$75 tablets: Too good to be true?

This past Christmas season was the year of the tablet. Everyone wanted one and millions of people, including many children, found one in their stocking.

But now some of their parents are having buyers remorse after trying to save money and make their kids happy.

Searched Online for Discount Tablets

Stephanie Pence's young daughters love playing with tablets. But a $500 iPad was out of the question given their finances.

So this budget-watching mom did what many of us do: she searched online.

"I Googled 'cheap tablets' and came up with a website called Everbuying.Com," she said.

So Pence ordered two Android tablets from the website for $75 each so that each of her girls would have one.

The tablets arrived in time for the holidays, so It seemed like a great deal. That is, until Spence's daughters started using them.

Problems From Day One

"We noticed the speaker was busted on one of them," she said. "It made a crackling noise."

While the first one had a bad speaker, the second a bad charging jack.

"The port on this second one, it doesn't want to charge," she said.

Pence decided to contact Everbuying.com for an exchange, but then learned the company is in China.

She says she got little help from its web chat line.

"I was hoping to find someplace else I could go to exchange it, or even a refund," she said.

Pence says the company told her it would not issue a refund, but that she could mail them back to China, at her expense for an exchange or store credit.

We tried to help, but received no response to two emails to the company.

Everbuying.com has an "F" rating from the Better Business Bureau for numerous unanswered complaints. The BBB has an alert on the business, saying mail to its US address (in California) comes back as Returned to Sender.

In addition, if you Google "Everbuying.com complaint," you will find page after page of similar stories.

The Bottom Line

Pence has a message for anyone trying to save on a tablet for their kids: Beware cheap ones from retailers you have never heard of.

"I guess its kind of a you get what you pay for," she said.   

If you are looking at low-priced tablets, your best bet is to buy from a local or reputable online retailer -- such as Best Buy, Target, or Amazon -- that has a clear return policy if you have any problems.

And remember, the cheaper, the more potential for trouble.

That way you don't waste your money.

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