are quite valuable today. The coins came in a display case and were accompanied by a sheet of historical facts and a certificate of authenticity. The store where I originally found the item did not have it in stock, so I did a Google search for the coin set. That's how I came to Frontgate. They offered the same item at a reasonable price ($39) and actually had it in stock, so I ordered it immediately.

I looked around the site a bit more, and determined that I would probably not be getting anything else from Frontgate anytime soon. The merchandise appears to be of a very high quality, but the prices are a bit out of my normal price range. I looked through their Christmas items, on clearance because it was now February -- a Christmas ornament reproduced from an antique chocolate mold was on sale for $29, marked down from $45. Even the clearance price was more than I want to spend on a Christmas ornament. They did have more reasonably priced ornaments too -- but they were still a bit more than I usually like to pay.

They offer some really nice furniture pieces, both for indoors and outdoors -- someday when I become a millionaire I'll have to go back to Frontgate and get some of it! They offer some nifty electronics too (my husband was drooling over the digital touch-screen universal remote from Sony), but I do not usually buy electronic equipment from catalog stores (you can usually find better prices at other online retailers).

My standard-delivery item arrived 2 days after I ordered it. I must say that I was extremely pleased with how quickly the item arrived (and I'm glad I didn't pay the extra $8.95 for the 2-day shipping). The coin set was well-packaged and arrived in excellent condition. I honestly couldn't be more pleased with it. It certainly was a hit at my Grandfather's birthday party (he really loved it)!

Final Thoughts:

My shopping experience at Frontgate Online Store was excellent. The site is attractive and easy to use, and the site offers a wide variety of high quality specialty items for the home. I must admit that most items are priced higher than what I normally like to spend, although there are certainly some excellent deals to be found there. I do not feel that I overpaid for my item at all, and am extremely pleased with the quality of the set. I recommend the site as an excellent place to browse for gift ideas for those "hard to buy for" types.