Showing posts with label Office supplies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Office supplies. Show all posts

10/26/2024

Uni- Ball Signo 1mm Gel Pen -- Silver (UM153.26)

This is my preferred silver marker among the ones I own. I don't lime most of my acrylic silver markers. However, this one won me over for many reasons. The metallic silver colour is really noticeable and the colour it should be, not too dark not too clear, just a beautiful silver tone. Also, the ink flows effortlessly and cleanly. The marker draws crisp neat lines,  which makes it perfect for highlights or accents on any acrylic paint if the pieces are dry; Otherwise, it would smudge and the nib would get ruined. The marker is made of good quality material and the to cap fastens well.Well priced, too.

Ain't sure about the pigment lightfastness  but the information I've  found online seems to indicate that is more so than other types of markers. It is not a waterproof marker I would say but it gets fixed using a fixative once it has completely dried.

BIC Velocity Mechanical Pencil with Eraser, medium 0.7 mm (2-Pack & Refills)

This is such a great value-for-money set.  The two colours pen-looking mechanical pencils came in two gorgeous colours. They hold medium-thickness lead (7m), something I love as it's allows for very smooth and velvety writing. The pack comes with a refillable leads tub and a replacement erasers tube so these are kept tidy and safe. The pencils are very plastic looking but also very light. Nothing I would use to impress anyone, but just what I needed.

1/22/2023

Uni-Ball Signo 1mm Gel Pen - White (UM 153) (Pack of 3)

This is the best fine point white marker I've used so far. I have two similar fine-point white pens from other brands and they fall behind this regarding the 'ink' quality and how the ink reacts when used on acrylic painting.. I've tested this Uniball against the others on black paper, as per my photo, and this one is my fav. Lines are full, neat and clear. The ink flows effortlessly on the paper, more so than the other two brands that I use, and I don't have to keep pumping the ink out every time I write. Great price for a 3-piece pack set, too

1/30/2022

Multifunctional Geometric Ruler

This is a very good quality beautiful easy to clean geometric ruler that I use mostly to draw lines and shapes when painting or scrap-booking. I love the fact that I can use it a ruler, as a protractor, to create circles, triangles and other geometric shapes. Easy to clean even when I use it with Indian ink. It comes in a handy plastic pouch and instructions leaflet. Unfortunately, everything is written in Chinese.

1/19/2022

1/18/2022

MAPED Foldable Plastic Ruler

This is a very pretty folding ruler that can be put away easily and looks good if on display. The multi-leveled texture allows me to draw different lines without moving the ruler. On the other hand, the ruler is not steady, so it tends to move easily, so your lines might be broken. Average quality. I think this is great for kids. The price reflects the quality.

12/28/2021

Skittles Sours Chewy Lollies Snack and Share Party Bag 190g

If you, like me, have a sour teeth, skittles will make you soar to the sour. I love the crunchy coating, the chewy core, the fun colors and, most importantly, their level of sourness. The flavors in the package are lemon, orange, strawberry, green apple and grape. The flavors are very good and they taste of what they are meant to taste plus the sour punch. The initial coating is sweet, although not overly so, and the sourness comes after you chew them. On the flip side of things, these lollies are loaded with artificial colors and thickeners, so that's why I buy these now and then to appease my sour yearning. The package size and amount of skittles in it are considerable for the price, so this is good value for money.

12/23/2021

The Sugarless Company A Casino Fruit Jellies, 70 g

Sugarless jellies are indeed sugarless, gluten free, artificial colors and artificial flavors free but they still have several chemicals in them.

Like with any sugar-free product, I expected the flavor not to be as good as those that have it. However, these gummies flavors are too light to be fully noticeable to be labelled as yummy or appetizing. Besides, there is no extra punch, like a bit of acidity or a bit of extra sugarless 'sugar' sprinkle or something that would enhance the eating experience. The packet still makes a nice snack if you need/want sugar-free snacks, but I won't order them again.

The packaging is misleading as the gummies, as per my photo,don't look like those on the package photo. Not much product for the price either.

Mentos Mini Rainbow Bag, 120g

These mini rainbow rolls are a hit with me and with anyone I've shared them with in the last month. It isn't just the colorful packaging and the mini size, which makes me feel less guilty at eating anything sweet, but also the chewable flavors: strawberry, grape, orange, watermelon and yuzu. Sweet, but not overly so. Flavors are totally different between each item but I'm not sure if they fully correspond with the names given to them. Very lovely overall. Ingredients are not too chemical for a lolly, something that I always appreciate.

12/20/2021

Chupa Chups Best of Lollipops, 8 Lollipop Bag

Yummy selection of Chupa-Chups. This was a hit with my co-workers an with me. It has four popular flavors: cola, watermelon, strawberries and cream, and strawberry. To me, the cola and watermelon flavors are the best of the lot. The other two are yummy but also a bit too sweet for me. Overall a great taster bag

12/12/2021

Chupa Chups 3D Fizzy Drinks Lollipops, 6 Lollipops, 90g

I bought this packet to sample the three flavors. By far, the cola flavor is my favorite. It really replicates the taste of any main bubbly cola drink out there, and the balance of flavor and sweetness is great The tropical and orange flavors are true to the flavors of known brands fizzy drinks, but, this being the case, they are also very sweet or too sweet for me These lollipops are bigger than the average Chupa Chups and are flatfish not round. Value for money.

28/10/2022 CHUPA CHUPS CHEWS
These chews are really addictive, in a good way, and they've been a hit with my coworkers. The bag has a good amount of lollies. They come in three flavors and I love them all, but my pals have their own preferences as some of them prefer just one of the varieties in the package. I love the fact that they aren't overly sweet and that the flavors are what they've meant to be. They don't stick to my teeth as badly as others do, which is really great. On the other hand, the individual wrapping is not the best as it tends to stick to the lollies and they are sometimes difficult to open. Also, the amount of the three flavors is not equal, and some of the flavors are over-present in some of the bags. I wish they did this in other flavors, too. I've already bought 4 packages of these, and a bag disappear as soon as I share them, which doesn't always happens with other sweets my pals and I share. I will buy again.

Samsonite Wheeled Backpack Black/Charcoal (17896-1053)

I've been using this trolley backpack for several months now and, overall, I'm very satisfied with the product.

GOOD
> I have carried this during raining or drizzle days, the bag was really wet outside, but the water would not go inside or penetrate the fabric.
> The wheels show no signs of deterioration despite the fact that I use the bag every weekday to walk to/from work, average 80 minutes per day, minimum 40 minutes, over flat but textured rugged footpaths.
> I love the structure of the outside, with 2 side pockets and 3 front pockets in different sizes. You can fit tons of stuff in. The top one is small and perfect for your phone, or small items of make-up or a glasses case plus cleaner bottle for example. Second pouch is quite large and I can put, comfortably, an average umbrella and a small cardigan with room for more small items. The third pouch is medium size but, due to being closer to the ground, I use it to put hard cases (pen case for ex.), shopping folded plastic bags, batteries, charger, tissues, anything fabric. Side pockets are also very spacious and I put there tons of stuff, like deodorant, sun-block, tissues, make-up, muesli bars, small items of food or candy, etc.
> The handle has its own zipped space to keep all safe, and you can put extra stuff in there, too. This is specially good when I'm travelling and put the bag horizontally on a travel compartment, as it prevents the handle to protrude and get damaged or hit anyone.
> I love the fact that the shoulder straps are protected by a zipped coat, so they don't get out when walking. If you want to carry the bag on shoulders you can safely velcro it to the bottom of the bag.
> The structure inside is also good, especially the padded laptop pouch. Plenty of room for me to put my lunch container, coffee cup, water bottle, plus any other thing to add for my breaks.
> The fabric handle on the top of the bag is really strong and nicely padded, so it's very comfortable to carry and lift when the bag is full without the fear that it's going to break
> Excellent stitching all over.
> Good quality zips.

DOWNSIDE

> The main downside is that this bag is heavy even when empty, so I think that a child would struggle with this. I usually carry my umbrella, water bottle, coffee cup and lunch box as the bigger items there and the bag is heavy. If I put my laptop and electronics inside, it is really heavy.
> The handle shape. Bar is square shaped and a bit annoying to carry for long periods of time, as I do. The handle per se is supposed to be ergonomic but I don't find it as comfortable as others.
> The fine inner separator. It's too thin to hold anything strongly (perhaps small bunches of printed paper or a notepad), but it really annoys me when putting bulky things inside because it impedes natural insertion without you having to look inside and hold it.

OVERALL
Overall, this is a good-quality bag and good value for money.

4/02/2012

Officeworks Online Shop (Australia)


I recently ordered some Microsoft Software online from Officeworks, as the store in Perth city did not have it, and it was taking ages to get it from Sydney. I cancelled my order with the store and I put my order online, using their website, with great results and satisfaction.

The website is very easy to browse and to add items to your shopping cart. However, you have to register to be able to purchase, which is something that could easily be avoided if they had a "purchase as a guest" option; this also would certainly generate more business for them, as many people are put off by online registrations. Nevertheless, I am surprised at how serious they are, and the fact that you can customise your account so you don't receive any promotional mail/email. That is always a guarantee of seriousness to me. The only down is the tracking area, which does not show activity beyond the "order received". I don't call this a tracking device, but an "order received" device. A tracking device not only shows the receipt of the order, but also the dispatch of the parcels and the different transit spots of the same; this was never the case when I checked my account. That could be certainly improved; if you don't live in a city area or you put your order on a Friday evening, is takes about 4 days for your parcel to arrive, and you want to know if the parcel has been dispatched.

The website states that the delivery is done in the next two working days for free in city areas by courier if your over is over $55. I thought that, like in many other websites, the statement was a declaration of intentions, but they were actually right and serious about their commitment, and I got my items delivered on the same day. This has happened every time I have ordered. I am most impressed.


Officeworks offer some of the best prices for the office and school supplies in Australia, with frequent specials, clearings, and regular discount catalogues. What is more important, they offer a super-easy to shop online and get your order at home in time record. 

Actually, after my experience with the real store, I prefer their online service. That is a lot to say.

The only thing I don't like about the online store is their idiotic patronising censorship on reviews. No wonder most items don't have any.

Most recommended!


UPDATE JANUARY 2015

I still love Officeworks and I buy a good deal of staff online from them. The people on the phone at Customer Service are usually lovely, but there are a few issues that you have to beware of:
> You can be waiting for your call to be taken by a representative about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, you are bombarded with Officworks self-promotion. What happened to the right music being used? Or, "your call has progressed in the cue message"? Or the minimum period wait is X sort of message?  
> Customer Service can give you contradictory replies to the same question.
> They don't tell you aproximate time of delivery.

> They cannot contact the driver to tell you an approximate time of delivery either, or if they are going to be in the morning or afternoon. So you cannot leave your place unless you want your purchase to be leaved at your door and trust the Universe that nobody will take it.
> The delivery on the same day tick box is not  on view any longer. It used to be clearly visible. Now, the next business day delivery is used as a default, so bear that in mind.
> The track your order in your account is completely worthless and inaccurate. What is the point in having a tracking system that does not do just that?


UPDATE 3/12/2019


I've been buying from Officeworks for years having different local stores as home store where the supplies would be dispatched.

POSITIVES
> They free delivery minimum expenditure is low and easy to achieve.
> You can get your items delivered on the next day if you order a day ahead or that day before 11. I've done that multiple times and received my parcels in less than 24 hours.
> Pricing of products online is the same as products in store.
> Huge selection of items.
> Great return policies.
> Friendly delivery guys.
> Customer service operators on the phone have always been extremely kind and helpful.

NEGATIVES
> The main downside is that, depending on the store you set as your default, you will get a better or worse service. However, you can manually change that. I have done as one of the stores I used to provide me with supplies for my last relocation were sending wrong numbers or not sending them or double sending then. I changed the store, and problem solved.
> Office chairs used to be part of the next day delivery for free. However, that's not the case these days, and you have to pay 30+ bucks for being considered a bulky item, and next day delivery isn't guaranteed.
> There are online and local retailers selling some of the products they sell at cheaper prices, printer cartridges among them.

My experience is very positive overall.