It’s time for the Friday Review! I hope everyone had a FANTASTIC week.
About a month ago, Green Gear looked at an $18 Klean Kanteen, which if you aren’t aware is the Eco-chic product out there. They can be seen at Vegan Stores and Trader Joes everywhere! Last week I went downtown and counted 17 of them, no joke.
My review of the green “standard” wasn’t kind. I gave it 1 out of 5 Gears. Other than offering a green benefit, i found it lacking in every other category. It was too expensive, it had a sweating problem, and if you wanted to “improve” its poor state you had to pay for a better lid or a carrier. Shame on them!
Fast Forward to about a week ago (huh?), I get an email from Trish over at EcoCanteen.org. They’re little company looking to eliminate the use of plastic bottles by selling stainless bottles at a great price. They’re sold in a very “as seen on TV” way… they even have a shamwow like ad on the website. Check it out.
They sent over some of their products for testing and I’ve been using it for a week. Despite my earlier hate of the Klean Kanteen, I can fully recommend the EcoCanteen. Why? Am I a Trend Hater? Well yes!, but No, that’s not why.
First. The Eco Canteen is less than $10 before shipping and handling. For that price you get the Full Size Canteen. Not the little baby one. Other than a painted exterior enamel that is put on the Klean Kanteen the Eco Canteen is stainless with the ecocanteen logo? Now, since it’s just about the same product and made of the same material (food grade stainless steel) it still sweats. But you know what? Eco Canteen includes a free neoprene tote. Yes that’s right. Included IN THE PRICE (you pay S&H) you get something that the other kanteen wants to charge you for.
In addition each screwtop includes a carabiner so you can attach it to your bag… A small little feature that is very thoughtful.. Why not do it?
So if I’m comparing the two, which I am, the Eco Canteen is as expensive, has more features, and keeps plastic bottles for taking a 700 year dirt nap in our landfills.
Here is the Video Review.
Update 5/12/2009: In addition to the numerous comments below as well as on the youtube video page, I’ve received many emails directly telling me of less than pleasant experiences with the people who sell ecocanteen. People have also voiced concern over what they feel are excessive shipping and handling expenses. First, the review above is of the product only. These were sent to me and I had no dealing with the customer service of ecocanteen. Since I have not had personal experience I will not render a judgement on that aspect of the customer experience, as that would be unfair. I cannot verify the statements in the comments to be fact. Similarly, I cannot repudiate these experiences. But, I can recommend that you take them into consideration in your own way, using them as you would in other similar situations. On the issue of price, I am at fault for claiming that this product is cheaper to the consumer, it is my understanding now that the total cost (product plus shipping and handling) is roughly 18-20. This represents a price in line with klean kanteen, but more than no name store brands. As it stands today, the ecocanteen is not a “bargain.” When I upgrade to my next series of criteria and rescore all my reviews I will likely reduce ecocanteen one gear (the price one). I do this with all products at the same time but wanted to indicate here sooner as this page sees more hits. Also, as a general statement to the producer and consumer of this product. This product is a “green” product being sold through the “as seen on TV” ethos. This means that in the “as seen on TV” world rules, expectations, and pricing is different. In that set of rules it is okay to make money off of shipping because that is just what happens. To the “green” consumer, authenticity, and communicated practices are highly important. The two are not in concert. If ecocanteen wants to have “green cred” they’ll need to accomidate, in some ways, the expecatations of this culture… Similarly, green consumers will have to be more atune to buying products in unfamiliar marketplaces (TV). That is all, longer of an “update” than a review. Thanks for visiting Green Gear and go check out my other reviews… they’re good!
RATING: 4 out of 5 Gears for Variable Eco Benefit, Value, Quality / Design, and Being the best Stainless Steel Waterbottle I’ve seen.
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{ 56 comments… read them below or add one }
Be very careful doing business with the Eco Canteen folks. I ordered online and was stuck paying an additional $4.95 freight charge for the “free” insulated carrier, bringing the total cost to $20. You’re hit with a bunch of SPAM following the order and although declining everything I saw I had a credit card authorization show up the same day for Savings2Go.com, which I did not authorize. Buyer beware!
Thanks for the heads up MC. I’ll be considering taking a “value” gear off due to the freight charge. The spam and savings2go.com thing is not good. 100% not good. Sad to hear.
I bought this canteen after seeing the ad online, and I have no complaints. The total did end up around 19 dollars, but that includes shipping and handling and the free neoprene sleeve. I haven’t received any spam from them – or their affiliates so I can say that in my opinion this truly is a value. I received mine in just under a week, even though it does say when you order it that it can be up to 3 weeks before receiving it. Usually, they ask for more costs in shipping to get this canteen. I will however say that walgreens has a canteen about the same size with no markings on it for 3.99. I didn’t discover this until after – but there are also no garuntees about the material it’s made from. Id rather spend the extra money on this one personally, because of the sleeve and the nifty carabiner
Thanks for the reply mollie.. Nice to hear you had a positive experience, I was becoming worried. Thanks for stopping by!
Hi,
This is my first time on your site. I am doing a little research on the eco canteen because I am interested in buying stainless bottle for the whole family–four of us. What bothers me about this product is they RAVE about the low price, but really get you for the shipping and handling. At $20 per bottle that is $80 for a family of four, and I am a stay at home Mom. $80 is a weeks worth of groceries! Also the fact that they charge SO MUCH for the S&H is a factor. I mean yes, you get a free carrier, but there is no way it would cost $40. to send 4 bottles. So it seems like they are misrepresenting themselves. They are no more affordable than the next company. Oh and one more thing–the only way to buy them IS on the website, so you are limited. If I thought writing the company would do any good I would in a heartbeat, but since I am sure I would be ignored, I wrote you to vent instead. Keep up the good work and if you find another stainless bottle that is a little more affordable let me know!
I ordered 4 eco canteens was billed 93.46 every item free or not has a shipping charge of $4.95. I an in the process of cancelling this order and going to Walgreens.
Yikes Kathy! jeez..
A couple of things: First of all, all of the companies offering products on TV make the bulk of their profits from shipping charges (which are higher than they actually pay an of the major carriers) That is a fact (Let’s just say I have the “inside scoop” from a large shipping company who deals with fulfillment houses handling many of these products.) But there is nothing we can do about that and if we truly want the product, we deal with it, right?
Second: I need to ask if anyone is having a problem with the metallic after taste of many of these products. I picked up a SubZero stainless waterbottle at a Stop&Shop for just under $10. I have soaked it in vinegar and water, which helped quite a bit, but there is still a trace of the metallic taste. Very unappealing. Did you or anyone experience this with the Eco Canteen? A friend has a SIGG water bottle and she claims there is no after taste at all, but those are around $30 a piece.
The metallic aftertaste is one of the reasons I am not a fan of these as product category.. to me the taste is unavoidable whenever the metal hits your mouth ( I personally hate it on my teeth) … not a hit against the product, just a personal preference of mine…
I ordered an ecocanteen and then they told me it would take 4-6 weeks to be shipped. That is absurd. There are many similar bottles on ebay for much less that ship immediately. I have since heard other bad things about the ecocanteen. They refuse to cancel my order. My advice: shop around.
Just watched your review and agree with you that it appears to be a good product. As for dealing with EcoCanteen….I began an order 2 days ago and didnt complete it …or at least I thought I had cancelled. As a previous commenter said…my credit card was authorized in minutes after closing the web page. The original mistake was made on the weekend and when I called to cancel on Monday morning I was told the order had shipped and they would not cancel!! I was also told that there would be a 15% restock fee and return shipping would be at my expense!! I will be calling UPS tomorrow to find out what refusal of the shipment would accomplish but am guessing I will lose at least 15% on the deal!!
As you may have guessed…I am a very dissatisfied customer and havent even recieved the product yet!! LET THE BUYER BEWARE!!!!!!!
Thanks for listening!
Kent
I agree with the above comments. BUYER BEWARE. The eco website does not let you check shipping costs until after you order. After you place your quantity in your basket you arebugged for additional sales items that add to the order. I just got two $9.99 bottles and my order came to over $51. I put this web site into the scam category.
Lastly, I buy a lot online and most places provide a confirmation page prior to placing your order. This company just orders the product and dares you to cancel.
I’m trying to find out where Eco Canteens are made. Can you tell me if they are made in America or China?
thanks
Me, too – WHERE ARE THESE MADE? I don’t want to buy one, find out it’s from China and end up with something that is leaching toxins into the water or whatever. ARE ANY OF THESE USA MADE????
I’ve looked far and wide. For the purposes of discussion they are ALL made in China, especially the newer ones.
There might be one or two made in North America, but literally, I haven’t seen one that isn’t made in China. You buy these puppies off of made in china sites and can have them branded / colored any way you want. Chinese Steel is roughly 50% the cost of US Steel.
If you’re looking for a “fixed” reduced footprint from these you’re probably gonna end up being unsatisfied, the benefit here is in reducing the use of disposable one use bottles. As for toxins, Most if not all food you buy and liquids you drink are cooked, processed, brewed, and made on, in, or through steel. Most of that steel is Chinese. So I’m guessing if their steel is unsafe, that ship has likely sailed.
Hope this all helps and if ANYONE finds a US made water bottle I’d really like to know so I can check it out.
I found these comments really helpful. I, too, received a sample from Eco Canteen and have had no interaction with their customer service but it is good to know there are issues to be aware of. I also hadn’t encountered the pricing / shipping either. I’ll refer my readers back to your site so they have a balanced perspective
I am glad I looked here first. I was just about to order from the Eco Canteen website last night, then noticed that I had to input my credit card info before being given a total amount due. I decided to look into it further before purchasing. After reading several reviews, I will not be ordering Eco Canteen, that is, unless their S&H fees are reduced. I will look around, and probably get stainless steel water bottles from Walgreens.
I was going to order but changed my mind. Costco has H20zone stainless steel water bottles 27oz 800ml, 2 for 19.99… they are complete stainless steel including the lid where the eco canteen you had to pay extra 7.95 each to get the lid stainless steel. I do wish they had a child’s size though.
I was so interested in getting these slick bottles to replace the daily disposables ones but in the end I went with a kor one BPA free bottles. Actually I went with 4 of them (3 of them were part of a groomsmen gift box). I bought these and was on thier waiting list and they were nice enough to overnight a pre-production set to me since my wedding was sooner than thier official release date. I’ve had mine since October 17th, 2008 and have been using it daily. Last week I accidently dropped it while being completely full (so it was a bit heavy due to the water/ice in it) and it just happen to land at a funny angle and the top hinge broke. I called to see if I could buy the top part since it wasn’t a manufacture’s defect and they told me they’d send me a replacement one, and if I wanted to choose a different color as they didn’t offer color choices when I got my first order. Sure enough 2 days later there was my package with my new bottle. These people are great and I always get stopped either here at work or wherever I go with it by people asking where I got my bottle or how cool it is. I highly recommend if you’re considering a metal bottle to look at these as well.
I too am looking for a stainless steel water bottle made in the USA. So far no luck. The best I’ve found is SIGG stainless steel bottles. They are double insulated, a little pricey, and made in Switzerland. Be sure you’re buying a stainless steel bottle as they also make aluminum water bottles.
Perhaps the ship has sailed on getting products free of toxins from steel products made in China, but with the many issues we’re had with products from China, ranging from kids toys full of lead paint to poisoned pet food, I now go out of my way to avoid any product made there.
I hope everyone does the same for the sake of their health and the health of their families.
Very interesting read. I’ve been contemplating steel bottles for a few weeks. We live aboard our small vesssel, into which we have installed a water filter for drinking. Storing it in the fridge poses problems. Glass on a ship is a bit of a no-no, and up until now I have been recycling the plastic bottles…. not ideal as they still leach all those crazy, harmful chems.
In my search I’ve come across LDPE (#4), or Low Density Polyethylene #4 – the number denotes the fact it is a recycled product. I’d still be concerned about the use of this plastic. What research has there been done in connection to contents, temperature changes and leaching. It may not be BPA’s.. but it may be something as equally noxious? Has there been any at all?
Meanwhile, Walgreen’s is looking better all the time.
Last night, I called the TV advertised number and ordered four Eco Canteens. After completing my order, I did not get a total amount due. I made the mistake of using my debit card to make the purchase, so there isn’t much I can do about that except dispute the charge once it is posted at my bank (which I will do).
This morning, I called Customer Service at Eco Canteen. At first, I had to leave a message (some Customer Service), but when I called back later, I talked to a real person (how nice). I was told that there was no information available on my order since it was placed so late at night (I placed it around midnight, MST), and no information on my order would be available until tomorrow, Thursday, and that I should call back then. The CS Rep was very pleasant, and informed me that I should be able to cancel my order before it ships. While I as talking to the CS Rep, I checked the cost of the items I ordered to try to find out the damage to my debit card:
Four stainless steel bottles @ $9.99 EACH = $39.96. Shipping and handling @ $5.95 EACH times 4 = $23.80. Shipping and handling for the four sleeves @ $4.95 EACH times 4 = $19.80. Total due for a six-week to eight-week delivery = $83.56. Plus, the “interactive voice machine” (IVM) asked if I wanted a quick delivery of one to two weeks, to which I responded “yes” and the IVM told me it would cost me more shipping and handling fees–something like $7.95. So-o-o-o, my $9.99 Chinese stainless steel bottles will cost me around $91.51.
Also, all that spam after ordering was a HUGE pain in the tushie! As many times as I responded “NO,” the IVM kept asking–again, and again, and again–ad nauseam! A “no, is a no, is a no.”
When I saw the ad on TV, I thought these bottles would be a good to have, especially at the price being offered. Since I’ve been through their IVM ordering process, and since I cannot alter my order (I do not need or want four sleeves), I do not want their product. I’m going to continue to “try” to get this order canceled and take my business elsewhere.
Too bad for Eco Canteen. Too bad for me that I did not see this site before I ordered.
Well thaaank you for all this great information on ecocanteen. I was just about to order one. I really appreciate all who gave their opinion. My opinion I don’t want the cost or especially the hassell . I think I will pass on this good deal.
I wanted to be more eco friendly so i ordered eco canteen and to my surprise the shipping charges were of the roof and customer service was the worst in the world her name was Trisha. they forgot to add my apartment number and instead of shipping the bottles ground they shipped it Basic so they could save and screw me over.
Ups doesnt make second attempts on on Basic shippments and so i am at their mercy. I do not recomend anyone to buy from the website, they dont stand behind their product at all especially when they mess up.
Well this company is just great. I ordered 3 canteens 2 adult and 1 child (with the stainless steel lids and the water bottle tops). my bill was 107.00 I get the shipment within 6 days because I paid for extra shipping. Just the three bottles were in it and I was billed $60.00 and change. I called and Trish who must be part owner in this jerk-water company tells me that my tops and sports bottle tops were on back order and when they come in they would bill out for them and send them out. Today I get the second package and its the full order I check my cc and see I was billed 107.00 so I call and Trish insists that I had two orders and to get a refund I must send the ones I dont want back. I ask her what kind of company they are running and see starts to get smart with me. So I explain that I only placed one order and that her little hole in the wall company has no idea of how to do bussiness needless to say this goes on for a few more minutes and then she says have a nice day and hangs up.
I see that her company dose not care about being green just the green that they make.
Please dont buy from this company I should have researched it more.
Tom
I was interested in purchasing stainless steel bottles for drinking water, I checked out the eco canteen website and saw an immediate red flag. A reputable and consumer friendly web site will utilize a “shopping cart” which allows the consumer to add and remove items and see a final total including shipping and handling and tax BEFORE entering any credit card info. If the consumer decides not to make the purchase the shopping cart can simply be emptied or abandoned. The fact that the eco canteen web site requires credit card info on the first screen is a major red flag, I would never make a purchase by giving someone my credit card first and then getting the final total after they finished charging me.
I am also curious as to what type of plastic the lid is made from, I did not see any info on that.
OMG. I am so glad i googled this baby. A few weeks ago i was scammed by an internet based company for the first time since i’ve been online. It was very much like the eco canteen deal, except they were selling a service. I ended up with an unauthorized charge of over $70. and the initial charge plus foreign fees on my card! I am still fighting this and found out online i am not the only one.
But to get back to eco canteen. I too, thought it sounded great on tv. So i searched online and was taken aback by the immediate request for my card # and other information. Thus, i googled ‘eco canteen scam’ and here i am. Thanks to all who have been scammed and posted here. I wouldn’t mind paying $20 for a nice bottle and koozie. But the way this company conducts business really smells. I think the person who said they are just taking bad advice is wrong. A third grader could see the way they are conducting business is unethical. This is no mistake, imo.
“In that set of rules it is okay to make money off of shipping because that is just what happens.” Okay…
Don’t buy ECOCANTEEN, shipping costs makes this product the most expensive product on the market. It’s a con to get you in with a cheap price then double the price with shipping costs. The CEO should be fired for lieing to the public.
I am looking for information, I hope you can help. What is the difference between the aluminum sports bottles marketed as green and the stainless steel ones? Additionaly in production of these bottles are the tops (necks) welded to the bottles in production and if they are welded instead of one piece are they welded with lead in the same manner of aluminum cans used for food, with a coating over the weld?
Additionaly how can these items be declared green when they leave a carbon footprint with shipping from China.
FYI I will gladly pay twice the price for one made in America. The piece of mind alone in the production is well worth it. When purchasing anything made in a country where they made unsafe childrens toys containing lead, my confidence is non existance.
I bought one, just one and went through about 10 pages of clicking ‘no’ on the extras.
It was fine till I left it in the fridge a few days to cool the water. My fridge made it a bit too cold and I stopped leaving it in there. Even since then the water I put in tastes extremely metalic and makes my throat hurt. It didnt do that before. I always use a triple water filter and it never tasted metalic even when I used other water containers.
Planet Zero Gravity sells eco-friendly stainless steel bottles that help reduce plastic pollution and save you money. They are wide mouth and are great to take where ever you go. The new 17 oz stainless steel has two tops and is a perfect fit for bike’s and kayaks. Planet Zero Gravity also carries a 1 liter wide mouth stainless steel bottle that is popular with athletes. Planet Zero Gravity has a flat price with NO SHIPPING costs. (NO Gimmicks) The owners are outdoor enthusiasts and have tested the bottles on the trail, track and road.
Try one today and you will never have to buy another plastic water bottle again!
I attempted to order 1 canteen however when I clicked the final purchase button instead of charging me $9.99 + shipping, the total rang up as over $40!!!! Then I was told had to call back next day to cancel order and the customer service rep ‘Trish’ was very rude. I would suggest trying somewhere else, this reeks of scam
This is a HORRIBLE WEBSITE! Do not do any business with EcoCanteen! Although the bottle is inexpensive the shipping costs and confusing ordering process are not worth the advertised price. Be extremely careful if you do decide to buy from EcoCanteen because there was no order preview at the end and you can not go back and fix your order at the end. Then you are stuck with extremely bad customer service that is only open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. eastern time, so if you live on the west coast you are screwed if you have obligations during the day. Also the customer service “Trish” is extremely non-helpful and it is hard to get a hold of any help. At the end I need to return the parts of the bottle that I did not mean to order and it is a 15% restock charge… so for a $81 dollar order that was only meant to be a $9.99 water bottle this was a COMPLETE SCAM!
After a few months of procrastinating I finally decided to purchase some stainless steel water bottles to replace the plastic bottles I have been reusing. After eliminating several companies for various reasons I decided to purchase one bottle from FOF Bottles (fofbottles.com) and one from Planet Zero Gravity (planetzerogravity.com). The 550 ml botttle at FOF Bottles is $10.95, not until I got to the last part of the checkout was $6.50 added for S&H (total $17.45), annoyed by the unexpectedly high S&H I cancelled the order before being charged.
The 0.5 liter Unpainted Stainless Steel Water Bottle with Stainless Steel Cap at Planet Zero Gravity is $15.99. Below the item it clearly states: price includes free shipping. I was billed exactly $15.99 through PayPal, no hidden or extra charges. The bottle arrived several days later, I have been using it daily for about a week to take with me to work and so far I am happy with the bottle. No metallic taste and the lid seals tight, no leaks. One caveat: the sticker on the bottom says made in china, but I think most others are too.
Take a look at Dr. Mercola’s site about these so called safer water bottles.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/10/31/More-Safe-Water-Bottles-that-Are-Actually-Dangerous.aspx
It appears that Trish, Director of Customer Service for Eco Canteen needs to take a Customer Service course. Her answers are rapid and curt. Two calls and both were horrible. Per her comment, she reports to no one, and would not provide any additional information on contacts of the other three company employees as it is a private company and I have no need to contact them. I ordered one, my screen print shows on for the order, they sent five, Trish states “her” information says five, and I would have to return the four at my expense. No exceptions.
When I inquired about my complaint E-mail trish stated they have not received one. I have a confirmation that the E-Mail I sent was received at the E-mail address she provided. Strangely, http://www.ecocanteencustomerservice.com can not be recognized by misrosoft Outlook as a valid web address.
I would caution, based on my experience, with dealing with this company. I am contacting the Illinois Attorney Generals Fraud Division and Better Business Bureau to lodge a complaint, and since Eco-Canteeen ships from Connecticut, with the Connecticut Attorney general and Better Business Bureaus. LET THE BUYER BEWARE.i
Hello,
This is EcoCanteen Customer Service. We have read this blog and have noted that there are some frustrations, particularly with the order process and the pricing. To better clear this up, we want to address these points.
The web platform and order process that EcoCanteen uses is identical to almost every Infomercial or Direct Response TV (DRTV) product advertised. There are three major companies in the United States that design, build and maintain websites for most of these companies. We use the largest of these firms to design and host Ecocanteen.com.. DRTV websites, like Ecocanteen.com, commonly have a simple landing page that shows the commercial, gives details about the product advertised, displays all pricing and shipping/handling costs, and has an order form. Once customers complete their purchase by clicking the “Process Order” button at the bottom of EcoCanteen.com, they are taken to a series of other product pages where they can add additional items to their order. After several pages, which all display the pricing and shipping/handling, the customer sees their receipt page.
Our prices are clearly stated on the home page of http://www.ecocanteen.com. The EcoCanteen is $9.99 plus $5.95 shipping/handling and comes with a bonus insulated tote plus the shipping of $4.95. All together one adult bottle with an insulated tote comes to $20.89, which is less than Klean Kanteen and other competitors we’ve price checked, and their prices do not include a tote. Customers are also asked if they would like to upgrade to a deluxe model that has a stainless steel lid and lifetime guarantee for an additional $7.95 each. The Kid’s EcoCanteen is $8.95 plus $4.95 shipping/handling and $4.95 shipping/handling for the tote. Never Spill Pull Tops (sports lids) are $4.95 and have no Shipping and Handling. And there is also an offer for rush shipment which is a flat rate of $7.84 in addition to the regular Shipping and Handling.
If you would like to contact EcoCanteen with a question, comment, or for help with a Customer Service issue we encourage you to visit us at http://www.ecocanteencustomerservice.com. The site offers FAQs and our Customer Service phone number.
Thank You,
The EcoCanteen Customer Service Team
I just went to longdrugs and bought a ecocanteen. I was very surprised to see the bottle was on a discount and was marked down 2 bucks(from 10 to 8 dollars). After this discount i used my savings card to get a another 2 dollar mark down, meaning i got a bottle costing 10 dollars to a bargain at 6 bucks(holy sh*t).Im very happy about it and its doing good so far. I hope it will last another 10 years. – Alvin
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Ordered two canteens but never received them, however I was billed for them. I sent multiple e-mails never heard back then I began calling the company after about 6 weeks from purchase date. I received many messages about them not being able to take my call and to call back. Finally after almost two months trying to reach the company I got in contact with their one and only customer service manager “Trish”. Trish was very rude to say the least. She stated I gave the wrong address but her records showed I received the canteens. When I questioned this statement she hung up on me. I called back many times and soon as I idenitfied my self she hung up on me. Finally she did give me the address where the canteens were sent to so I called the post office of that city and they had no idea what I was talking about. The post office asked for a tracking number. So when I tried to get the tracking number from the company the same thing happened Trish continued to hang up on me multiple times soon as I identified myself. I got my husband and daughter to call on my behalf and she lied to them and told them they had the wrong number even though the begining message was for the Eco Canteen company. I still have not received my canteens or a tracking number. So, if anyone could help please let me know. However, comsumers beware!!!!
Why is anyone still ordering from this company?
If all of the negative reviews above do not convince you not to order from them then maybe the F rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB.org/us/) will.
Direct link:
http://www.bbb.org/charlotte/business-reviews/product-sales-general/eco-canteen-in-charlotte-nc-216618
Dana Adams, the Sigg stainless steel line is made in Asia, take a better look at their website and youll see it. I have been searching for a stainless steel waterbottle made somewhere other than China or Asia but no luck. Their aluminum line is made in switzerland though.
The FOF Bottle Company is proud to offer our FOF bottles as a clean reusable alternative to the single use plastic bottles. We have a single goal; to provide the highest quality stainless steel bottles that are easy to hold, good for the planet, promote healthy living and are affordable for families.
FOF (pronounced how it’s spelled) is an acronym for “For Our Future … For Our Family … For Our Friends.”
All FOF bottles are made of high-quality, food grade #304 (18/8) stainless steel. It’s that simple; they’re completely BPA-free, won’t leach any scary chemicals or toxins and don’t require any type of special inside lining like some other bottles. All caps are made of food grade polypropylene which also are completely BPA-free and independently FDA certified (not too many companies go to that extreme).
All FOF bottles come in single-wall 750 ml capacity with a brushed stainless or bright (mirror-like) polished finished and a smaller 500 ml finished in either deep midnight blue or pink. They are 100% recyclable, dishwasher friendly, eco-friendly and, quite simply, one of the classiest designs on the market today!
All bottles are designed with a large bottleneck opening for 2 reasons:
• to accommodate large ice cubes or smoothies, and
• for easy cleaning to prevent any type of bacteria build-up.
Small-mouth bottleneck designs can’t give you either of these.
Our prices of only $11.95 for our 500 ml and only $12.95 for our 750 ml FOF Bottles are unheard of when compared to similar high-quality stainless steel bottles.
FOF bottles are indeed an essential ingredient “For Our Future … For Our Family … For Our Friends”. Please visit us on-line at http://fofbottles.com to learn more or e-mail for more details.
Thanks
I won’t knock the idea of a metal-based canteen. The price isn’t bad either. The problem I have with the makers of the EcoCanteen is them “scaring” the public into buying their product. There are no facts to base their information on.
Here’s a link from the American Cancer Society regarding plastic bottles http://www.cancer.org/docroot/MED/content/MED_6_1x_Reusing_Plastic_Water_Bottles.asp?sitearea=MED
It isn’t just about the BPA and whether or not it may or may not be leaching anything into the water through a plastic bottle, it’s also (for me) about the plastic and what it’s doing to the environment. Millions of plastic bottles land up in the garbage or in the oceans. That’s not good! Take a look at some of the information regarding plastic in the ocean. Some websites like the fof bottle website have good videos on what plastic is doing to the ocean; yuck!!
12/27/09
This week, I purchased three ecocanteen bottles at local CVS Drug Stores> The price was the same as the advertised price, but without the S & H costs. The insulated carrier? Big deal, who needs it. The main point is it is a stainless steel beverage container.
Boy I wish I would have reviewed this site first. Everything I have read here is basically true. This company is a rip off. They can’t be contacted, the site forces product you don’t want, and you have no confirmation page first. Does anyone know how to contact them? They don’t answer at the phone number provided on their customer service page. And you can’t leave a meassage.
OK, I just visited this eco-canteen website. These bottles are Klean Kanteen look-a-likes; so firstly they’re trying to copy them. Secondly, they don’t tell you what type of stainless steel this is. Everyone needs to know that all stainless steel is NOT the same! The high quality bottles are made from 18/8 stainless steel (18% chromium for the hardness and durability and 8% nickel to prevent against corrosion and rusting).
The cheaper ones are often made of 18/0 stainless steel; that means a lower quality of steel that contains no nickel and will eventually rust! They usually just advertise them as “stainless steel bottles” because everyone thinks they’re the same thing and get persuaded by the price — but they’re not! The high quality bottles like Klean Kanteen and FOF Bottles tells you what they’re made of (18/8); these eco-guys just say “stainless steel”.
We used Klean Kanteens for awhile but have recently switched to FOF Bottles because they are way more affordable. I’ve never had any issues with either of these companies and their customer services.
So, nearly identical products at identical prices including tax or shipping are given 1 star and 4 stars by you, because the first is sold in trendy downtown stores and the second is sold on TV? The defense of misleading advertising/downplaying of S&H costs as “just what happens [with sold on TV products], we have to accept it” is really disingenous. Those downtown stores’ business model is: target affluent, educated urban consumers with disposable income – in that model, you’ll pay more, “that’s just what happens, you have to accept it”.
Frankly, it seems like the producers of this bottle have bought your good review with their free sample and buying an ad on your website. Doesn’t seem too objective to me.
Hank,
For the most part, your criticisms are fair. The Kleen Kanteen and the Eco Canteen are pretty much the exact same product. One of the scored four “gears” and the other got one. My scores aren’t chosen randomly. I would encourage you to look at my criteria (link at the top of the page). Using that criteria I have very little influence over the scores. They either meet them or they don’t. From a green standpoint, these products offer the exact same thing, a variable eco benefit that comes from the reduction of waste, in this case plastic bottles. Also, I would point out that after I became aware of issues with EcoCanteen’s service as well as the availability of cheap stainless bottles I posted a revision stating (in bold) that the eco canteen is not a bargain.
Also, I’m not being callous when I say that the method of collecting money on shipping used by eco canteen “just happens.” The fact of the matter is, in direct marketing (TV sales) it does. My whole point was that this method DOES NOT work with the green consumer. They expect more. See my post, “Eco Canteen Nightmare: Lessons in Consumer Expectations” http://blog.greengear.info/2009/08/eco-canteen-nightmare-lessons-in-client-expectations/
Now, I should also clear up one last issue. Product makers can not “buy” a good review on this site. I made this site to talk about the good, bad, and ugly of green products. Also, the ads you see for eco canteen on this site are not of my choosing. They are automatically placed on my site by Google Adsense based on keywords listed on the page. It just so happens that eco canteen uses google to advertise their product and the program places its ads here because it is mentioned frequently.
Mr. Green Gear
I work for a media company that handles some of Ecocanteen’s advertising. Your observations of typical TV buyer vs. Green Buyer is very astute and something that we have discussed often.
Bonus offers with additional shipping or handling charges are used for just about every TV offer, including Ped Egg, Slap Chop, Snuggie, HD Sunglasses and thousands more. Most charge between $6.99 and $9.99. EC charges $4.95 processing for their tote. Much of this goes towards the added cost of bringing the totes to the order fulfillment center, inventory costs, pick and pack cost, added shipping and box expenses and added customer service costs.
The shipping cost of $5.95 for the adult bottle and $4.95 for a kids bottle are also much less than normal TV products. Even if you ordered a 27 oz bottle from Klean Kanteen, you will pay $8.37.
I don’t want to disparage Klean Kanteen, because they are a great company. Like EC, they could have sold inexpensive BPA lined aluminum and stainless steel bottles and made a larger profit margin. Like EC, they pay much more for better quality and a rounded bottom that makes the botttle easier to clean and resistant to accidental drops.
I do disagree with comments that EC is not a better bargain than KK. If you ordered a 27 oz adult bottle, tote and caribeaner from Klean Kanteen’s website, here is what you would pay:
27 oz bottle $17.95
caribeaner 2.99
tote 12.00
shipping 8.37
Total $41.31
With EC, you get all this for $20.89. That’s half the cost of KK.
Now KK has a really cool caribeaner, but its tote doesn’t compare to EC’s. Plus their tote doesn’t have a strap. If you want that, you have to pay and additional $5.50, which brings your total up to $46.81.
If customers don’t care about the tote or the convenience of having the product shipped to them, then they can purchase ecocanteen at retailers like CVS, for $10.
EC’s goal is to reduce plastic waste, not make a profit. They make a high quality product affordable. KK and other bottles have had to drop their prices to compete. The consumer has benefited and so has the environment. Each stainless steel bottle sold, eliminates an estimated 200 disposable bottles a year. EC puts its money into educating the public through its ads. The company is yet to make a profit and the President doesn’t even take a salary. They have helped fuel the demand for KK and dozens of other bottles. They don’t care who people buy reusable bottles from as long as they buy one. The most important thing is that more people quit using disposables.
Another concern is that people use healthy bottles. The Sigg fiasco caused some people to doubt the benefit of reusable bottles. EC warned consumers about Sigg over a year before the BPA story broke. There are still a large number of aluminum bottles lined with BPA epoxy paint. Some stainless steel bottles with sharp threads are coated with suspect epoxies as well. EC is evaluating several of these and will publish the results on http://stopdrinkingplastic.org/
Your website has been helpful for the company to see and has helped spur several improvements. While some complaints are not valid, others are, and are taken very seriously. The company went through a growth spurt this past July and August that overwhelmed their customer service department. Since then, they increased their staffing. They directed their order fulfillment company to ship as late in the day as possible, in order to give customers, who change their minds, more time to cancel. They use a fullment company that serves a large number of the TV products advertised. EC was the first company that ever made this request to them. Plus if an order is canceled before being shipped, EC gives a full credit, where most companies still charge the full shipping and handling charges. EC eats the order taking and transcription charges.
If the product is shipped or the customer wants to return it within 30 days, a 15% fee is charged. This is far less than the standard full shipping and processing charges. Plus it doesn’t even cover the order processing cost, much less the shipping and cost of a product that cannot be resold.
Their primary website now gives the shipping and processing charges in six different places on a very short page. Most companies only give it once or twice.
I can also confirm that EC does not advertise directly with your site. Google places these ads where it picks up phrases like “stainless steel water bottles”.
I would encourage anyone with customer service questions to call 888-229-9543 during the business hours posted on their site.
My husband and I have been using our Eco-Canteens, purchased from the EC website, for many months now. We are more than satisfied with them. The neck is nice and wide so we can get ice-cubes inside, and they hold up when smashed accidentally, and never seem to leak. The nifty cover hangs safely from my powerchair, and the pull-open tab works marvelously for disabled fingers.
I would have no trouble ordering from them again. I found their customer service representative very pleasant, and the products arrived very quicky. In all, to us, it has been a great product backed by excellent service and fast shipping.
DO NOT DEAL WITH THESE ECO CAN SCUMMY CROOKS!
Very Sleazy, misleading , order charge format. It is deceiving and probably illegal.
The total price is swiftly passed by and remains hidden. I went to buy about a $9.99 bottle, bought three and the total price of about $60.00 sped by, I rec’d three bottles with bags and was charged over $90 on my credit card. You don’t get a chance to review your order and Whamo, it’s done. You are taken. Then you get over charged after deliver and find out you have been scammed.
Uncle Joe.
I agree with Uncle Joe! He sums it up exactly and it sounds like Mr. Green Gear also agrees him. We’ve only used bottles that are high quality in not only their product but their service as well. My research has shown that 2 of the best companies out their are Klean Kanteen and FOF Bottles. We’ve dealt with both — both are excellent!
Thanks for your comment!