706
people found this helpful, as of 2023
ranked #19,831 most helpful
out of 571,544,897 reviews
★☆☆☆☆
Worst Purchase From Amazon, To Date
I purchased this item through the "lightning deals" on Amazon. Because of that, I didn't take the time to read the reviews as thoroughly as I normally do. I just sort of "skimmed" them and went by the overall 4-star rating, out of many reviews. The reviews I did scan seemed to indicate that most people were happy with it, with the exception of a few reports of it being damaged in shipping. Ours wasn't damaged in shipping, but had a MUCH BIGGER flaw that I wish I had been aware of prior to purchasing.
I would assume that most people purchasing a safe would do so with the intention of storing valuable items inside of it. After all, isn't that what a safe is intended for? We were very disheartened to learn that this safe offers very limited potential for doing that. Although you will read it NOWHERE in the product description, the first page of the owner's manual (which, of course you do not read until after purchasing/receiving) there are several "warnings" listed regarding items that should not be stored in this safe (or only stored in airtight containers), due to the high moisture content of the safe. Apparently, the insulation used to make the unit fire-resistant, causes it to collect moisture on the inside. Their solution to this is an included desiccant packet, meant to absorb excess moisture AND opening the safe every two weeks to allow it to air/dry out. It goes on to say that jewelry, watches, stamps, photos, etc. should only be stored in airtight containers, and is AT YOUR OWN RISK (the company is not responsible for damage that occurs due to moisture). Although it didn't directly say, we assumed this would also apply to "important documents" which are the main items we intended to store in it. Further, it states that the safe is not intended to store computer discs, negatives, or audio/visual media of any kind. When we finished reading the list of what could NOT be stored (or stored only in airtight containers, at your own risk), we were left wondering what we could store in it.
We feel a bit "cheated" on this purchase, as none of this information was listed in the product description, and the safe cannot be used as one would intuitively assume it could be. We plan to contact Amazon about this item to see if we can return it without paying return shipping fees, which would cost approximately half the price we paid for the safe. I will update to see how this request is handled.
Update: Amazon responded to our request promptly, professionally, and courteously. After contacting them and explaining the situation, they had UPS pick up the safe the following day, and refunded us "in full" for the price of safe (we did not have to pay return shipping fees). Amazon continues to earn our respect (and business) by their constant commitment to ensure complete customer satisfaction, on the rare occasions I have needed to contact them.
On a side note, I still feel that the description/details and photos for this safe need to be updated on Amazon's website to reflect actual usage recommendations, and/or manufacture's warnings. Bottom line: A safe is intended to store valuables, if you cannot store valuables inside this safe without risk of damage; it seems it would defeat its own purpose...
January 2013 · Tools and Home Improvement