"I have purchased several espresso machines over the past 15 or so years from Jim and his team at 1st Line. Let’s face it, every authorized dealer typically will be selling around the same price point so it all comes down to customer service. Over the years I had a few minor issues (regular wear and tear) and 1st Line helped me source the parts and had great videos on how to DIY the repairs. Always helpful and helping you pick the right machine for your needs. I will only go to 1st Line for any coffee equipment and accessory needs!"

"Attempted to do business with this firm , they are curt as other reviews mentioned. Jungle Jim should learn what the coffee business is all about or do something else! This is not the car business with major players like GM not giving a hoot about customers or a new fad to be exloited . The coffee business is a fellowship of coffee afficionados ,dare i say perfectionists with coffee passion, and , not to be mistaken for simple consumers that are ripe for the pickings . Jungle Jim should possibly think about selling used cars, it would suit him better . "

"I have purchased several espresso makers over the past five years and continue to buy from First Line.
Quality products, competitive prices, and good customer service. Highly recommended."

"Their return policy is lame.
They will charge you for original shipping even if the item does not operate properly and the advertised shipping was FREE!
I got burned $70 ("FREE" shipping to me and restocking fee) plus $30 shipping back on the Espresso Maker which could hot make hot shot of espresso. I'll never buy from them again. Beware. If you do, it'll cost you big time.

From their return policy:
Actual shipping charges, sometimes higher than posted here, are non-refundable and are deducted from any credits with orders that have free shipping. Orders with free shipping or shipping included in the price will have the shipping cost deducted from any credits on applicable returns.

"

"I recently ordered about $1900 in equipment from 1st-line and have to say it was one of the most pleasant online experiences I have had in a long time. I shop online, ALOT and nobody even comes close to 1st line.

There was a slight issue with my CC so they called me promptly to verify some information. Polite, great service. They shipped out my order fast! When they say same day, they are not joking. My order included free ground shipping which can take 3-14 days according to their site, I was very happy when it came 2 days later.

In total it took 3 days from order to my door, everything arrived very well packed. They do not skip out on packing materials, between bubble wrap, styrofoam and insta-pack bags my Espresso Machine could have resisted a World War 3. Fortunately, it only had to resist the Fedex guys. Anyway, it came in PERFECT and I mean perfect shape.

I also ordered some accessories, they were in the espresso box and well packed. I ordered a grinder which came in perfect shape and everything works great.

They included free cleaning tablets and wipes with my espresso machine which is awesome. Did I mention the machine I wanted is ONLY SOLD BY THEM in the USA and it was at an insanely low promotional price.

Also I accumulated Espresso Points which turns out I can use for discounts on future orders!? I ended up ordering an electric kettle and behmor coffee toaster, another astounding experience, emailed them with a question and they got back to me very quickly. I was able to use my espresso points to save $40 USD on my new order!!!

For anyone looking at coffee and espresso equipment, order from 1st line. There are a lot of online equipment stores but nobody is as fast, efficient, well priced and down-right polite as these guys.

Thanks 1-st Line! We appreciate it."

"Purchased two items from this company-- one was a portafilter basket, the other a latte art pen. Basket came in a plastic bag, the pen came in a nice cardboard box.

Put both in the dishwasher to sanitize from the factory. The basket was fine, but the pen came out blackened and spotted.

Left an email message with customer service, no response. Called this morning and told them the situation. Suggested that they put a note on their website and inform the manufacturer, to put a note on the box itself.

Instead, had a rude conversation with the owner, Jim, who told me that it was my fault for doing this-- that I should assume nothing is dishwasher safe unless it states so. I have a number of products in my kitchen that specifically state whether or not an item is dishwasher safe. When I suggested that they need to state this so others don't have this problem, he asks me if they should also tell customers not to hold it while driving.

He then tells me that he'd normally do an exchange, but an item like that doesn't have a 300% markup, so it's not worth it to him.

I hope this review was."

"I would like to delete this review."

"Just spent over $1000 with these folks. Delivery was prompt, but they are curt almost to the point of being rude when you try to communicate with them.

I think I'll go elsewhere for more friendly service in the future."

"I placed an order for a coffee grinder on Monday and it shipped out Tuesday. It was in my hands Thursday. No damage to the product from the speedy shipping and it runs like a champ. My only complaint is their website needs some TLC. Products are hard to search for and hard to compare models. I knew what I wanted so it wasn't an issue, but for someone doing research about a product: Go someplace else to learn, but buy from 1st-line."

"I was a bit skeptical at first because of its *.net extension as well as its cluttered lay out and confusing language about shipping policies. However, it was one of the only online shops to carry the espresso maker I wanted to buy and guaranteed delivery by Christmas Eve for no extra cost. Sure enough, I received a confirmation call from them seconds after I placed the order (something on my credit card didn't go through). It was almost eerie, but I'm glad to know there was a real, live person taking care of my order promptly. Everything arrived on time and in perfect condition. It's a shame I doubted them, but they should have a web designer and editor clean up their presentation so that it looks/sounds less shady. "

"Excellent customer service. I needed to return a grinder and they had the UPS return label emailed to me the same day that I notified them. They immediately shipped a replacement to me which arrived at my home before the one that I returned even made it back to their warehouse. Most vendors won't even ship until they've received returned merchandise. Not so with 1st-line. Thanks guys."

"Extensive online searching told me that 1st-line equipment http://1st-line.com offered the best price for the machine I was looking for, to replace my 20 year old latte machine.
But when I ordered the new latte machine from them recently, I did so with a bit of trepidation, due to the couple of adverse reviews here.
Now that I've received it, and operated it for a couple weeks, I'd like to report that my new la Pavoni Professional Chrome 16 cup Espresso Machine arrived, as ordered, on time, and that we are very pleased with it, and with the excellent service they provided.
I'd buy from them again, certainly.
Nick / California"

"Terrible customer service. After spending $$ on an espresso machine, grinder, service and parts, they refused to exchange $25 part that was incorrectly ordered because of poor product description on the website. I'll also note that when my machine was sent to them for repairs, it came back with the finish damaged in several areas. Some of it was fixed, but my machine still suffered more abuse at 1st Line's hands for 3 days than 3 years in my kitchen and still shows the scars."

"Great selection, great prices and fast /order processing/shipping. So long as your order arrives intact, your in the clear. If however your unit arrives damaged as mine did, prepare for a long and unpleasant hassle to get your money back. It took more than a month to get my refund. After many unpleasant email exchanges with an indifferent and less than helpful person (who shall remain nameless), they finally agreed to refund me.

Buyer beware... Any company that requires you to agree to a long contract with fine print, will likely be a hassle to deal with if things go wrong."

"This company uses innacurate Web advertising to attract potential customers.

I wanted to buy a grinder, which I found via Google listed on the company's on-line catalog, for $310. But when I called to order, and AFTER the agent had taken all my credit card information, I learned that the price was nearly $370. The agent checked with her superior and informed me that the company would not honor the price advertised on its Web site.

This is an unethical business practice and no one should patronize this company."