5 WORST PB companies

[Ydna]

I think it would be a better idea to designate what exactly makes a company "bad". Just becuase I had a problem returning something with whomever doesn't mean they're one of the top 5 worst paintball companies ever. Ya know?
Not to point fingers but just becuase you got a mishap order for a barrel kit from the factory doesn't really mean the company is massively defunct. Hell, I've had a couple of problems with people ordering htings from me, in my three years on the scene. It comes from all the way up, down to one-man operations like mine. But if one of the half dozen unhappy customers thinks I run one of the worst paintball companies ever as a result...well I thik you see where I'm going. It's an extreme example, but it applies.

TAG has had their share of problems (mostly due to dates and such) but most of mine are for reasons that I've not seen parrotted by anybody else. Technical issues a lot of the time.
I think if it came down to it TAG is just the retailer for the stuff from KM2. Other than that they're really just another proshop with an online store, and a few services for guns. They're the ones that sell the boards and are responsible for ordering them, but they don't design the hardware or firmware, nor do they make them.

Personally....I've had bad experience after bad experience with action village. And from what I hear from the locals...it's to be expected. I won't go into it though, I stopped ordering stuff from them years back, so it's really no longer a concern of mine.

[ne0nwalrus]

888paintball/National: ok i have to give you this one. cuase last summer i ordered a pair of dye core pants and they sent me and e-mail saying it just went out of stock so they'll ship it when they get it in the following week. mean while they still have my money. and long story short after a month of calling and e-mailing i got not money but acredit for there store. and a little genaric note saying there sorry for any problems.

Smart Parts: i can see why you put them on the list but come on. i mean i hate them to but there still some what of a good company. yes there killing the sport, but there bringing tons of new noobs in. so i can't say i'm for or against then.

Action Village: like the post before there just crappy. the only reason i go to them is to get a fill or a case of paint cuz there like 15 minutes from me. i know a guy that worked there, and he said if they didn't have something in a color they'd ship out another color without asking. or the time they kept on selling me bad noids for my 2k2 timmy.

[Nexus]

Action Village is definitely on my personal hit list. There are alot of things about them I like, but they charge you extra shipping when they ship backordered items. It doesn't sound all that bad at first, but they tend to have alot of things out of stock. I've never heard of a any company in any business that made their customers pay for their own inability to plan properly to keep things in stock.

[slateman]

Smart Parts - I'm with neonwalrus. I'm not against them, but I cant' really say I'm for them. I don't think they're destroying paintball though.

Bob Long - To expensive and not worth it. Nice name, great player, not a good company.

Shocktech - Getting parts is really hard and a lengthy process. One of the reasons I sold my cocker.

AGD - Flame away Seriously, not enough X-Mags and Z-grips

[Arstron]

Only 2 that I have dealt with within the past month come to mind.

paintballtrader.com and shootpaint.com... I ordered from paintball trader and did not recieve my part for over 3 weeks! From Shootpaint.com I paid extra for a quicker shipping service, 11 days latter I am still waiting on the part. I was unable to make contact with either person by email or phone.

[BigEvil]

I think it would be a better idea to designate what exactly makes a company "bad". Just becuase I had a problem returning something with whomever doesn't mean they're one of the top 5 worst paintball companies ever. Ya know?
Not to point fingers but just becuase you got a mishap order for a barrel kit from the factory doesn't really mean the company is massively defunct. Hell, I've had a couple of problems with people ordering htings from me, in my three years on the scene. It comes from all the way up, down to one-man operations like mine. But if one of the half dozen unhappy customers thinks I run one of the worst paintball companies ever as a result...well I thik you see where I'm going. It's an extreme example, but it applies.

Sure, my little ol' bad experience may not mean squat to anyone else, but it did to me. I work hard for my money, and companies need to drop the holier than thou attitudes and not only respect their customers, but also the companies and people they sell wholesale to. How many example are there of manufactureres undercutting their prices? Its tough enough to make a buck in this industry, but then to have to compete against your supplier is absurd. I also love it when they tell you that "We do not sell retail". Yet, they have two online retail outlets, and set the wholesale prices they sell to you higher than their retail price. You gotta love that.

Back in 94 or 95(If I remember right) when I first was seriously shopping for my first high end gun, I tried to get as much info as I could before making a decision. Paintball shops were scarce, and the internet was in its infancy. Other than APG and Paint-Check magazines, the only way to get decent information was to either know someone who had a gun or get on the phone and hound the manufacturers. So I started dialing. After being hung up on by one place, and being transfered through phone hell at two others, someone at AGD spent over an hour on the phone with me. I wish I knew who it was, but I was very appreciative, and that person did a good job accuaratley portraying the automag. He not only spent time telling me how great it was (and why) but also informing me of its weaknesses, which at the time was liquid co2. He also educated me as to how to overcome them. When I got my mag shortly after, I had enough knowlege to be able to use the gun with minimum issues.

Anyone who takes the time to treat their customers well like that deserve to have a degree of loyalty. Nowadays you cant even get a straight answer from places on inventory status.

[sneakyhacker420]

NPS and any company associated with them...

[stop whining buy a mag]

NPS-We all know why.
Smart Parts-Cheap products and horrible customer service.
ICD-Horrible customer service and techs.
Hybrid-They're just good at ripping people off.
Tag Sportz-Don't make promises unless you can keep them.

I have some sympathy for DevilsDen. His job must be a nightmare by now. His best bet would be to come on to the forum and ask who wants out. He should also contact everyone by email that may not frequent these forums and ask if they want out. No one can hold a grudge then.

[FSU_Paintball]

National - For squashing the little guy everywhere. They have their redeeming qualities but it doesn't outweigh the fact that they force their dealers to sell at a certain price while undercutting them by selling their gear for less on their own site.

K2/BE/JT/WGP - What's that? You're a company who says your products aren't mass produced crap? And you'd be willing to let us buy you? Let's talk.

Smart Parts - they CERTAINLY have gotten much better, and I credit them for providing good sponsorships to smaller teams, bringing paintball into a bigger mainstream market, and bringing prices lower, making upper end equipment available to more players. But I really don't think I'll ever forget them as having the first high-profile slew of frivolous lawsuits that assisted in demolishing the grassroots part of this industry and slowing innovation.

Bob Long - personal opinion, but I think they SUCK for what they are. I really don't think they shoot half as good as most guns in their price range. Talk about overpriced. Intimidators were originally released with parts that HAD to be replaced (ram caps, anyone?). They've gotten better but I always thought they were the definition of high-priced mass-produced poor tolerance "beta test" level markers.

Psychoballistics - Ripoff artists. Remember that focker that looks just like the Ultralite? And all of their stuff is crap.

Hybrid - cool gear, but come on... ever heard of copyright infringement?

[javasnot17]

Action Village is definitely on my personal hit list. There are alot of things about them I like, but they charge you extra shipping when they ship backordered items. It doesn't sound all that bad at first, but they tend to have alot of things out of stock. I've never heard of a any company in any business that made their customers pay for their own inability to plan properly to keep things in stock.

QFT. Even though I still order from 'em every now & then, their ability to keep items in stock sucks balls. Pretty sad for one of, if not, the biggest online paintball companies. Jesus, I bet they couldn't keep a bag of smashed ***holes in stock if they had to.

[Zygote]

I would make it a point not to keep smashed ***holes in stock.

[bentothejam1n]

winchester
whoever makes wild streak
Dicks (only because they underfill you like no other)
new BE
Hybrid
/i would do explanations but i'm really hungry

[ntn4502]

[QUOTE=FSU_Paintball]
Psychoballistics - Ripoff artists. Remember that focker that looks just like the Ultralite? And all of their stuff is crap.
[QUOTE]

They are the old Ultralites, they bought the excess bodies Dye had

[RapidTransit]

National
K2/BE/JT/WGP
Smart Parts
Bob Long
Hybrid

BE/JT you expect crap markers, I never liked Autocockers at all but I apreciate some of the build qualitys when I first saw the prices of those trilogys.... oh quanity>quality
Smart Parts I still can't get over the crap Ion they put out, Ions are only worthwhile built from aftermarket parts imho
Bob Long, Timmy? Spimmy? Overpriced fully electro-pneumatic spyder?
Hybrid they make Smart Parts stuff seem aerospace grade quality.

[etjoyride]

The crapiest company I can think of is action village, they never have anything in stock and somehow manage to screw up shipping every single time. The are followed closely by shady forum people, but at least I know they are shady.

I have ordered everything from paint to guns to gear from PBG and have never had a single order mess up and they always get here in a very timely fashion. It semes you have been very unlucky.