I have the KA Pro 5+ and I absolutely love it. I shopped between models and sales, and I still love some of the colors the Artisan has that aren't available in more powerful models. If I could go back and shop over again, I would order the Pro5+ Gloss Cinnamon again in a heartbeat, no regrets whatsoever. I consider my mixer eye candy for the counter. :) The Artisan has fantastic colors. The tilt head could be handy. I chose the Pro 5+ b/c I like making bread, and I wanted the extra power for heavier doughs. I decided the Pro 6 is overkill for my use. The Pro 5+ is a lift bowl, and I like not tilting the head back because I don't have to move the mixer to use it (or move it to tilt the head back). KA says the Pro 6 bowl can't be used with the Pro 5, but it can and I have one (it has a better handle and two bowls are very handy). The Pro 5 also doesn't come with the splash guard for the mixing bowl, but I bought this separately as well and don't regret it. I shop CL for deals, but I advise you to spend your money with a retailer who will honor a refund in the event you bring the mixer home and there are any issues. KA will also work with you for repairs, etc., but you will have to register the product for warranties and help. You have no idea what condition the $155 mixer is in. I bought my Pro 5+ for $240 (including 7% sales tax in my area). I hit a sale and rebate offer, and used a coupon with Bed, Bath and Beyond. I would hold off and spend the extra money for a new one. I know it's a lot of money for a mixer, but IMHO, the splurge is worth it.

I'm not sure what exactly you are concerned about, but if you aren't sure, I'd ask in the help/chat section on ebay or even have them call you to discuss. You may not necessarily be instructed to send the item back to the same place it shipped from. If you are dealing with a larger company, they sometimes have return warehouse locations. Since you will probably have to pay the shipping and restocking fee, just make sure it's still financially best for you to return it.

Patty, that's just nuts! How could one be expected to even assess the condition of the bag (i.e., is it damaged?) without opening the shipping box? I hate to say this, but I think I'd be tempted to damage the freakin' bag myself. Just out of spite. >;-D On a positive note: Last fall I placed an order for something for my brother, it was going to be his Christmas gift. (OK, so it was a pair of "collector's action figurines" from the movie, The Big Lebowski. Not that my brother plays with dolls, but he's a huge fan of that movie.) Anyway, I received an email a few days after I placed my order, advising that the products were on backorder. I waited and waited, and finally received another email, telling me that the products would not ship until February 2008. Uh, no good. I needed them before December 25th. I emailed the company, and they kindly agreed to just cancel my order. In January of this year, I received an unexpected parcel, and lo and behold - it's the Lebowski figurines. $50 worth of Lebowski figurines, to be exact - and I know I had canceled. I immediately contacted the company's customer support department, informed them that there had been a mistake and asked them how they wanted me to handle returning the items (they'd already refunded my credit card for the $50 plus shipping on my original order), and they told me: "So sorry for the confusion. Please just accept the figurines with our compliments and we hope you'll shop with us again." I was completely blown away! Now, I'm not sure when I'll have a need for more "toys" like this, but if I ever do, I'll definitely shop with those guys again. I couldn't believe that they didn't want to inconvenience me so much that they'd just give me $50 in merchandise, but that's exactly what they did. Pretty cool, eh?

We had our Onyx shower installed last year. It's was the best decision we made to our bathroom remodel. Removing the tub to shower conversion gave us more room for a larger shower. We had a certified Onyx installer that did a really good job. It's expensive to get it done right with less worry in the future. Low maintenance was a must have. Tile over time just didn't work for us anymore. Onyx product is good substitute.