Disappointment with Zeroshock III sleeves

I've had the 11 inch Zeroshock II sleeve for a couple of years now, for my 10.6" screen Fujitsu 7010D. I like how it is very protective while still being so thin. I have written positively here before about the Zeroshock sleeves.

So, I recently saw on the Shinza site the Zeroshock III sleeves. The main difference seemed to be that they have an accessory pouch on the outside. I liked that addition. Not that one can carry large accessories like an AC adaptor in such a pouch (that's not what a sleeve is for!), it's nice to carry some small accessories right with the notebook.

So, last week I splurged and ordered four Zeroshock III cases from Shinza, all in black like my II case. I bought a 14" for my new Sony SZ (the main one I was looking for), but I also bought a 12" case for a very old NEC laptop. I liked the idea of the pouch so much, that I even bought another 11" case to replace the Zeroshock II for the Fujitsu, to get the pouch. And I bought the accessory case. As the order was over $75, I got free shipping. With California sales tax, total almost $100.

I thought it would be just the same as the II case, with the addition of the pouch. But no, the material is very different, and it looks ugly! (There could be some of the same material inside, but it is not obvious outside or in.)

The outside is the most different. There is a very cheap looking vinyl outside covering. I don't know if that vinyl might rip or something, but it sure looks cheap. It is not a nice-looking case, as the II is. It does not look professional, but cheap. Not the nice jet black color of the II case either, but more of an ugly gray. (I think the white or orange colors would even look cheaper.)

Inside is some eggshell kind of material, common in good protective sleeves, but not the same as the interior of ZSII. I haven't measured it yet, but I would guess that the same notebook in the ZSIII case, without anything in the accessory pouch, will be thicker than in the ZSII case.

I am curious about others opinions. Do others agree (don't reply if you sell them) that ZSIII cases are ugly? In most respects a step down from ZSII, except for the convenience of the pouch.

I haven't decided whether to keep or return them. They are still a good protective sleeve, and I do like the accessory pouch, covering a full side of the case. I like the ability to keep the case on while using the notebook. (Although that could help with protection if the notebook falls off your lap while using it, I wonder though, if it would keep the notebook too hot whiel in use, without enough ventilation, and therefore could shorten its life? Opinions?) But I cannot get used to their look and feel.

If I saw these ZSIII cases in a store, no way I would buy them. It's always a hassle to pack up and ship stuff for online returns, so I'm not sure if I'll do so or not.

By the way, while writing about them, I will correct an error I made in writing about these cases before. I wrote that they were made by Shinza.com, who seems to be their main distributor here in the US. Many people seem to have that misconception. In looking at the packaging, however, I see they are made by a company in Japan called Elecom. I looked at their web site, at www.elecom.co.jp. They list distributors in Europe and Asia, but none at all in the USA! (I wonder why? I would think the US is the largest laptop market.) Therefore, both Shinza, and what seems to be the only other seller of these cases in the USA, an ebay seller who some recommend on this site, are neither official distributors, and must both get the cases in some unofficial way.

That said, for anyone buying these cases, I'd still recommend Shinza over the ebay guy, as the prices charged are the same, but ebay guy charges a little more for shipping. (And I don't think any free shipping offer, such as I got from Shinza.) Also, ebay vendor only has a 7 day return policy, which I think is ridiculous! Shinza has standard 30 day return policy, and in fact I may return these. If I bought from Ebay, I may not be able to return them in time.

Back on topic--I noticed that the Shinza site still has some Zeroshock II cases available, as well as the III series. For anyone thinking of buying one of these cases, if unlike me, you don't care about an accessory pouch, I would recommend the ZS II instead.

Curious to hear other's opinions of ZSIII. Do you agree it's an ugly cheap-looking case?

 

Elecom is a huge brand here in Japan, kinda like Belkin or Targus(but with a larger range of products). You see them in most computer stores and computer departments, but it's YMMV(Your Milage May Vary) with their products. Some are great, some aren't. They're not a niche player, but rather an accessory giant.

The reason they don't list any distributors in the US is because they would be competing with Belkin and Targus. Likewise, you don't see B&T out unless you take a trip to a computer district(such as Akihabara). Besides, the market isn't any larger in the U.S. than asia. I see more people sitting out at starbucks on one of the ultraportables(which Japan has been doing for alot longer than the U.S.) than in the states, though wifi isn't as common(due to the proliferation of netcafes. Either that or there's signs all over the place in Kanji that say "Free wifi"... And I can't read 'em)

 

Not sure if you read Shinza's policy or not, but:

Also, regarding the Zeroshock II sleeves, which are not in stock as I'm typing this, those looked to be on clearance at Shinza, meaning they were not eligible for refund.

 

Looking at their web site, they don't seem to have the same range of accessories as Targus, Belkin, or (you forgot) Kensington. (Aren't those brands available in Japan?)

But I don't see why they would avoid selling in the States due to fear of competing with those firms. The fact that there are US auto manufacturers, did not stop the Japanese auto companies from coming and competing. And at one time there was an American electronics industry, which now has been all but taken over by the Japanese. Besides, I don't think any of the companies you mention, although they make a lot of laptop cases, make anything at all similar to the Zeroshock sleeves. (I have seen other good protective sleeves, but not from any of those companies, which only make the squishy not-very-protective sleeves, and none with any kind of similar design to the Zeroshocks, AFAIK.)

Does anyone know of any cases similar in design to the Zeroshocks, i.e thin sleeves that zip all around the notebook, that the notebook can be used in, but made out of a strong protective material? Or to clarify that--like the Zeroshock II, but with an accessory pouch? (Which is what I thought the ZSIII would be.)

 

A quote you had about restocking fees doesn't appear above. Yes, restocking fees suck! By the way, the Ebay vendor selling these cases also has restocking fees, and as I wrote, only 7 days to return, which is just about impossible.

If I return them, I'll try to talk the Shinza folks out of the restocking fees, as the only difference they told me between II and III was the pouch, and they are actually quite different in other ways. It is a different case from what I thought I was ordering. If I return them in perfect resellable condition, hopefully they'll give me a full refund.

Anyone here dealt with returns to Shinza.com?

Still curious to hear whether others share my opinion of Zeroshock 3? (Or could this just be a new batch, different from the earlier ZS3s?)

 

Hmm, no idea why it isn't showing for you. Here it is without the

 

I don't see why were fighting about who is a better buy. Shinza or Ebay Seller Yap...

Sure, some people prefer websites over peer to peer sales (Ebay) but with the 30% cash back offer, which now is 25%, people are saving a bit buying from the Ebay seller.

I will post links in my ZShock III Post to both sellers!

 

Yup they are a major brand but I am not a fan of them here in Japan as well. They do sell some products in the States under the name "Rockfish"

 

Rockfish? Rocketfish? Like the cooler from best buy?(not that I've stepped into a best buy for 2 years, since I haven't gotten conus since I've gotten here)

As for the range, yeah, they do. Elecom makes tons of stuff, even if they don't list it all. A little under half of the random stuff you find in a computer dept at any laox is prolly Elecom. As for the competition, it's just not worth it. They can't compete once they export their stuff because their price will always be higher(on what is already pretty low price stuff). They'd have to make a new brand(apparently rockfish or somesuch. I take that on faith because X2P is local and has more recent conus experience) and they can't just immediately move over their entire line.

But I digress...

I've had a good mousepad and a crappy flash reader from them. Oh, and a crappy gamepad(went with logicool afterwards. Hehe, logitech is cool!)

 

Maiki just can't seem to let it go. Reminds me of the slow kid that keeps poking the big dog through the fence, and then cries because the dog jumps over the fence and bites him.

Personally, I like Yap. He has served me well. If Maiki prefers Shinza, that's cool. I don't know why he feels the need to trash Yap, other than to either make himself feel better, or because he is getting a kickback from Shinza for "free press."

Still don't understand why he can't resist turning this into a war.

 

For the record, I love my Zeroshock III sleeves. Brought my Acer Aspire One to work the other day, and aside from the oohs and ahhs the Acer got, there were some good comments from people on the Zeroshock sleeve.

 

PS The 10 inch Zeroshock DOES in fact fit the Acer Aspire One with 6 cell battery. No need to buy the 11 inch sleeve, and have excess space.

 

Yup same brand just renamed.

Personally I am more of a fan of their competitor Sanawa. I find overall products are better quality.

 

No, not a better deal. He also charges restocking fees, so what is better about it? (And I don't think there is the full store credit available as with Shinza.) And I'll repeat--a 7 day return policy is ridiculous.

 

"Built", it is quite clear that you are the same person as Yap. Why don't you be upfront about it--your use of this board for free advertising.

Oh, sure I'm getting paid by Shinza--to write that their cases suck, and that their restocking fee policy sucks.

But it is clear, that what you are doing on this board is nothing but advertising. Your posts all read like advertising for Zeroshock sold by Yap.

Nope, I didn't write this post to "start a war", regarding which seller of a particular product is better than another. The facts on that speak for themself.

Look at the thread title. I wrote this thread to express my disappointment with the ZS III sleeve (although I liked the ZS II), and to see if others had similar perceptions. I'm sure you don't like seeing that, as it could hurt your sales, so you change the subject to make the thread about one seller vs. another, trying to change the focus of the thread to being about me "trying to start a war", hoping that people will not notice what I said about the cases. Nice try at diversion, Yap. Didn't work.

The details of what I wrote about the product-the materials, etc., don't seem to be discussed in the follow-up posts--just a barrage of advertisement for a seller, trying to make this thread an argument about sellers. That's not what this thread was about.

Back on topic--Who else finds the ZS III case ugly? Who else has bought one and been disappointed? (I sure wish I had only bought one! Due to liking ZSII, and the new feature of the accessory pocket, I bought $100 worth of cases from them, which I now regret.)

In fact, considering that there seem to be only two sellers of this product in the U.S., and both charge restocking fees on returns, I would recommend that people not buy this case, unless you have actually seen one in person (like on a friend's computer--you won't see one in a store), and are sure you like it. Even if you have seen and liked ZSII, as I did, be aware that ZS III is very different.

I'd certainly prefer if this thread went away from being an argument about who is the better (or worse) seller of a crappy product, back to a discussion of the product itself, and the changes from the earlier model.

In any case (pun unintentional ), i have found other cases I like better (I'll write later about them), and will be contacting Shinza about returns. I'll report here whether I was able to get the restocking fee waived or not. (If anyone else reading has experience with returns to Shinza, please share.)

 

Not important, just to clarify--Christine--yes, your quote from the Shinza web site appeared in the post I was reading. However, when I replied quoting you, your quote from Shinza didn't appear (perhaps I should have selected "multi-quote"), so in that empty space, I mentioned that your quote wasn't appearing in my quote of you. That's all. Yes, your quote of Shinza showed in your post, no problem.

 

Please note in my OP--I stipulated--sellers of this product please do not respond.

You clearly are the Ebay seller of Zeroshock , Yap, and your writing here is advertising, and trying to divert attention from any loss to sales from my stated disappointment with the ZSIII cases.

Jaycee8980 may well be another pseudonym for Yap. Look at the total posts by both writers, and see what percentage of them are about ZS sleeves and Yap.

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In any case, after pointing that out, I hope this thread can go back on track, and to hear others (who are not salesmen for this case) perceptions of it. Also, anyone who has had experience with returns to Shinza.

 

Yap charges a 10% restocking fee while Shinza charges 20% restocking or gives you store credit. Sorry, but regardless of the return time period, I find it to be a better deal when I can get back 90% of my money instead of 80% or getting 100% store credit from a retailer where I'm not completely satisfied with their products. Full store credit is nice, but what does it matter if you don't want to buy anything else from them. Your money is stuck with them. Bad deal to me.

Anyway, this is my last say on this so that your thread will eventually get bumped out of sight and your witch hunt will end.

I have also added you to my ignore list so you don't have to bother replying to me (or accusing me of being Yap's 3rd online personality) and you can enjoy your weekend.

 

All I have to say is that "Maiki" is absolutely insane, and obviously, has some major baggage.

I live in Los Angeles, and have no connection to Yap (other than my being a repeat, and satisfied, customer of his.) Yap, based on the return labels I have received on his shipments, lives in the Dallas area.

"Maiki"s got some issues.

 

BRAVO and AMEN!!!