to prep for the
Yellowstone Trip, I wanted something to hold my still and video camera. I knew I'd be taking lots of pictures on this trip, on the road and while sight-seeing. I didn't want to be trying to fumble a camera out of my pocket in unfamiliar territory and on unfamiliar roads.
I knew RAM Mount USA was pretty popular but most of the moto setups I'd seen involved a clamp on the bars. I don't really have room on my bars for a u-mount, and don't really have any other spots to put anything. While exploring on their site, I found
this:
RAM M10 X 1.25 Pitch Male Thread with 1" Ball
Perfect. I found an
arm and a
camera base I needed as well. I checked around to make sure the base would fit in my unused mirror mount, it did so I had all the parts I needed.
I have a penchant for purchasing things local, but I couldn't find what I needed locally. I used the RAM Mount retailer finder and found a place in Van Nuys called gpscheap.com. Yeah, that should've been my first warning. I browse around their site and they say they have it in stock so I order it. I placed my order on July 5th, 2011.
Time passes. My order goes unfilled. With roughly 3 weeks before leaving for trip I haven't received my items. I send an email July 16 politely asking "any idea when my stuff will ship?"
A week goes by with no response. Now I'm starting to get nervous. Two weeks before departure and still no shipping status, no email back, no nothing. I call the phone number and get an automated system which routes me, of course, to customer service. "No one is available" to take my call, so I leave a message on the 25th saying "I need my stuff or I need to cancel the order. Please call me or email me."
Another week goes by and no call back. No email. Now I'm starting to think this place is just a scam.
On July 30 I get an email that my credit card has been charged. Ok.. well I suppose that's good news, I suppose that means they had to order what I needed and it finally arrived and they'll be shipping it Monday. I check my order status Monday evening, no change. Tuesday, no change. Wednesday, there's a USPS tracking number but the Postal Service doesn't recognize it (which means they haven't actually shipped it, only assigned it a number internally).
Thursday comes, no update at USPS. Now I'm thinking, ok, it's not going to make it before the trip, oh well, whatever, I'll figure something else out. Friday I'm off work so I check USPS to see what's happening and it says "out for delivery." What the french bread? I go out the mailbox and lo and behold there is a box with my name on it with all my stuff.
Bottom Line: I won't be buying from gpscheap.com ever again. RAM Mount makes great product. I'm a little perturbed about the camera mount "some assembly required" but once it was all together it seems to work great.
Here are some thumbs (click for full size)
