Received this pen today. It is not a ballpoint pen; it is a gel ink pen. The pen only wrote for a little bit and then was done. It needs a new refill, which is no big deal I guess since I would've swapped out the gel for a ballpoint refill anyway...but it still would've been nice to get some use out of the refill that came with the pen. The cushy grip had a weird sticky film all over it that did come off - thankfully! Since the ink didn't work for very long I haven't had much of a chance to use the pen for any length of time, but it was enough to feel that the pen is a little heavy on the clip end. Not very well balanced in the hand. I'd just return the pen if I felt like making a trip to the Post Office and spending more money on postage. I have some extra Parker refills that will work in this pen, so I might as well keep it. I was hoping to love it right out of the box, but maybe it'll grow on me in time.