I too was a little skeptical about purchasing this unit after reading some reviews.  However, I didn't have a huge amount of money to spend on a radio and couldn't justify spending  more to get a Sony one that didn't even have a digital tuner (a must for running!).  I was surprised it didn't come with batteries, but that was minor.  It picks up all local stations crystal clear (and I live in a big city with a lot of outside interference).  The included ear pieces are a little weird, but they work fine and you can use whatever earpieces you desire.  For the price you can't go wrong.