Are you tired of going to the same old stores to buy your clothes? Are you looking for something new and exciting? If so, then you should definitely check out some of the best places to buy clothes online. There are tons of amazing websites out there that sell clothes, and each one has its own unique selection of items.

So, no matter what type of clothing you’re looking for, you’re sure to find it online. So, what are you waiting for? Start browsing!

When shopping for clothes online, it’s important to keep in mind the quality of the clothing, the shipping time, and the return policy. You’ll also want to make sure you’re buying from a reputable site. With a little bit of research, you can find the perfect place to buy clothes online for your needs.

With so many brands and stores available online, it can be tough to figure out which ones are the best clothing stores for you- whether that means finding ones within your budget or just feeling comfortable shopping with them.

There are a lot of good places to buy clothes online, but it can be tough to know where to start. We’ve rounded up some of the best places to buy clothes online, whether you’re looking for designer duds or the best deals on the web.

So, keep reading this article to learn more about the top-rated clothing stores on the internet.

21 Best Clothing Stores Online

1. Amazon

Amazon is one of the biggest and most popular places to buy clothes online. They sell a huge range of clothing for men, women, and children. You can find almost anything you could want on Amazon, and their prices are very competitive. They also offer free shipping on many items, which is a great perk.

Where ever you are around the world, Amazon will send your product to your destination without stress. It is the most trusted place to buy items online and it is highly recommended.

Amazon also has a great return policy, so if you’re not happy with your purchase, you can easily send it back.

2. Zappos

Zappos is another excellent option for buying clothes online. They sell clothing for the whole family, and they have a huge selection of shoes as well. Their prices are very reasonable, and they offer free shipping and returns on all orders.

Zappos also has an amazing customer service team that is always willing to help if you have any problems with your order.

Zappos is an online shoe and apparel store based in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Nick Swinmurn and his wife Priscilla established Zappos in 1999 as Shoesite.com. In July 2009, Amazon acquired Zappos for $1.2 billion in an all-stock transaction.

This store has grown exponentially since it opened, and is now one of the leading online clothing stores.

This online clothing store offers a wide range of products for both men and women, including running sneakers, suits, and ready-to-wear outfits. Their size range falls between 00 to 24, so there’s sure to be something for everyone.

The fact that they provide free delivery as well as the ease with which you can return items if you are not satisfied with them set Zappos apart from other online apparel retailers.

Although this online store is on the expensive side, costing anywhere from $200 to $300 per item, their clothes are worth it. In fact, most of their customers are satisfied with their purchases and leave positive reviews. Consequently, this makes the store one of best clothing options available online.

3. Asos

Don’t you love that feeling when you discover a hidden gem of a store or brand before anyone else? ASOS was created with that in mind. The team searches high and low for the best up-and-coming fashion brands so you can always have unique finds at your fingertips.

Asos is the perfect online store for shoppers on a budget. They carry major brands like Levi’s and Free People, to name just a few.

Asos has managed to achieve so much because of its innovative approach and benefits. There are a variety of reasons for Asos’ continued success, one of which is that they provide inexpensive clothing. This practice of providing excellent items at a reasonable price is one area where they stand out.

Asos is dedicated to being up-to-date with the latest fashion trends. They have a wide variety of clothing for plus sizes, maternity wear, and fitted outfits. Whether you’re looking for something specific or just browsing, Asos has what you need.

Customers who have shopped with this e-commerce store are always satisfied with the variety of brands and prices of clothes. They all have something positive to say about the store, which is why it continues to be successful. Arguments can certainly be made for other clothing stores being ranked higher online, but this one definitely deserves a spot near the top.

4. Zara

Zara is another store among the best places to buy clothes online. It was created in 1975 and it offers a wide variety of clothing, shoes, and accessories for men, women, and children. Zara is known for its trendy and chic clothing options, which makes it a great place to shop for stylish pieces.

Zara is a Spanish fashion retailer that offers stylish and trendy clothes for men, women, and children. Their prices are very reasonable, and they have a great sale section on their website where you can find some amazing deals. They also offer free shipping on orders over $50, which is great for those who want to save money

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5. Uniqlo

Uniqlo is one of the best places to buy clothes online that was created on 2 September 1974, in Ube, Yamaguchi, Japan. It offers a wide range of high-quality clothes, shoes, and accessories for men, women, and children. Uniqlo is known for its simple and classic clothing options that are perfect for everyday wear.

Uniqlo is a Japanese retailer that offers high-quality clothes at very reasonable prices. They have a wide range of items for both men and women, including outerwear, underwear, and casual wear. Uniqlo also offers free shipping on orders over $75, which is great for those who want to save money.

6. Shop bop

Shopbop is a leading online shopping destination for fashion ideas and discovery, with a curated collection of more than 1,000 professional and aspiring designers. Shopbop is a modern online retail destination, specializing in contemporary fashion. Shopbop offers excellent customer service, rapid free delivery worldwide, and free returns in the United States and Canada.

The company has been in operation for almost two decades. There are a few things to know about them. They provide Amazon Prime members two-day free shipping, as previously stated. Second, the store is owned by Amazon.

Shopbop is an online store that specializes in selling high-end designer clothing from top brands. The size range usually found on their website goes from 00 to 18. If you’re thinking about shopping with them, then be aware that their prices can be quite expensive, averaging anywhere from $120 to $300 per item.

Because they are operated by Amazon, you would expect the delivery process to be faster. They are quick in this area, as most clients who have bought from them or used their services can vouch.

Shopbop not only provides stylish and quality items, but they are a very trustworthy company. They have fashionable clothing options to fit into any budget. Because they always keeping up with the latest fashion trends, Shopbop easily made it onto this list of best online clothing stores.

7. H&M

H&M is seen by many as one of the best online clothing stores that was established in 1947. It offers a wide range of clothes, shoes, and accessories for men, women, and children. H&M is known for its trendy and affordable clothing options.

H&M is a Swedish retailer that offers fashionable and affordable clothes for men, women, and children. They have a great sale section on their website where you can find some amazing deals. Additionally, they offer free shipping on orders over $40, which is great for those who want to save money.

8. Bonobos

Bonobos is one of the best places to buy clothing of high quality online. It is one of the best stores when it comes to buying clothes for men and kids. This menswear site offers stylish options for the modern man. You can find everything from casual shirts and jeans to suits and ties.

At Bonobos, they are leaders in finding the perfect fit for every man. Because no two men are shaped exactly the same, we offer a range of options to choose from. Whether you need skinny, tailored, slim, straight or athletic-fitting clothes, they have something for everyone.

Its team is always there to offer a helping hand when it comes to style. They know how to decode dress codes, pair items perfectly, and they’ll make sure you always look your best.

Chinos that fit well are now available in a wide range of styles, including jeans, shorts, suits, tuxedos, dress shirts, not-so-dressy shirts, tech fabrics, machine washable sweaters (yes, really), and more. They’ve got the clothing to match no matter where you’re heading.

9. Mr. Porter

Mr. PORTER is a journey of discovery for men, a destination to be inspired, to discover connection, and to explore all aspects of a well-dressed life. Mr. Porter wants men to look and feel their best, so they offer more than 500 of the world’s most desired brands. By providing content and community resources, they help guys achieve this goal.

Mr. Porter is the online retail destination for men’s style. Launched in 2011, Mr. Porter is the male equivalent of Net-a-Porter. The site offers an impressive selection of designer clothing, shoes, and accessories from brands like Dolce & Gabbana, Givenchy, Gucci, and Saint Laurent. You can also find more casual pieces from popular labels like J.Crew and Topman.

Whether you’re looking for a suit for a big job interview or some new sneakers to wear on the weekend, Mr. Porter has you covered. The site also has a helpful Style Guide section that offers advice on everything from how to tie a tie to what to wear on a first date.

If you’re looking to up your style game, Mr. Porter is the perfect place to start.

10. Everlane

Everlane is a top online store that sells both men’s and women’s contemporary and basic apparel. Everlane has a reputation for producing high-quality apparel that is also socially responsible. Michael Preysman founded the business in 2010.

Everlane is an American clothing retailer that operates almost exclusively online, with a few stores in major US cities. The organisation is headquartered in San Francisco, California. Transparent pricing of clothing was the main purpose of establishing the business.

Everlane strives to make the right choice as easy as putting on a great T-shirt. Their team only partners with the best, ethical factories around the world that produce high-quality materials. They also want their customers to know exactly how much it costs to make each product–the good and bad. It’s a new way of doing business and they’re excited to share it with everyone.

Everlane carefully locates the best factories in the world that also produce products for your favourite designer labels. They frequently visit these factories and develop strong personal relationships with the owners. Furthermore, they audit each factory to make sure compliance in areas such as fair wages, reasonable hours, and environmental safety are up to standard.

At Everlane, they believe in style that lasts. They source only the best materials and factories for our products— like Grade-A cashmere sweaters, Italian shoes, and Peruvian Pima tees— so you can wear them for years to come.

Everlane is all about simple, quality clothing at an approachable price point. You’ll find everything from t-shirts and sweatshirts to dress shirts and outerwear.

11. J.Crew

J.Crew is a men’s and women’s fashion store based in the United States that sells a variety of casual, traditional attire for both men and women. Arthur Cinader and Emily Scott are the creators of J. Crew. The first shop was founded in New York City in 1983 by Arthur Cinader and Emily Scott.

J.Crew is a world-renowned company that’s trusted for its quality clothing and unique, stylish designs. J.Crew offers an impressive variety of products to choose from, including shirts, pants, dresses, outerwear, swimwear, shoes and accessories – they even have their own popular line of children’s clothing called Crewcuts!

J. Crew is a company that designs, sources, and sells high-quality clothing at accessible prices. Their goal is to make people look and feel their best by providing stylish yet practical items that may be combined and matched to create limitless outfit combinations.

J.Crew’s clothing is made of expensive materials and construction, which is often the reason their pieces are more costly than other retailers. Although, J.Crew offers discounts and sales frequently to make their items cheaper for buyers. They also provide different shipping options, like free standard shipping if you order over $150 worth of items.

12. ModCloth

ModCloth is a women’s online retailer that specialises in vintage and indie style clothing, as well as unique gifts and decor. ModCloth was founded in 2002 by Susan Gregg Koger and Eric Koger. The couple started the company as an online vintage store called e-bayies. In 2005, they renamed their business ModCloth.

ModCloth is all about celebrating your own unique style. They offer a wide range of sizes (XS-4X), which makes them inclusive of a variety of body types. You’ll find everything from casual dresses and tops to shoes and accessories, as well as home decor items like rugs and pillows.

One thing that sets ModCloth apart from other retailers is its huge selection of indie and vintage-inspired clothing. You’re sure to find something one-of-a-kind that expresses your personality perfectly.

ModCloth also offers a variety of affordable pricing options. You can shop by price range, or filter items on sale to find the best deals. Plus, they frequently offer promo codes and coupons to help you save even more money on your purchase.

ModCloth is a retro-inspired clothing store that offers a range of cute dresses, tops, bottoms, shoes, and accessories. It is one of the best places to buy clothes online and get your material of exactly the same quality.

13. Anthropologie

If you’re looking for high-quality, stylish clothing, jewellery, home goods, and more – look no further than Anthropologie. With locations all across North America and the United Kingdom, we have something for everyone.

The goal of Anthropologie has always been to surprise and delight you with unusual, one-of-a-kind finds for your wardrobe and home. They pick and create all of their items with great attention, ensuring that each treasure you discover at Anthropologie is distinctive.

Want to look your best? Then browse the dress shop for fashionable attire that goes with any event, from cocktail parties to weddings to everyday daytime looks. Party skirts, wide-leg pants, jeans, and blouses in a variety of styles will turn heads. Unconventional accessories such as only-here slides and head-turning totes will complete your look.

Discover a large number of home collections, from furniture to curtains, decorative cushions to duvets, and wall art to Moroccan-inspired carpets. Are you looking for a housewarming present? A coffee table book, one-of-a-kind glassware, or a set of coasters are all good options.

14. Nordstrom

Nordstrom is among the best places to buy clothes online which was established over a century ago in 1901. Nordstrom is an American department store chain that focuses on luxury items and was founded by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin in Seattle, Washington. This retailer offers quality clothes for both men and women from top designers such as Gucci, Prada, Rag & Bone, and many more. Nordstrom also has a very user-friendly website that makes online shopping a breeze.

They always know what’s coming next in fashion. They’re motivated to do more than expected. And for over 100 years, they’ve been dedicated to offering the best possible shopping experience– assisting their customers in finding their unique style, rather than just purchasing whatever is popular.

Nordstrom is a large fashion retailer that specializes in exciting clothes, shoes, and accessories for men, women, and kids. They’ve been dedicated to providing our clients with the greatest level of service – and constantly improving it – since 1901.

Since Nordstrom was founded in 1901, the brand has grown to become one of the most recognized names in retailing. Despite being a small shoe shop at first, we’ve made remarkable progress since then.

They’re thrilled to serve their customers at more than 350 Nordstrom, Nordstrom Local, and Nordstrom Rack stores. Customers may also get in touch with them through their Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack apps and websites.

They continue to grow and evolve because they believe fashion is a business of optimism. With free shipping, free returns, mobile shopping, and exciting new partnerships in retail customer service; They have many opportunities to serve more customers in (fresh) relevant ways with style that inspires.

15. Macy’s

Macy’s is another excellent option when it comes to finding the best places to buy clothes online. This department store has been around since 1858 and offers an impressive selection of clothing for both men and women from popular brands like Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, and Tommy Hilfiger. Macy’s also offers free shipping on orders over $99 which makes it even more enticing to shop online.

Macy’s offers a wide variety of high-quality brands at reasonable prices, from inexpensive to luxurious. No matter the event or how big or small it may be, Macy’s is always there to help customers express their unique styles and celebrate those moments.

They are a New York City-based company that operates one of the world’s largest e-commerce businesses, with a global presence to provide the most convenient and seamless shopping experience possible. Their goal is to develop a brighter future where everyone achieves their full potential, so we can maximize each person’s potential.

16. Etsy

Etsy is the perfect place to shop for unique, one-of-a-kind items. You can create and also sell your works here. They’re also a group that’s working hard for good change in the world and for small firms, individuals, and the environment.

When it comes to clothing, Etsy has everything you could possibly want – from secondhand clothes to designer vintage pieces. And most of their clothes are very affordable. So why not take a look and see what they have to offer? You might be surprised at what you find!

If you’re searching for a sensible option, look no further. This is the place to go when you need something quick and easy. The owner of this e-commerce store has created an excellent platform that provides consumers with everything they want without any hassle or stress.

It would be interesting to know that this e-commerce shop is very secure and pleasant to use. When purchasing from this online clothing business, keep in mind that after the transaction is complete, you will be prompted to leave a feedback. This indicates that if you are happy with the entire process, you can let others know by leaving a review.

Chances are, you’ve had to return an item (or two) after shopping online before. It’s always such a pain, right? Well, if you shop at this e-commerce store, returns and refunds are a breeze. And if that wasn’t good enough news for you already, they also resolve any issues with your order quickly too – whether it’s due to size or appearance of the product.

With this online clothing store, you can also request for customizations on your desired item. Whether that is a special print or image, the shop owner will be more than happy to oblige.

Yes, Etsy is one of the best clothing stores online for some good reasons.

17. Ssense

The Atallah brothers founded SSENSE in 2003 as an e-commerce platform specializing in the sale of designer fashion and high quality streetwear. Based in Montreal, Canada, SSENSE has become a multi-brand retailer with a global reach.

What makes this online store the best choice for clothing? To start, they have a range of both unique boutique brands and streetwear labels. Plus, they carry designs from some of the world’s top first-class designers.

They never stop expanding their inventory or putting new products on sale, so customers always have plenty of options to choose from. Plus, all of their merchandise is the real deal.

Not only is this an online store that you can trust, but they also offer competitive prices on clothing for both men and women. They have been running their business for over 18 years and show no signs of slowing down anytime soon; in fact, they are continuing to spread to different countries. Currently, they ship to over 150 countries worldwide.

There’s no chance of being ripped off on this online clothing store. They are trustworthy, efficient, and provide their customers with high-quality items. 

18. Skim

Among the best places to buy clothes online that made it to our list is “Skims.” There’s a lot of buzz around this online apparel store, especially because they focus on high-quality and provide great customer service.

Inclusivity and body positivity are at the heart of Skims, an American shapewear and clothing brand. Co-founded by Kim Kardashian and Jens Grede, every aspect of the company—from design to size range—reflects this commitment to honoring all bodies. Skims launched in June 2019 with a niche focus that has since broadened its reach significantly.

They’re a brand that has skyrocketed in popularity over the last year, with nearly all of their items being sold out. If you want to be sure you’ll get the size and style you want, it’s best to wait until they restock.

The suddenness with which this online clothing store became successful is amazing. The success of their company is due to the combination of high-quality products and a famous owner.

This online clothing store has many great reviews that will entice any first-time shopper. So, if you are in the online looking for underwear, Shapewear, or loungewear, then this is the best option available. 

19. Tuckernuck

If you ever find yourself in need of an excessive amount of chambray or some timeless accessories, be sure to visit this top online clothing store. They have a great selection of budget-friendly outfits for anyone and everyone.

Their prices are usually $50-$500, with a nominal $5 fee for product returns. Plus, delivery is free!

Most of their products are available in sizes 0 to 12. They offer a wide variety which you can choose from, based on your preference. This is what most online shoppers look for – a store that has the right brand and plenty of options to choose from.

At Tuckernuck, they accept returns of unused merchandise within 30 days of delivery. If you request a refund, you will receive the full purchase price back, though, you’ll have to wait for 2-3 working days. And don’t worry about return fees; they won’t charge you for returning an item.

20. Fox Holt

Fox Holt is one of the best online clothing stores. There are a few things to keep in mind before buying anything from this store: most of their products are sustainably made and produced in the United States.

This online clothing store sells products ranging in size from 000 to 16. This store is a marketplace where you can discover cutting-edge designs as well as lifestyle items. Their driving force is to offer trendy, environmentally friendly fashion that is also ecologically conscious.

The average price for clothing on this site is $200 or more. Therefore, if you are willing to spend that much money, you can be sure that the quality will be excellent.

When you purchase from fox holt, be ready to give up a little something for shipping charges, because it isn’t free to ship your item. The cost of the delivery charge is just under $10. Their collections are intended to encourage customers to buy with a fresh perspective.

21. Lulus

Lulus is an online clothing store that offers a wide variety of items for both men and women. With everything from beautiful blouses to shoes and bags, Lulus has got you covered.

Normally, their size ranges from XS to XL. Also, you can’t get free shipping unless you spend $50 or more on items.

It should be further clarified that the typical price is generally in the range of $150 to $200. Since their founding in 1996, they have been dedicated to providing high-quality products and services to their clients.

In terms of business, this online apparel store is quite trustworthy. As a result, you need not be concerned about being scammed for anything when you make a purchase. Lulus has been growing in popularity each year, and because they are a genuine online clothing store with the appropriate perks, they have easily made it to the list.

Conclusion

There are many great online clothing stores to choose from. The ten best online clothing stores listed above are all great places to buy fashionable, high-quality, and moderately priced clothing. With a little bit of research, you’re sure to find the perfect store for your individual style and budget.

In order to avoid the hassle of having to return an item, it is important that you know your measurements before shopping online.

Furthermore, people who frequently shop online are usually more inclined to visit stores which offer free shipping or no shipping fee at all. Also, checking reviews can be beneficial in learning more about a store and its services.

Finally, familiarise yourself with these best places to buy clothes online, so your next shopping excursion is smoother and more efficient.

ALSO READ: 15 Best Places to Buy art Supplies Online (Best Art Stores)

A home’s decor may be defined as the art that adorns it. A fantastic work of art enhances a house, an office, or a workplace. It is simple to locate the finest art sellers on the internet with just a few clicks.

When searching for the best stores to buy art supplies online, there are several things to consider. First and foremost, you want to find a store that is genuine and offers unique artwork. Additionally, you will want to find a store that offers some of the best art styles or graphic paintings.

We’ll go through some of the best places to buy art supplies online in this article, as well as what to look for when purchasing from online art retailers. As a result, it is critical that you continue reading this article.

When you are looking for the best online art store, certain factors must be considered. The first factor is to look for a store that offers unique artwork from independent artists. Secondly, you should also consider the customer service of the store and make sure they are responsive to queries.

The third factor to consider is whether the store has a refund policy or not. It is always a good idea to buy from a store that offers a refund policy in case you are not happy with the artwork you have received.

You should also take a look at the reviews of the store before making your purchase. If you’re looking for red flags that an online art store might not be reputable, one thing to focus on is the comments and reviews. If a site is full of negative feedback about the quality of artwork being sold, then it’s likely that the store isn’t legitimate or doesn’t sell unique pieces.

It’s critical that the delivery method of art or art supplies be simple, quick, and not waste time. A fantastic online art store’s delivery period should be rapid or fast, and if it’s not, then the site is a fraud.

Good user experiences are available at some of the top online art stores. The process of moving around the various categories or sections of art should be as simple as possible.

It’s critical to choose an artwork from an online art store that offers high-resolution images. This isn’t the main piece to buy, but rather the photo of the piece should be clear and free of distortion. 

What type of artwork should I buy?

The type of artwork you should buy depends on your personal preferences. However, we would recommend that you buy art that reflects your personality and style. For example, if you are into minimalism, then you should look for artwork that is simple and elegant.

If you are into bright and bold colours, then you should look for artwork that is eye-catching. There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to the type of artwork you should buy. It all depends on your personal preferences.

Having discussed how to identify a good online store, the next logical step would be to enumerate the best art stores available on the internet.

Best Art Stores Online

1. Amazon

Amazon is another major player in the e-commerce space and a good place to buy art supplies online. Amazon is one of the world’s most recognized companies, having been established in 1994. Amazon has a large product variety and offers a Prime membership that gives customers free delivery on many items. Its Amazon Web Services platform, for example, has been a major player in the cloud computing industry.

This is a multi-purpose online store that also functions as an online art business. Amazon offers a wide range of artistic supplies to its customers.

They specialize in children’s art supplies and are especially known for having affordable prices. In addition, their customer service is amazing as they are always available to help you with your request- no matter how big or small it may be.

You can shop on this site worry-free because payments are safe and secure. Plus, shipping is free if you have Amazon Prime, and the delivery process is quick since you don’t even have to leave your house. And when you finally receive your order, it will look exactly like it did online! 

All of their products, including paints and other art supplies, are made using top-quality materials. They also have a lot of good feedback, making them one of the most reputable online art stores.

VISIT Amazon.com HERE[/su_button

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2 Artist and Craftsman

Artist and Craftsman is one of the best places to buy art supplies online. This website offers a wide range of art supplies, including paints, brushes, canvases, and more. You can also find unique artwork from independent artists on this website.

If you’re looking for an online art store that specializes in a particular type of item, this is the place for you. They have categories like printmaking, crafting, painting and drawing, studio arts, and kids’ arts & crafts. So no matter what your focus is, you’ll be able to find something here that’s just right for you.

Some of the most popular brands associated with this online art store are Sakura, Golden, Pentel, Speedball and Gamblin.

Customer service is fantastic, allowing customers to place an order whenever they choose during weekdays. It’s possible to return an item that hasn’t been opened within 30 days under their return policy. If the customer was charged for shipping, however, the cost is not refundable.

They will accept goods returned to them, but they do have a non-returnable policy. The following are some of the non-returnable items:

• Special orders
• Custom framing
• Closeout items
• Gift cards

One of the great parts about this online art store is that they offer free shipping, but only if your order reaches their $69 benchmark. Otherwise, customers have to pay for shipping themselves.

VISIT Artistcraftsman.com HERE

3. Blick Art Materials

Blick Art Materials is one of the world’s largest and oldest providers of arts, crafts, and education supplies. It was founded in 1911 by two brothers, Bob and Dirck Blick, in Brooklyn, New York. The company sells online and through a network of over 60 stores across the United States.

It provides more than 75,000 goods for artists of all ages and experience levels, such as painting materials, drawing supplies, sculpting supplies, prints and posters, framing supplies, and office items.

Blick Art Materials has a long history of supporting the arts and education. In addition to its retail operations, the company runs an online store and a wholesale business. It also operates an art gallery in Manhattan. The company has donated millions of dollars to arts and education organizations over the years.

Blick Art Materials is an online art store that offers competitive prices on high-quality art supplies, as well as helpful videos on how to create various kinds of artwork.

They offer great art supplies online, divided into sections such as paper and boards or brushes. Within each section, they carry only the best brands.

Blick Art Materials offers free delivery to customers who have never bought from them before. It isn’t over for this online art store after that, since they give their clients a lot of discounts and perks.

This online art store has a lot of great reviews, meaning they’re most likely an authentic and large site. This makes them one of the best places to buy art supplies online.

4. MintedArt

Minted Art is a great store to be if you are looking for the best place to buy art supplies online. It offers a wide variety of art supplies, ranging from paints to brushes to canvases, and it also has a great selection of arts and crafts books. In addition, Minted Art also offers a wide range of services, including framing and matting services, so you can be sure that your artwork will look its best.

This online art store is a one-stop shop for consumers. They provide some of the most unique designs in the business, making them one of the greatest online art retailers.

Not only does the company allow free shipping, but they also permit customers to return prints without any issues…

MintedArt has a lot of relationships with other businesses, which might be beneficial to consumers. So, whether it’s affiliate marketing, a fundraising initiative, a venue program, or even an art trade scheme, there is something for everyone.

The first-time buyer discount is another incentive to try them out. MintedArt also provides a 20% off for first-timers who want to buy anything from them. MintedArt has one of the greatest catalogs available.

They are constantly striving for quality, and they have sworn to be sustainable in the years ahead.

It would be an injustice if they didn’t make it to the list of the greatest online art retailers since they have a lot of excellent evaluations and are just there to provide high-quality art supplies.

5. Artsy

Artsy is an online platform that lets you discover, buy, and sell art. You can find artworks from a variety of artists, galleries, and museums around the world. Artsy also has a blog where you can read about the latest art news and trends.

This is one of the world’s largest online art stores. What sets them apart from other art stores is that they provide you with an opportunity to bid on works you have complete interest in. The great thing about making those bids is that it is always open each day for candidates to partake.

Street arts, contemporary, and modern artworks are among the higher-quality artwork available. You may also sell artwork using Arts.

The following are a few benefits that come with using this online art store:

• Not only does this company have an app, but the customer service is excellent. They will guide you through each step and answer any questions that you may have. There is very little risk involved, and their products sell quickly.
• They provide prices that are fairly cheap and give you a variety of sales opportunities to profit from.
• They not only empower you by enhancing sales but their precision marketing and transparency make them a good choice for everyone.

Artsy is a very easy site to use. All you have to do is upload your work.

If you’ve completed the application and your work has been certified, you’ll receive several bids.

Their team of specialists will help you From start to finish, whether it be finding the perfect buyer for your art, or something as simple as where to hang your latest painting.

6. Society6

Society6 is a good place to buy art supplies online that has been operating since inception without a problem. It also has a user-friendly interface and a great variety of products. This store is very easy to find what you are looking for and have a great selection. Overall, I would recommend Society6 to anyone who is looking for quality art supplies at a reasonable price.

At this online store, you can buy myriad art-related items while also supporting artists with each purchase.

Society6 is one of the best stores to buy framed pictures, art prints, and other popular artwork. They are well-liked due to their wide selection of items.

Society6 is a reliable online art store that offers various payment methods, such as PayPal and credit cards. You can purchase items easily knowing that delivery will be smooth and seamless.

Aside from purchasing art, you may also sell your work in this online gallery. An individual may choose to join a community in order to take advantage of the platform. This place is perfect for not only displaying your artwork, but also connecting with people who are passionate about purchasing it.

You may also get a commission by referring friends to the site, and they will provide you with positive reviews in return. Why shouldn’t society6 be included among the best stores to buy art supplies online, given all of the wonderful comments and the advantages of purchasing or selling art on this fantastic online art shop?

7. Tiny showcase

Tiny Showcase is one of the best places to buy art supplies online that was created by an artist for everyday people. The store was created with the idea that everyone is an artist and deserves high-quality art supplies at an affordable price. Tiny Showcase is the perfect place to find art supplies, whether you’re looking for paints, brushes, or canvas. The store also has a wide selection of artists who sell their work through the site.

Not only does Tiny Showcase offer high-quality art supplies, but free shipping on orders over $50 makes it easy to obtain the materials you need without breaking the bank. Tiny Showcase offers a full refund if you are not satisfied with your purchase, which is another wonderful thing about them. This implies that you may buy with confidence since you will receive your money back if you are dissatisfied with your purchase.

Tiny Art is an online art store that features a range of items relating to art, from textile and wearable art to art accessories. It’s one of the most secure places to shop for arts-related items. Tiny showcase releases new products on a weekly basis, with Tuesdays being the most common day for new releases. 

They boast one of the quickest shipping services online- with their regular items being shipped out within just three business days.

Customers can get a full refund for most items, especially if the damage is our fault. The only non-returnable editioned items are those signed by an artist. 

Their unbreakable policy is that they never ship more than two editions of art prints. Consequently, their customers are always notified ahead of time if an individual orders two or more prints, the store will refund them for any extras and send those back.

8. Artfinder

Artfinder is one of the best art stores online that was founded in 2009. Artfinder connects buyers with independent artists from around the globe. The company offers a wide selection of artwork, including paintings, sculptures, photographs, and reproductions.

Artists can submit their work to a team of curators at Artfinder, who will then set up exhibitions and select the best pieces for sale. If you’re not happy with your purchase, Artfinder offers a refund guarantee.

Artfinder is another excellent resource for finding unique artwork. You can browse through hundreds of pieces from different artists all around the world. The firm also provides a money-back guarantee if you’re not pleased with your purchase, so there’s no risk!

Artfinder is one of the best places to buy art supplies because they provide quality artwork at a variety of price points, making it accessible to everyone.

It’s interesting to learn that Artfinder has been operational for a decade, as they continue to assist people in connecting with various artists and their work. There are an ever-increasing number of sellers on the site, thanks to Artfinder. Artfinder also has over a hundred countries where their artists sell from.

This online art store is updated with a new collection of artworks each month and makes returning a purchased item easy for the customer. It is essential to return the artwork within two weeks of receiving it if you, for some reason, need to do so.

9. Tappan collective

Tappan Collective was an online platform and community that operated from 2013 to mid-2017. It was started by a group of friends who all went to Tappan Middle School in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. The site was created as a platform for the members to share their work and connect with other creatives.

The site featured articles, interviews, videos, and artwork created by the members of the collective. The content was largely aimed at teenagers and young adults.

The collective disbanded in mid-2017, after most of the members had graduated from high school and gone their separate ways. Despite this, the Tappan Collective remains an important part of many members’ lives, and its legacy continues to inspire new generations of creatives.

Tappan isn’t just an online art store- it’s also a platform for showcasing top talent through exhibitions, digital content, and partnerships.

The Tappan has numerous art collections that are of interest to people all around the world. Their customer service staff may take at least a day to respond to your message. Notwithstanding, their shipping process is relatively fast. Thus, you can expect your package to get to your doorstep within two to three weeks.  

The reviews for their items speak for themselves, with many users claiming that not only are they pleased with the quality of their art products but also with their efficiency and drive. As a result, they’ve been named one of the greatest online retailers.

10. AHA art

AHA art is a type of art that is created using the principles of the AHA moment. It is a form of art that attempts to capture the feeling of an “Aha!” moment or a moment of sudden realization or understanding. This type of art often uses elements of surprise, humour, and/or irony to create its effect.

AHA art is often said to be about “the journey, not the destination.” This means that it is not so much about the final product or outcome but rather about the process and experience of creating it. This can be seen as a reaction against traditional forms of art, which often place emphasis on the finished product.

If you’re looking to add a personal touch to your home, office, or next social event, this is one of the best places online to purchase art.

The best thing about the payment option on this online art store is that they take a variety of channels, such as PayPal, MasterCard, Visa, and American Express. They also take art item instalments from clients based in the United Kingdom and the United States.

They have an impressive array of paintings, photographs, digital art, originals, and art accessories which you can buy with ease on their website.

On this website, you may buy art in several methods, including Wood print, Canvas print, Framed print, Art print and Poster.

Their art paintings come in a variety of sizes and prices, making them unique among online art stores. Some reasons for their uniqueness are:

• They have allowed people to design their own products, turn photos into paintings, and even mail them so they can be framed.
• There are many catalogues of goods to browse, including wall art, puzzles, posters, interior design items, and art prints.
• Besides being able to shop for different art supplies, you can also sell your artwork, go on tours, and join a membership program to get discounts and other benefits.

11. Lumas

Lumas is also among the best places to buy art supplies online. They offer a wide variety of products, ranging from paints and brushes to easels and canvas. They also have an extensive selection of art books. Lumas offer free shipping on orders over $100, and they have a loyalty program that gives you points for every purchase that you make.

Look no further than Lumas if you want to purchase high-quality photography that doesn’t cost a fortune. Whether you’re in the market for pictures of landscapes, people, or cityscapes, we have what you need and more. Plus, Lumas is a trustworthy store that always guarantees customer satisfaction.

You can purchase art at lumas for as low as $50 up to a maximum of $2000. They also have a specified phone number where you may contact them if you are having difficulties, and they would eagerly assist.

There are several advantages to shopping for art on this online gallery. They include:

• Collectible fine art is a term used to describe a wide range of high-quality pieces that are not only affordable but also one that every art lover will appreciate.
• In the end, their art is developed into photographic prints, but their paintings remain original.
• People have a variety of reasons for buying art from an online store. This is why it’s critical to emphasize that the artworks offered at lumas are intended to be used for different purposes, such as as a source of inspiration or upliftment of the intellect.
• This online art store offers artwork from a variety of artists, both famous and unknown, to ensure customers have the best experience possible. 

They work flawlessly and are among the most effective art photographers on the internet. As a result, they’ve been dubbed one of the finest online art galleries.

12. Etsy

Etsy is one of the most popular online marketplaces for handmade and vintage goods. If you are crafty, this is a great platform to sell your wares. If you want to start selling your products, you can create a shop on Etsy at no cost. Just bear in mind that they take a 3.5% commission off of each sale, so price your items accordingly.

There are some fees associated with selling on Etsy, including a listing fee of 20 cents per item and a transaction fee of 3.5% of the total sale price (which is collected by Etsy). You will also need to pay PayPal or credit card processing fees if you use those methods to accept payments. Overall, Etsy is a very affordable platform to sell your products on.

Etsy is one of the most popular websites for buying and selling original artwork. They are one of the first places that curious buyers look to find unique works.

The vendor offers a wide variety of affordable options, and it all comes down to your needs in the end. If you’re looking to get a commission (usually within 5%), or need printable wall art quotes, then this is definitely the website for you!

On this online art store, artists make a considerable amount of money every year. Most payments are made through PayPal.

13. Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts

Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts is another popular crafting destination in the U.S. This store offers a wide variety of fabric and sewing supplies, as well as a wide selection of craft supplies. They also offer classes on various crafts, making it a great place to learn new skills or perfect old ones. Jo-Ann is a fantastic alternative for people looking for a one-stop sh

op for all of their crafting needs. In 1943, Hans and Fritz Koch, two German immigrant brothers, opened a single store.

14. Jerry’s Artarama

Jerry’s Artarama is a great place to buy all your art supplies online. They have everything you need, from paint to canvas to brushes. They also have a broad selection of frames and other wall decors. Jerry’s Artarama is an ideal spot to locate all of your art supplies. It was established in 1967 by Jerry and Harriet Rabinowitz as a place for people to sell their art.

The company started in their home state of New Jersey and has since expanded to locations all across the United States. Jerry’s Artarama is proud to be a family-owned business that values customer service above all else.

They provide a complete refund if you are dissatisfied with your purchase. If you aren’t happy with your item, you may return it for a full refund. Jerry’s Artarama is an excellent spot to purchase all of your art supplies. I highly encourage everyone who is seeking a fantastic location to acquire art materials to go there.

15. Sculpture House

If you’re on the hunt for some wonderful sculptures, look no further than the Sculpture House. With many diverse options to pick from, situated downtown, it’ll be easy to find something that catches your eye.

The Sculpture House has a sculpture for everyone–abstract or otherwise. If you see something you like while browsing, don’t forget to ask about purchasing it!

The Sculpture House is an excellent place to visit for art-lovers, as it has a beautiful collection of both indoor and outdoor sculptures. In addition to admiring the artwork, visitors can also take a break in the cafe or buy souvenirs from the gift shop.

ALSO READ: 13 Best Places to Buy Beads Online (Best Bead Stores)

Conclusion

The best art stores online are those that provide a safe and secure platform for users to purchase art without having to worry about any fraudulent activities. These stores also have fast and efficient delivery processes, ensuring that customers receive their orders in a timely manner.

Furthermore, the best art stores online provide a wide range of payment options to choose from, making it convenient for customers to complete their purchases. Finally, these stores offer excellent customer service and have positive reviews from past buyers, indicating that they are reliable and trustworthy. So, they are the best places to buy art supplies online without fear of losing your money or buying fake art supplies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: When will the art be delivered?

A: Some online art stores can have your new artwork with you in as little as two weeks, but some use NFTs to deliver the piece(s) to you in only a couple of hours.

Q: What distinguishes a top online art store from the competition?

A: The cost, the quality, or rather the authenticity of the artwork. It’s crucial to understand that there are various art retailers online, and each has its own set of standards. Not only should the good art store online have excellent reviews from past customers, but it should also provide a great user experience.

Q: Is it possible to return the artwork if I don’t like it?

A: Yes, you may return an artwork if you don’t like it. You can, however, be confident that when you send back the artwork, you will receive your money back quickly. Many of these online art stores will take back the delivered artwork, as long as it is returned within the allotted time period. Plus, the condition of the returning art must be undamaged. If the art is damaged and it was caused by the user, it will be rejected.

Q: Is there a secured payment method available at the art stores online?

A: Yes. a good online art store does not jeopardize payment security. In a world where internet cyber thieves abound, those online art stores ensure that money is secure. Not only do they guarantee safe payment, but they also provide various secure payment options for their customers. So, you can buy art without having to worry about your bank information being compromised.

Q: Do I have to pay for my work before it’s delivered? 

A: In general, it is usual to pay for an item before receiving it. Most art stores online take payment first and then send the art, but there are a few that will accept payment on delivery. There are a handful of art stores that provides free delivery on certain goods or art supplies. They might, however, demand that you reach a certain goal before shipping can be done for free.

Letgo is one of the biggest and fastest-growing apps for buying and selling locally, and it makes it easy to sell what you don’t need and find great deals nearby. Thus, Letgo is a platform for selling and buying secondhand stuff locally.

The big question is whether this is just advert-speak or whether Letgo is really worthwhile for selling stuff you no longer need and getting great deals on stuff that others are letting go of.

That is, as a Seller on the platform can you really use Letgo to sell your items? Does it offer top services that you’ll want from the ideal selling app (such as good traffic, easy listing, low fees, effective customer support service, etc)?

Yes, of course, Letgo is legit. It is one of the most popular platforms online and definitely not a scam. You will receive any product you purchased from the store without a problem. But…continue reading to know more!

Also, as a Buyer in the platform, can you really use Letgo to buy needed items? Does it offer top services that you’ll want from the ideal buying app (such as ease of use, a range of products, reasonable pricing, easy and fast delivery, easy returns, effective customer support service, etc)?

This Letgo review will examine Letgo in order to provide the information that will help you answer these questions and more.

Letgo review at a glance

• Website: letgo.com
• An online marketplace launched in 2015
• Specializes in buying and selling of secondhand stuff locally (between persons nearby)
• Supports a range of products and services (which includes cars, housing, home products, electronics, fashion products, etc)
• Offers easy listing of items
• No in-app payment system
• Buyers and Sellers have to meet in person for exchange and payment
• Customer support is available via postal mail, email (info@letgo.com) and telephone (347-433-8912)

What is Letgo?

Letgo is an app-focused selling platform launched in 2015 by Alec Oxenford. It advertises with the tagline “Live & Letgo”. It explains this saying that your old bookshelf could be someone else’s new bookshelf, and someone else’s record collection could be your new dinner party playlists, etc. Thus, after living with those stuff of yours, you should let them go, so they can become someone else’s.

That said; Letgo comes out as a destination for buying and selling pre-owned items. Letgo itself says the platform was created to help make secondhand second nature by making it quicker, simpler, and more fun.

Since buying and selling take place in Letgo, it is simply an online marketplace. This means Letgo itself does not ‘sell’ anything. Letgo is simply a platform where independent users come as either sellers or buyers. The listings in the platform are posted by independent persons like you using the platform as “Sellers”.

However, Letgo differs from many of the e-marketplaces you’ll find on the internet. This is because the only services that Letgo offers are: posting of listing by a Seller; browsing of listings and discovering an item by a Buyer; and chat between a listing’s poster and the interested buyer.

Thus, Letgo is only a marketplace in that it is a place that connects Sellers and Buyers. However, transactions happen outside of Letgo.  After discovering an item, you can communicate with its seller; and if a deal is reached, both parties will arrange a face-to-face meeting for the exchange and payment. Thus, unlike in many other online marketplaces, there is no in-app payment system, and the Seller won’t be shipping the item to you.

Is Letgo legit?

There is no denying that people are still getting ripped off on the web. Thus, before using any online platform, it’s wise to determine that it is legit. The big question here is therefore whether Letgo is legit. The simple answer to that is “YES”.

Our first check of a legit online platform is legality. This is because online platforms that are backed by 100% legal companies are less likely to be scams. Interestingly, Letgo ticks this box. It was incorporated in The Netherlands as Letgo USA B.V. and has its registered offices in Gustav Mahlerplein 5, 1082 MS Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Suffice it to say that scam online platforms do not bother with company incorporation.

Another check of a legit online platform is visibility and industry-wide recognition. This is because the scam platforms operate mostly in the shadows. Interestingly, Letgo ticks this box. At one point in 2017, it was recognized as the fastest growing app in the US; and has over 10 million downloads of the app since its launch. Letgo has also seen different rounds of funding from top financing institutions. Suffice it to say that a scam platform will not be trusted by millions of followers or earn investment from investors.

Another check of a legit online platform is the test of time. This is because the scam platforms are usually short-lived. In this era of fast communication, scams are discovered in no time; and with such exposure, the platform usually shuts down. Interestingly, Letgo ticks this box, as it was established in 2015. Though, it is about 5 years of existence is relatively young; suffice it to say that a scam platform cannot go on for half a decade.

However, the ultimate check of a legit platform is fitness for purpose. The purpose of an eCommerce platform is to allow Sellers to list their items and sell them, and to allow buyers to discover items and buy them. Interestingly, Letgo ticks this box. If you have anything to let go, you can list it for sale in Letgo and you’ll get interests from persons nearby; also if you need to make purchases, in Letgo you’ll find persons near you offering stuff.

That said, with Letgo operated by a 100% legal company, by not operating in the shadows, and for having almost half a decade operating record of connecting Sellers and Buyers for the trade of pre-owned items, there is no doubt that it is a legit online selling/buying platform.

What Letgo safe?

When using online platforms it’s not enough that the platform is legit. You’ll share such sensitive data as personal information and credit card details; so you’ll want the platform to be safe in ensuring the protection of sensitive data that you share with it.

In this regards, Letgo says it maintains administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to ensure protection of users’ data. One of such is the use of SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) technology, which is the industry standard for ensuring protection of data transmitted in the internet. With the use of SSL technology amongst other measures, it is safe to say that Letgo is safe.

Products

You’ll definitely want to know what you can list for sale in a marketplace, or what you can expect to find for purchase. The good news is that Letgo supports a wide range of products – just about everything.

The product categories that you’ll find are: Cars; Housing; Electronics; Motor Cycles and Other Vehicles; Sports, Leisure and Games; Home and Garden; Movies, Books and Music; Fashion and Accessories; Baby and Child; Other, Jobs and Services

Letgo for Sellers

Reach

Location! Location!! Location!!! Sellers know that where their store is sited is a strong determinant of success. In the same vein, when considering an online marketplace to list your items for sale, to have any success, it’ll have to be where the items can be seen. Thus, one of the first things to look out for in a marketplace is its reach.

Thankfully, Letgo ticks this box. It has millions of users. Thus, there may be no better place to list your pre-owned items where they will be seen especially be thousands of persons nearby.

Listing

To sell in any online platform, you’ll have to list your items for sale. Thus, you’ll want the process to be as easy as possible.

In this regards, Letgo says its tagline about making selling easy isn’t a joke. As such it makes it possible to list an item in less than 60 seconds. It’s advertising that it is as easy as snap, post, chat and sell.

If you are ready to let go and sell any of your pre-loved items, you can start by downloading the Letgo app. Opening the app, you’ll find a “Sell Your Stuff” button; click this to get started. The camera will open; and you can either select a picture of your item from the camera roll or snap a new picture of your item. Then hit “Post”.

You can then proceed to set the price for your item; then click “Done”. You’ll then be prompted to select a category for your item. Select the category that best fits your listing, or select “other” category. After that, you should be greeted with “Congratulations! Your listing has been posted”. You can then click “Post another item” if you have other items to sell, or click “Add more details” to give a detailed description of the item posted. To have success, you should add more details. This is where you can add more photos (up to 5) of your item showing the item from different angles; it’s also where you can add a product title and a detailed description. Buyers generally want to view a couple of product images, and a detailed description to help with their buy decision.

Letgo also supports video listing, which is also relatively easy. After clicking the “Sell Your Stuff”, select a category then tap “video”. Record your video which should be between 3 and 15 seconds, then click “Done” or “Next”. You can then proceed to enter details of the listing, and then hit the “Post” button.

However, in Letgo, listings expire after 30 days. After posting your item, it’ll fall down the feed with time, but after 30 days, it’ll expire and disappear. Thus, if your item has not sold, you may want to list it again after 30 days.

Selling

If your item is posted in Letgo; all you have to do is wait until someone who sees it and is interested chats you up. The communication between you (the seller) and the interested buyer will usually be to agree on a price and to schedule a meeting for the exchange.

Remember that in the regular online marketplace, an important consideration is shipping – that’s how you’ll deliver items to customers who place orders for them. However, Letgo discourages its sellers from shipping their items to buyers. Rather, it strongly encourages Sellers and Buyers to meet in person to exchange the item and cash payment.

If the communication is positive; then you meet with the interested person as arranged; the buyer can then physically inspect the item, and the exchange takes place (you give the buyer the product and collect payment).

Fees

Another important consideration when checking online marketplaces is fees. Marketplaces generally charge fees. However, you’ll want these to be as low as possible; because fees can easily eat into your profits, especially if you want to price your items low for them to remain competitive.

In this regards, Letgo shines brightly. First, Letgo can be used for free – 100%. That is, you won’t have to pay to list items in the platform. Interestingly, you also will not be charged sellers’ commission. Know that typically “free” selling platforms are free until a sale is made; but when a sale is made, the platform will proceed to charge a percentage of the sales amount as a commission. However, Letgo is truly free, as it does not take any percentage of its users’ sales.

However, Letgo offers some in-app purchases which will give your listings more visibility. However, such featured listings are optional.

Selling Special Features

Letgo has some special features to make the platform even easier for selling your items. This includes the Letgo Reveal, Letgo Bot, and more

Letgo Reveal

This special feature makes the process of listing items in Letgo super easy. When listing an item, one problem you’ll face is how much you’ll price your item. You’ll want to get the most for any item that you want to sell, but this can easily make you overprice it making the item hard to sell. Also, if you list items for sale in an eCommerce platform, you’ll want a sale as soon as possible. Letgo Reveal is designed primarily to solve these.

It uses real-time image recognition technology and artificial intelligence. You only have to take a picture of your item, and Letgo Reveal will immediately furnish you how much the item is worth and how soon you are likely to sell it. It draws its suggestions using data from similar listings in the platform.

Normally to set your price, you’ll do a little research to know how much similar items are priced in the platform. The Letgo Reveal feature automatically does this research for you, and the result is a suggested selling price and expectations on how long it might take to close the deal.

Emma

One problem with free listings is that the item can easily drop down the feed as more items are listed. Thus, before long your item may become difficult to find. This is one problem that the Letgo selling bot (Emma) was launched to solve.

Emma is just the name of a selling bot whose purpose is to help sellers sell faster in the platform. Thus, one of the things that Emma does is reposting your listings to give them more visibility. It’ll also message you occasionally with tips for selling faster.

ALSO READ: JJ’s House Review – Is Legit or Scam?

Featured Listing

This is one of the optional in-app purchases of Letgo. This is also to combat the problem of your listing falling down the feeds and becoming hard to see. If you buy a featured listing, Letgo will put your listing at the top of the feeds for a period, giving you more visibility, and more sales.

Selling Complaints

The complaints section is always a part of our reviews because what real persons that have used (or still using) a platform have to say about it gives a real insight into how worthwhile the platform is. Very few complaints could mean that the platform is worthwhile, while too many complaints could mean otherwise.

That said, for the complaints section we checked the top independent online customers’ reviews platform such as Trustpilot and Sitejabber. Unfortunately, Letgo is not highly rated in these platforms. For example, at the time of writing this review, in Trustpilot, Letgo had been reviewed by 224 users, scoring 1.3 out of 5; and in Sitejabber, it had been reviewed by 794 users, scoring 1.5 out of 5.

The poor ratings tell you that there are many complaints. The seller-related complaints included: buyer’s fake interest, low balling buyers, no-show buyers, and more

Taking Down Posts

A few Sellers complained about Letgo taking down their posts or accounts saying that rules have been broken when they (the Seller) cannot see how any rule has been broken. For example:

• James in Trustpilot says “Got mixed feelings about this app” The review added “…I’ve sold a few things on here, but it’s few and far in between. I keep having issues with them taking posts down for no reason saying [they] break rules. What? Example, I put up a post looking for fan blades for crafting. How the hell does that break the rules?”
• Andrew Savage in Trustpilot says “Wish I didn’t have to give even one star. My account was permanently disabled by Letgo for having a picture of spent rifle brass as my avatar; wasn’t even selling any weapons. Letgo and its staff are too left-leaning and have been brainwashed”
• Jose in Sitejabber says “Horrible app” The review continued “Any service you post is rejected for who knows stupid rules they have…”

Buyers’ Fake Interest

One Sellers’ complaint that was popular is that many buyers show fake interest in the listing, but do not follow through. For example:

• Dianne Cannon in Trustpilot says “Buyers fake interest in the items for asking ‘is it available’. When you reply ‘yes’ and ‘when would you like to meet’, there is no further conversation. I’ve even suggested meeting buyers close to where they live or work, with no success”
• Osiris Yasuke The Hood Humanitarian in Trustpilot says “I think the [buyers] on Letgo are fake, scammers, or a bunch of tards or something. 20 people can inbox you about something but nobody actually meets you, have the money for the price you’re asking, want you to always come to them or it’s someone trolling calling you names and saying vulgar things to you. A bunch of eediots are on Letgo”
• Dar in Trustpilot says “Worst app ever. Everyone on this app thinks that since the app is called ‘Letgo’, you will sell your stuff practically free. Almost all buyers message asking ‘is this still available’ and when you reply within a couple of minutes, they reply saying they’re no longer interested. This app and the users on it are a complete waste of time. No one on this app is serious about doing any actual transaction. They want you to give your stuff away for free”
• Mike in Sitejabber says “Sucks” The review continued “Nothing but stupid losers on this website. I think they sit behind the computer all day asking people is it still available. My answer [to them] would be duh lol”

Low-balling Buyers

Another complaint that was common is that many buyers will make you “insulting offers” for your items. For example:

• Guy in Trustpilot says “Broke, broke and more brokes” The review continued “This site is a joke. I list an Xbox One S with controller and 200 games, and someone offers 5 dollars. 98 percent of the people never have a car or a ride go figure. If u get an insulting offer, tell them to meet you somewhere far and don’t show up, I’m sure they’ll never low-ball again. Don’t use this site if u have high blood pressure [because] most of the people will raise it. Everyone on there is broke or wanting a handout”
• William M in Sitejabber says “tired of people offering half of list price and the other people not getting back to you. Waste of my time”
• Susan Thomas in Trustpilot says “I should have listened to the bad reviews, but I had to try it for myself. Buyers offer ridiculously low offers on already very low prices…”

There were just too many of this complaint that it comes out as a real problem you’ll face as a Seller. Granted, anywhere price negotiations are allowed (even in brick and mortar stores), you’ll find some customers that’ll make underwhelming offers.

However, this is something that Letgo can easily fix by setting caps. For example, we’ve seen a selling app that does not allow customers to make an offer below 75% of the listed price.

No-show Buyers

Another complaint that’s popular among the Sellers of Letgo is that many times after arranging to meet with a Buyer, the buyer does not turn up. For example:

• Cindos in Trustpilot says “Let go of this service” The review continued “Horrible service. I VERY rarely have been able to sell items successfully on Letgo. People are not trustworthy on this site. Some are downright creepy at times. People constantly saying they want to buy something and don’t respond or show up. Deleting my account”
• Glen Neal in Trustpilot says “Buyer no show” The review continued “…Had my first bad taste a month ago. I had reduced the price and the potential buyer agreed to it. Took time to set up a meeting. The buyer was a no show. I seriously dislike individuals who can’t keep their word or at least have the courtesy to cancel or apologize. He would not return additional messages. There needs to be a ‘no show’ button to report these people”
• Er W in Sitejabber says “If you like people no showing, this is the place for you” The review continued “This app is the worst. When we lived out West we had no issues with selling and meeting up with legit buyers. Out East, we’ve had three times in a row of buyers with ‘verified’ accounts and good member reviews have good communication then completely flake and no-show at the meeting point. I think it’s a bunch of kids making accounts and messing with people all day long. I have no other explanation! I will not proceed with selling anything else on this complete waste of my time app. There needs to be a better verifying system in place and accountability if you flake. So pissed!”

Scam Buyers

Yet another complaint is that there are many phoney buyers in the platform – that is persons claiming to be buyers who are just there to scam unsuspecting sellers. For example:

• Ruthie B in Trustpilot says “Don’t Trust Buyers” The review continued “Uploading my pics and finding buyers for my electronics was super easy, only to find out 100% of the buyers that I tried to sell to were scammers…”
• Ali Lindauer in Trustpilot says “90% of the responses you’ll get are from out-of-state asking you to ship whatever item they’re buying. DO NOT USE LETGO”

It should be said that this is not something peculiar to Letgo. In virtually every online marketplace out there you’ll find scammers masquerading as buyers. However, it’ll seem that they populate Letgo.

In this regards, Letgo strongly warns against shipping your item to anyone, knowing that dishonest persons will refuse to honour whatever agreement was received (in terms of sending payment) after receipt of the item.

Selling Pros and Cons

There are pros and cons of selling in Letgo. They are as follows:

Pros

• A wide range of products can be listed for sale in the platform
• There’ll be traffic for your items, as Letgo has millions of users
• Listing items and selling in Letgo is relatively easy (requiring snap, post, chat, and sell)
• Supports video listing
• Can be used for free – does not charge fees for listing items or percentage of users’ sales

Cons

• Listings expire after 30 days
• Sellers have to meet Buyers in-person to complete the transaction (exchange the item and receive cash payment)
• Too many complaints of buyers showing interest in an item, asking about it but not following through
• Many buyers in the platform do not show up after a meeting is scheduled

Letgo for Buyers

Buying on Letgo

When using any online platform, you don’t want the headaches. Thus, the ideal platform should be easy-to-use. In this regard, Letgo sings ease of use for not only Sellers but also for Buyers. Letgo is app-focused and has dedicated apps for Android and iOS devices. If you use other devices (such as a Windows phone) you can make use of the website instead. The website is mobile-optimized, so you’ll get an optimal mobile shopping experience whether you’re buying using the website or the apps.

You can easily discover great deals. Like you’ll do in any online marketplace, explore the different categories or browse the main feeds. Alternatively, you can use the search bar (the magnifying glass icon); simply type in some keyword, and it will call up listings related to your search enquiry.

When you discover an item that you like, click on it to open its description page. You can then start a chat with the Seller using the text field at the bottom of the page. Chatting with the seller, you can negotiate, and then arrange a meeting place to carry out the exchange.

If you like a listing but have not decided on its purchase, you can add it to your favourite until you’re ready. Favoriting an item simply makes it easy to call it up in the future. Also, the Seller will be notified that you’ve added their listing to your favourites, but the Seller won’t be able to contact you until you choose to start a conversation.

Interestingly, Letgo allows buyers to write reviews of Sellers. So when browsing listings you can view customers’ reviews of the particular seller to know if the seller is perceived as a good seller.

Pricing

When making purchases, you’ll want prices that are as low as possible. So the ideal shopping destination should feature prices that are perceived as reasonable. Thankfully, Letgo ticks this box. This is especially as the site focuses on secondhand selling and buying.

You’ll find really good prices for listings in almost every product category. Then you can chat with the Seller and negotiate a lower price. Interestingly, the records show that many buyers who negotiate are able to get a lower price.

Even sweeter, you’ll be able to get free stuff in Letgo. In fact, Letgo encourages persons to give stuff away for free. If you no longer have a need for an item, what way to let it go than gifting it to someone!

Payment Methods

One argument for the online purchase is that it makes purchases easy. However, Letgo differs from the regular online marketplaces where payments are made online.

Letgo provides a platform where users advertise and search for a variety of items. Interaction and negotiations also happen in the in-app chat feature but exchanging and payment is the sole responsibility of the parties involved, and these happen outside Letgo.

This means that you can choose a payment method that is convenient for you. In this regard, Letgo strongly advises against transferring funds or using credit cards or checks to pay anyone in advance. Rather, Letgo strongly advises COD (Cash on Delivery) transactions.

Delivery

If you make a purchase in the regular eCommerce platforms, the seller will have to ship the item to the shipping address you submitted. Thus, the typical considerations are: whether the platform ships merchandise to your location (shipping destinations), how long it’ll take the items to arrive (delivery times), and how much it’ll cost (shipping cost).

However, the considerations are a little different from Letgo. This is because Letgo is about discovering an item nearby and meeting in person with the seller for the exchange. Thus, the delivery considerations will relate to the place and time of the meeting.

For this, Letgo advises that meetings should be done in public places; and that if possible you should be there with someone else. Safety first! However, know that some Sellers in Letgo are usually willing to come to you.

Returns

One of the arguments against online purchases is that online purchase is characterized by “blind purchase”. That is, online purchases do not give buyers the opportunity to physically assess the item before completing the purchase and making payment. As a result, many times buyers receive their order and find that it is something they wouldn’t have bought had they assessed it beforehand.

This is a real concern; and for this, online shoppers gravitate towards online stores that allow buyers to return an item that is not totally satisfactory (and get a replacement or a refund of payment).

Unfortunately, Letgo does not allow returns. But the good news is that “blind purchase” which characterizes online purchases are eliminated in Letgo. Letgo strongly advertises that you (the buyer) inspect the item seriously before making payment. Letgo also advises that you should test items to ensure that they work properly; it adds that for certain items (such as cards, etc) it’ll be important to consult third-party sources to determine the authenticity and functionality of the items.

However, if your checks are insufficient, or you buy an item that you find to be overwhelmingly unsatisfactory, Letgo will have no remedies for you. This also means that if you are scammed by a seller, you are on your own.

Buying Special Features

Search Alerts

It’s not news that it may not be easy to discover the right deal. Thankfully, Letgo helps in this regard with its “search alerts”. With search alerts activated you’ll get notifications of listings that match your search. It’s also very easy to activate. Simply enter a keyword into the search bar; then ensure that the toggle at the top of the app is set to red.

Letgo allows users to activate up to 10 search alerts. After that, each search alert will replace the oldest one. You can turn off these notifications at any time.

Buyers’ complaints

Just as we did in the Selling section, we also check for buyers’ complaints as this will give insight as to whether it is worthwhile to buy in Letgo. Unfortunately, one reason for the poor rating of Letgo in the independent online customers’ reviews platforms is because of numerous buyers’ complaints. These included: finding too many ads, finding long-dated and poor listings,

Too many Ads

One complaint found is that you may have to sieve through numerous ads before you find anything you want. For example:

• Dissatisfied User in Trustpilot says “Use to enjoy Letgo and purchased many items. Now they have business ads that are repeated numerous times; when for instance looking for new rolls of carpet, I have to scroll many pages to get past the duplicated carpet cleaners and installers. Two, ads are the biggest offenders, but Letgo doesn’t seem to care. I have contacted them twice with no reply to my concerns. Very frustrating. I am going back to Craiglist”
• Lorel Butler in Trustpilot says “I get tired of reading 100 ads by people listing stuff for a dollar, or [when] looking for kitchen cabinets, having 100 cabinets installers posting photos of jobs they have done…”

Long Dated and Poor Listings

Another complaint found is that many of the listings are at best vague – not having the essential information that a buyer will need in making the buy decision. For example:

• Michael in Trustpilot says “Yet another worthless buying & selling site” The review continued “I am not surprised at all to see all the negative reviews here. In my experience, just like OfferUp… LETGO has sellers who do not respond to questions via messages. I constantly see things for sale that have been listed for like a year? Really? I mean like who would not ask the question is this available? The sellers have very vague descriptions of items with only one picture and force the potential buyers to ask a lot of questions and of course 9 out of 10 sellers never reply…”
• Michael S in Sitejabber says “A place to waste time” The review continued “…The sellers share a huge part of the failure of this buying/ selling platform. Based on my experience when I find an ad that is over a year old I have to ask the question ‘is this still available?’ 9 out of 10 times I get NO reply, It makes a person wonder, did they die? Or did they just abandon their account? Or are they just being rude? Or they’re not serious about selling anything? Or they’re tired of answering questions? I am forced to ask questions about something that I am interested in because the seller’s description is very vague. I mean like really, you post a crappy picture of a saw and the title says ‘saw’ and in the description says ‘works good’ LOL seriously? Then these crybaby sellers wonder why they get so many questions. In some of the pictures, you can’t even see what brand the saw is. So at least if you’re going to take a lousy picture, put it in the description of who makes it or a model number or brand name. Now here’s where you put the rest of the blame on Letgo themselves because they need to enforce sellers to post more than one picture, type more than one word in the description, and when they don’t answer your messages disable their accounts and simply tell them you’re not a serious seller we don’t want you here. The sad thing is Letgo refuses to make any changes to make the platform better, they just sit back and such their advertisers dry until one day those advertisers will wake up… and let THEM go”

It should be said that Letgo focuses strongly on the easy listing. Sellers don’t even have to write a title, as the app’s image recognition feature will suggest a title. As such, you’ll find many listings with a very scanty title and description.

Scam Sellers

Another complaint you’ll find is that there are some persons on the platform masquerading as sellers just to rip off unsuspecting buyers. For example:

• Lloyd Cheu in Trustpilot says “Worst site for car buying” The review continued “Was looking for a used car for my son & found all these great listings on Letgo… After narrowing down my choices, the first person I contacted turned out to be a scam (story of military personnel soon deploying, will deliver car through eBay delivery services… found her email almost verbatim when I searched for ‘eBay auto-delivery scam’…”
• Mandeep Singh in Trustpilot says “Fraud Sellers” The review continued “Most of the sellers here are fakes. They just ask you to put money in their account and they post the product to you. BEWARE OF FRAUDS”

It should be said that this is not peculiar to Letgo. In virtually every online selling platform, you’ll find these elements. However, it seems the problem is popular in Letgo, and that can be because Letgo in its bid to be “an easy to sell” app does not do any serious seller verification.

Buying Pros and Cons

There are pros and cons of buying in Letgo. They are as follows:

Pros

• Uses a geo-location feature so you can find items sold by persons nearly
• Supports search alerts which make it easy to discover items
• Pricing of listings is usually reasonable
• Negotiation with Sellers is possible to get an even lower price
• Many Sellers offer free stuff
• Facilitates communication between buyer and seller
• Ability to inspect and test the item adequately before making payment
• You don’t have to make payment for items in advance of receiving the item
• Strongly advises using COD (cash on delivery) payments

Cons

• Some listings do not have sufficient information (such as having only one product photo and vague product description)
• You’ll have to meet face-to-face with the seller to exchange of items and payment
• Returns of items are not possible after a transaction is completed

Customer Support Service

There’ll definitely be persons who’ll have questions, and there’ll be others that’ll have one issue or the order. So the ideal online platform should have an effective customer support service for answering the questions or resolving the issues that its users will have.

The online platforms provide assistance using a combination of self-help resources and direct-contact support. Letgo does likewise.

In its “Help Ceter”, you’ll find a link to an FAQ page that holds answers to many of the questions that users have asked in the past. The subjects covered include: Getting Started, Your Account, Using Letgo, Known Issues, Trust & Safety, Messaging, Selling on Letgo, Buying on Letgo, and Tech Support & bug reports.

However, if you’ll rather directly contact a rep of the company, Letgo supports postal mail, email, and telephone service. US users can address their letters to P.O. Box 924, New York, NY 10014. We all know the slow feedback that plagues postal mail, so the email may be a better choice; the email address to send your submissions is info@letgo.com. However, if you’ll rather get instant feedback, you can pick up your phone and call: 347-433-8912.

You may also like: AliExpress Review – Is Legit or Scam?

Conclusions

Letgo is a legitimate eCommerce platform primarily for buying and selling of secondhand stuff locally. It says its mission is to make such secondhand second nature by making it quicker, simpler, and more fun. To a large extent, Letgo lives up to this.

For example, when using Letgo as a Seller, you’ll find that it is super-easy to list your items. With the Letgo Reveal feature, listing items is basically a matter of snap and post – a title and price will be suggested, which you can use. Also, Letgo can be used absolutely for free; there are no fees to list, and there is no collection of a portion of your sales as a commission/ seller’s fee.

Granted, fees are charged for a premium listing, but these are optional. You can sell without paying any fees. Also, you may not spend anything to deliver the item; because Letgo allows for Buyer and Seller to arrange to meet for the exchange.

However, the road of “selling in Letgo” is not without bumps. With Buyers allowed to negotiate; expect some “insulting” offers. Also, Sellers complain of too many cases of fake-interest buyers (who’ll show interest in a listing but not follow up).

There’re also many cases of Buyers not showing up after a meeting is arranged. Then as you’ll find in virtually every marketplace, expect to find some scammers (their stories always have something in common – ship what you’re selling and we’ll send your payment).

When using Letgo as a Buyer, there are some things to like about it. You may like that it supports a wide range of products and services, which includes clothing, electronics, cars, real estate, and even services (handymen, etc).

You may also like that it is super easy to use, especially in discovering the right deal. Also, pricing is generally fine; and you can chat up with the seller to get a lower price. You may even find great stuff for free.

However, it’s also not all smooth sailing. As said earlier, the app invests heavily in making listing easy. This comes at some cost to Buyers.

There’s hardly any serious verification done; so you may have to sieve through many “worthless” listings and duplicate listings. Also, you’ll find many listings lacking in details (such as one product picture, and one or two worded product descriptions).

If you’ll rather push buttons, and have your items delivered to your door. Letgo is not the buying app for you. This is because you’ll have to arrange a meeting in person (usually in a public place) with the Seller for the exchange. Crucially, Letgo does not support returns for any reason.

So, if you find out after closing a deal that your item is not as expected, there’ll be no remedies whatsoever for you. Then also, expect to find some scamming Sellers (no matter how they come, there’ll always be something like “send your payment or an advance before a meeting can be arranged or you can receive the item”).

Houzz online platform dedicated to home renovation and design that was founded in 2009 by Ali Tatarko and Alon Cohen. Like many businesses start stories, it was inspired after a failed personal experience. The founders were into remodeling their home but they couldn’t get the resources to make the project a reality.

There was no shortage of home magazines or referrals for home professionals, but they just couldn’t get the right design and construction professionals. So they created Houzz, to be a place where you can go to find the right design and construction professionals.

Houzz started as a side project; but has grown into a robust community for connecting with over 40 million homeowners, home design enthusiasts, and home improvement professionals around the world.

Thus, Houzz is more than a shopping destination where you’ll go to for that furniture, lamp, or other home product. It is also a place where you can get design ideas. Persons can go there to browse and save beautiful home pictures.

This collection has grown to over 18 million photos. As such, Houzz is a wonderful resource if you want ideas for remodeling any part of your home. Also, when you need that perfect architect, designer, or other contactor that’ll help transmit those your dreams to reality, you’ll find them in Houzz. It has over 2.3 million home professionals in the community.

However, it must be said that Houzz is just a platform, and not an online store. Professionals in the community are persons who have home improvement services to offer or have home products to sell. In layman-speak, Houzz is your typical marketplace.

It does not own or stock any merchandise. When shopping in the platform, though some of the items are sold directly by Houzz, most of the items you’ll find are listed by independent Sellers; and it is these sellers that are responsible for fulfilling orders.

However, this review is aimed at persons using Houzz as buyers – those who need house improvement designs, professionals, or products. For a review aimed at Sellers (persons who have home improvement services or products to offer), keep an eye on this blog.

Houzz says it is “an online platform dedicated to home renovation and design”, and as a platform which you can use to “create the home you’ve always wanted”.  It advertises with the tagline “Get Inspired. Shop Products. Find Pros”.

The big question is whether you can really use Houzz to create your ideal home. Can Houzz really arm you with all the design ideas you’ll need as suggested by “Get inspired”? Can Houzz really connect you with all the professionals you’ll need as suggested by “Find Pros”? Does Houzz really hold all the home products you’ll need for your home improvement projects as suggested by “Shop Products”?

If Houzz does offer the promised three (design ideas, home professionals, and home products), what is the quality served; are the designs available any good, are professionals in the platform any better and are products of high quality? What about its service; does it offer the top services that you’ll expect of the ideal online store (such as easy ordering, fast delivery, hassle-free returns, effective customer support service, etc)? In the first place, is Houzz legit, or is it just another scam platform?

Yes, Houzz is legit. It is one of the most popular platforms online. Continue reading this review to know why we said Houzz is not a scam.

This Houzz review will examine this website and provides you with answers to all your questions.

Houzz Review at a glance

• Website: houzz.com
• Founded in 2009 and headquartered in California
• An online resource to get home improvement ideas, find home professionals, and shop home improvement products
• Holds a Design Photo database with over 18 million home improvement photos
• Holds a Professional Directory with over 2.3 million professionals in Design & Remodeling, Home Improvement, Home Services, and Cleaning Services
• Operates a marketplace that offers a wide variety of home products
• You have a 30 minutes window after order placement to cancel it yourself
• Ships to locations in the US
• Accept returns if contacted within 30 days of the delivery date
• Customer support is available via the online contact form

Is Houzz legit?

Is it legit? With so many cyber fraudsters around that’s a question you really should ask of any online platform if you don’t want to be ripped off. In this regards, there’s no doubt that Houzz is a legit online platform. This is because it is 100% legal, has industry-wide recognition, and has a rich operating record of providing satisfactory services to users.

Our first check of a legit online platform is usually legality, which is because the stores that are 100% legal are less likely to be a scam. Thankfully, Houzz ticks this box. The website is operated by Houzz Inc, which is a 100% legal company duly registered in the US. Suffice it to say that scam stores do not pursue incorporation

Another check of a legit online platform is visibility and industry-wide recognition, which is because the scam stores largely operate in the shadows. Thankfully, Houzz ticks this box.

First, thanks to its social-like operating model, Houzz has a large user base consisting of millions of home improvement professionals and millions of home enthusiasts, making it one of the biggest destinations for home options.

Secondly, being a legal company, it’ growth plan has seen some very public product releases and acquisitions (such as 2015 acquisition of Garden Web from NBC Universal).

Thirdly, Houzz has been featured by top publishing and media houses which include: The Wall Street Journal, Architectural Digest, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, and more.

Also, Houzz has earned a few awards along the way. One is “Best App” in the 2016 Google Play Awards; Houzz was also named number 40 in the 2018 “Entrepreneurial Company of the Year” by the Harvard Business School Association of Northern California.

Suffice it to say that a scam platform cannot grow into the large community that Houzz currently is, and definitely cannot gain the recognition of major industry watchers and followers.

Another check of a legit online platform is the test of time, which is because the scam platforms are generally short-lived. With time, scamming activities are exposed; and with such exposure, the platform generally dies out. Thankfully, Houzz passes this test of time, as it has been live since 2009. Suffice it to say that a scam platform just cannot continue ripping people off using the same front for a full decade.

However, the ultimate check of a legit online platform is the fitness of purpose, which is because the scam stores (set up to rip people off) do not live up to their promises. Houzz’s promise is to be a destination where you’ll get (i) design ideas (ii) right professionals (iii) products.

Thankfully, Houzz lives up to these promises. With millions of photos in its design photo database, you’re sure to get the inspiration for your home design. With millions of home professionals in its “Professional directory”, you’re sure to find the right persons for your project. Lastly, it holds millions of home products in its “shop”, and customers who place orders, most often than not, get delivery of real products that they are satisfied with.

Is House safe?

Houzz is safe. Online platforms also need to be safe in ensuring that the sensitive information that your share with it is protected and prevented from leaking out to third parties. In this regards, Houzz says that it uses reasonable and appropriate measures to protect users’ data.

One such measure is SSL encryption which is the industry standard for ensuring private connection between buyers’ devices and the platform’s servers. With the use of SSL amongst other measures, it is safe to say that Houzz is safe.

Services/ Products

Houzz is more than a shopping destination. The first part of the Houzz tagline is Get Inspired. In this service, you can visit the website for design ideas. Houzz holds over 18 million photos that’ll inspire you.

However, you won’t be overwhelmed. It provides different filters for helping with your search. You can filter by “Room” where you’ll find design ideas for Kitchen, Bath, Bedroom, Living Room, Dining, Outdoor, Baby and Kids’ Rooms, Home Office, Storage and Closet, Exterior, Basement, Entry, Garage and Shed, Gym, Home Bar, Hall, Laundry, Staircase, and Wine Cellar.

You can filter by Style, where you’ll find styles bothering on: Contemporary, Eclectic, Modern, Traditional, Asian, Beach, Craftsman, Farmhouse, Industrial, Mediterranean, Mid Century, Rustic, Scandinavian, Shabby-Chic Style, Southwestern, Transitional, Tropical, Victorian, and more. You can also filter by location, size, color, and budget.

Another part of the Houzz tagline is “Find Pros”. If you’re not satisfied with looking at photos for ideas, but need that professional help, Houzz has you covered. It has over 2.3 million Home Pros waiting to help. However, searching for and finding the right professional for your needs is relatively easy. In the “Find Pros” section of the menu, the professionals are put into four categories as follows:

• Design & Remodeling – Architects & Building Designers, Design-Build Firms, General Contractors, Home Builders, Interior Designers, Kitchen & Bath Designers, Kitchen & Bath Remodelers, Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers, Landscape Contractors, Swimming Pool Builders
• Home Improvement – Building Supplies, Cabinets & Cabinetry, Carpet Dealers, Deck & Patio Builders, Door Dealers, Fireplaces, Garage Door Sales, Handyman, Hardwood Flooring Dealers, Paint & Wall Coverings. Siding & Exteriors, Tile & stones & Countertops, Window Dealers
• Home Services – Air Conditioning & Heating, Electricians, Furniture Repair, Garage Door Repair, Gardeners and Lawn Care, Movers, Painters, Pest Control, Plumbers, Roofing & Gutters, Spa & Pool Maintenance, Tree Services
• Cleaning Services – Carpet Cleaners, Chimney Cleaners, Exterior Cleaners, House Cleaners, Stone Cleaners, Window Cleaners

Another part of the Houzz tagline is “Shop Products”. This is the online shopping destination part. That is, Houzz is a place you can go to buy whatever item you need to create your dream home. Houzz has literally tens of millions of products. When shopping for products, you’ll not be lost in the ocean, because these are grouped in various categories. The product categories and some items you’ll find in each are:

• Furniture – Livingroom (tables, chairs, sofas, etc); Kitchen & Dining (bar stools & counter stools, dining chairs & tables); Bathroom, Storage & Vanities (Bathroom vanities, cabinets, and shelves); Bedroom (beds, Headboards, Dressers, etc); Storage (Bookcases, Buffet & Sideboards dressers); Home Office (desks, Office chairs, Bookcases); Entryway (Benches, coatracks & umbrella stands, console tables); Outdoor (lounges, furniture, dining, bar)
• Kitchen & Dining – furniture; Kitchen fixtures (sinks, faucets, pot fillers); Tiles (Mosaic tiles, Wall & Floor tiles, tile murals); Cabinet & Drawer hardware (Knobs and Pulls); Major Kitchen Appliances (Bear and wine refrigerator, Cooktops, dishwashers); small kitchen appliances (blender, bread machines, coffee and tea makers); kitchen storage & organization (carts, wine racks, food containers and storage); table tops (dinnerware, cups and glassware, serveware); kitchen & cabinet lighting (island lighting, under cabinet lighting) Cookware & Bakeware; Kitchen tools and gadgets (can openers, colanders and strainers); Kitchen & Table linens (aprons, dish towels, oven mitts, pot holders)
• Bath – Bathroom Vanities; Vanity lightings, Tiles, Showers; Bathtubs; Faucets; Sinks; Accessories (Mirrors, Towel bars & holder, shower curtains); Medicine Cabinets; Bathroom cabinets; Bathroom Shelves; Bath Linens (towels, Bath mats)
• Lighting – Ceiling Lighting (Chandeliers, Pendant Lighting, Flush Mount Ceiling lighting); Wall Lighting (Wall Scones, Display & Picture Lights); Lamps (Table lamps, floor lamps, desk lamps); Bathroom Vanity Lighting; Ceiling Fans; Kitchen & Cabinet Lights; Outdoor Lights; Lighting Accessories (Lampshades, light bases, light bulbs)
• Room Décor – Pillows & Throws; decorative Accents; Lamps; Rugs; Mirrors; Wall Décor; Artwork; Window Treatment (Blinds & Shades, Curtains, Curtain Rods); Clocks; Holiday Décor; Game Room & Bar Décor; Fabric (Upholstery fabric, drapery fabric, outdoor fabric)
• Bedroom – Beds & Headboards; Bedding; Bedroom Décor; Lamps; Dressers; Nightstands & Bedside Tables; Accent Chests & Cabinets; Closet Storage
• Storage & Organization – storage Furniture; Office Storage; Media Storage; Shelving; Bathroom Storage; Kitchen Storage & Organization; Decorative Storage; Wall Organizers; Closet Storage; Housekeeping & Laundry; Outdoor storage; Storage Bins & Boxes
• Home Improvement
• Outdoor – Outdoor Furniture, Lighting, Lawn & Garden, Pool & Spa, Fire Pits & Accessories, Outdoor Cooking (Grills, Cookers, etc), Outdoor Structures (Sheds, Gazebo, etc)
• Baby & kids – Kid’s Furniture, Kids Décor, Nursery Furniture and Décor, Toys, Backyard Play, Bedding (Kids, Toddler & Baby), Kids’ Rug, Kid’s lighting, Baby & Kids’ Tableware,
• House Keeping – Laundry Hampers, Irons, Ironing Boards, Ironing Board Covers, Drying Racks, clotheslines, Laundry Room appliances, Trash & Recycling, Vacuum & Floorcare, Household Cleaning Supplies, Ladders & step Stools, Sewing Machines
• Pet Supplies – Cat Supplies (Liter boxes & covers, Cat Beds, Cat Furniture); Dog supplies (Dog Beds, Dog bowls & feeding Dog Gates); Pet Bowls & Feeding; Pet Doors

Using Houzz

You’ll need an account to use Houzz. However, creating an account is relatively easy. You can register with your Facebook account, or you can proceed by submitting your email address and a password.

In the next page, you choose what describe you best, whether that is home owner (owns a home or interested in home designs), or a professional (offer home improvement services or sell home products). With your account created, you can then proceed to browse photos, browse the professional directory, or visit the marketplace to shop products.

When searching for design inspiration in the photo database, you can save photos into a personal collection called ideabook. Clicking on the photo, takes you to its description page, where you’ll find information about the designer, and the product in the photo. When searching for the right professional; the Pros directory gives you a short description of each listed Pro, and the person’s location. After landing on a particular Pros’ page, you can view the previous projects of the designer, typical job costs, and awards. You’ll also find reviews of the designer dropped by other consumers. If you like what you see, there’re provisions for contacting the designer (telephone and contact form).

When searching for products, from the “Shop” link on the menu, you’ll find the product categories. Alternatively, you can use the search bar in the website; enter a keyword into the bar, and it’ll bring out products related to your enquiry. If you find a product that you like, clicking on a product will take you to its detail page where you’ll find its description, specification, shipping details (delivery times and costs) and return policy. You’ll also find other customers’ reviews of the products. If you like the product, you can proceed by simply clicking “Add to Cart”. Then you can “Keep Shopping” or “Check Out Now”. If you continue shopping, you can go to your cart anytime by clicking the cart icon at the top of the page. To checkout, you’ll need to enter your shipping address, and then select your payment method to complete payment.

Many times, customers have a change of heart after placing an order and will want to cancel it. Thus, platforms that allow order cancellation are appealing. Houzz does very well in this regards, as it allows cancellation after order placement.

Not only does it allow a cancellation, but you (the customer) can cancel from your own end. Many other online platforms that allow cancellation will have you contact customer support for cancellation request, and as we know it’s usually not as rosy as it is presented.

But in Houzz, if you wish to cancel an order, you can simply visit the “Your Orders” page and select the “Cancel Order” button for the order.

However, the option to cancel will only appear for 30 minutes after your order placement. If you would want to cancel, and this window has closed you’ll have to contact Customer Support to request cancellation. But when going through this customer support route to cancel an order, Houzz makes no guarantees that cancellation will be possible.

Pricing and Related Policies

Pricing

Everyone wants the best deal possible. Thus, consumers are attracted to shopping destinations that feature competitive prices. Because Houzz is simply a marketplace, prices are determined by the independent Sellers. However, you’ll find that prices are competitive.

Promotions

Promotions allow customers to get items for significantly less than the items listed prices. As a result, destinations that run lots of promotions attract. In this regards, you’ll always find a variety of products on sale in the platform.

Payment Methods

Hassle-free service that e-commerce platforms promise should extend to payments. Thus, you’ll want a platform that supports a range of convenient payment methods. Houzz definitely does not come out excellent in this regard. It supports PayPal and the major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express). However, it accepts only credit cards issued by a US bank, and with a billing address based in the US or Canada.

When an order is placed, an authorization is placed on your credit card; you are charged only when the item ships.

Shipping

When making online purchases, shipping is an important consideration, as the item(s) have to be moved from the Sellers’ fulfilment center to where you’ll take possession of the item(s). Important things to consider include: shipping destinations, delivery times, and shipping costs.

Shipping Destinations:

So that receiving delivery of your online order will not be unnecessarily difficult, you’ll need a shopping destination that ships directly to your location. In this regards, customers turn to world-facing destinations, so that their location is more likely to be covered.

At the time of writing, Houzz ships merchandise to only locations in the US. Items listed by Sellers are by default available to all customers within the 48 continental US States; but sometimes, Sellers can make settings to also serve Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico and Canada. So while international users can use Houzz for design ideas or connecting with the right professional, buying merchandise is not possible, except through the meandering route of a freight forwarder.

Delivery Times

You don’t want placing an order and waiting forever for your products to arrive. Thus, the ideal online shopping destination should feature fast delivery.

Delivery times in Houzz differ, depending largely on the particular product and the delivery option selected. Houzz offers different delivery options which Sellers can choose to offer; but most times, the choice of option will depend on the product.

However, options include Standard Shipping and Freight Shipping. When using freight, you’ll have different options to choose from that include: Standard delivery (where the item is delivered to your sidewalk), inside Your Door delivery (where the item is delivered just inside your front door), Room of Choice delivery (where items are delivered to a room of your choice), and White Glove delivery (all-inclusive delivery that delivers item to room of choice including unpacking, product assembling, and removal of packaging). Actual delivery times will be shown in the product description page when making a purchase.

Buyers have many reasons to expect fast delivery when making purchases in Houzz. This is because Houzz has policies that punish Sellers for actions that result in poor shopping experience for customers; and this includes delays in shipping, providing customers with an invalid or missing tracking number, and cancelling orders because of out-of-stock.

Shipping Cost

Shipping costs are important consideration in any online purchase, because where shipping costs are high, even items that are acceptably priced can easily become too expensive to acquire.

In Houzz, the independent Sellers set their own shipping costs. This means that shipping costs vary depending on the Seller, as well as on other factors such as the type of item, the location it is shipping to, and the delivery option selected. You’ll find the actual shipping costs during check out after entering your shipping address and selecting a delivery option, before you are asked for payment.

Returns

It’s not news that sometimes customers are not totally satisfied with their online purchase, and will want to return them to the retailer, and get a replacement of refund. Thus, shopping destinations that allow returns are to shoppers are sugar to ants. Thankfully, Houzz allow returns.

Eligible Returns

Just as it is with every e-commerce platform, not all items are eligible for returns. However, you won’t want too many return restrictions. Houzz doe relatively well in this regards, as you only a few items are non-returnable. These include: items shipped to Canada and sold directly by Houzz; gift cards; and items marked as Final Sale or Non-returnable on the product page.

All items that are exported outside the US using any means (freight forwarders, etc) are also not eligible for returns.

Return Window

However, you don’t have forever to return an item. If you wish to make a return, and the item is eligible for returns, you have to contact Houzz about it and initiate the process within 30 days of delivery. This is a relatively long return window; so you won’t be pressed with time if you have to return an item. However, if the item shipped by freight carriers, and is damaged, you’ll have within 5 days of delivery to make the report and initiate its return.

Return Process

You’ll want a hassle-free process when making returns. In Houzz, it is relatively easy.  You’ll need to go to the “Your Order” page and select the “Return or Replace Item’ button. It should be mentioned that if the 30 days return window has closed, you’ll not find the “Return or Replace Item’ button; which means you’ll be unable to return the item.

In submitting your request, you’ll need to upload photos verifying your claim; you’ll also need to choose the resolution you want, whether replacement or refunds. After submitting your request, you’ll get an email confirmation. Houzz or the Seller (depending on who sold the item to you) will usually reply within 1 – 3 business days. Sellers are advised to send return labels, so you’re very likely to get a prepaid and pre-addressed Label which further eases the process.

Cost of Returns

You don’t want to be forced to hold on to something you don’t like because return costs are prohibitive. So the ideal shopping destination will feature return costs that are as low as possible. Though Houzz does not charge restocking fees, return shipping cost applies, so it does not offer a free return. It is only when the item was received defective or damaged that the seller is responsible for return fees. For every other “returns”, where the Seller provided a return label, its cost will be removed from the refunds.

Customer Support Service

When using any platform, there’ll be those that’ll have questions and others that’ll have issues. Thus customer questions and complaints are inevitable. The ideal online platform will have an effective customer support service for handling these.

Houzz does very well in this regards. There’s a self-help resource that’ll answer many of the questions that you may have. The Help Center is beautifully arranged in the following sections: Customers, Merchants, Professional, Account Help, Website Help, and Mobile App Help.

Entering the Customer’s section, you’ll find helpful articles under the following subjects: General Purchase, Placing an Order, Contact Us, Order Status, Shipping & Delivery questions, Returns, Replacements & Damages, Promotions, and Billing.

However, if you’ll want direct contact, Houzz operates a Message Center. Being that Houzz is a marketplace, the Message Center is a direct line of communication between the customer and the independent Sellers. Simply click “Contact Seller” from the “Your Purchases” link.

If the Seller replies, Houzz will send you an email notification. You can view the message using the “Messages” link. Where an issue between a customer and a Seller remain unresolved, Houzz can come in to mediate. For this, you’ll find an online contact form. Houzz promises a response time of 1 – 3 business days.

Houzz Complaints

You’ll always find complaints. However, complaints should not take over an ideal company. So the volume and frequency of complaints about a company can be used to gauge its health. For this section, we checked the top customers’ reviews platforms to find out what real users of Houzz have to say about its product and services.

Unfortunately, Houzz is not highly rated in such top review platforms as Trustpilot and Sitejabber. At the time of writing this review, in Trustpilot, it has an average rating of 2.8/ 5 (rated by 6,830 reviewers); and in Sitejabber, it has an average rating of 1.6/ 5 (rated by 788 reviewers). While the ratings do not give much confidence, at least there’s comfort in that there seem to be more complaints from Sellers (persons who offer services and products) in the platform than from Buyers.

Some of the complaints from buyers centred on poor quality products, and ineffective customer support. That is, there were just too many buyers complaining of receiving delivery of items that they were not satisfied with. Since Houzz is simply a marketplace, it will not have any control over the product’s quality.

And with marketplaces, you’re sure to find Sellers with not-all-great quality rating. That said, when buying any product or service in Houzz, it will be fine to read the reviews in the description page; and also to use due diligence.

With quality issues, customer support will be inundated. However, the customers’ reviews seem to suggest that many customers do not get the satisfactory resolution.

Conclusion

Houzz advertises as a destination to: get Inspiration for you home remodeling project, to find the right professionals to help with your home project, and to find products you’ll need to create the perfect home. It does live up to this. You’ll find millions of design photos, millions of home professionals, and millions of home products.

However, Houzz is simply a marketplace. Thus, you’ll find that many of the products and services being offered in the platform come from independent “Sellers”. However, Houzz charges its Sellers for actions that result in a poor experience for its customers.

Thus, Sellers have more reason to provide a great experience for “buying users”. Thus, apart from the site being easy-breezy to use, you are very likely to have fast delivery, qualitative products, and more. What is more, if you do not like your order, there is a 30 days window (from delivery date) for making a report and initiating a return process.

However, Houzz can only be used by “Buyers” in the continental US, as only a few “Sellers” serve Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, and Canada. However, products going to Canada cannot be returned.

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Pros

• Holds a robust home design database
• Holds a robust directory of home improvement professionals
• Holds a vast amount of home products such as furniture, kitchen & dining, lighting, and more, even including pet supplies
• You can cancel an order yourself after submitting it, but this is possible only within 30 minutes of submission
• Has policies that punish Sellers (via charges) for actions that result in poor customer experience such as shipping delays, invalid or missing tracking number, and cancelling orders for out-of-stock.
• Returns are accepted if the Seller is contacted within 30 days of the delivery date
• Customer Support Service can be contacted via the online contact form

Cons

• Ships merchandise to only locations in the continental US states (with only a few Sellers serving Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Canada)
• Only credit cards with US billing address are accepted
• Any item exported outside the US cannot be returned

DealDash is penny auction that was founded by William Wolfram, who at the time was only 16 years old. Like many businesses, it was inspired after a failed experience. Wolfram had just lost $20 bidding in a bidding fee auction site; and he thought about how unfair the operating model of penny auction sites is to unsuccessful bidders.

The idea was born of a bidding fee auction site where the unsuccessful bidder has the opportunity to get his/ her money back. In 2009, the idea became a reality when DealDash was launched. The company was initially headquartered in Helsinki (Finland), but in 2013, it moved its headquarters to Minneapolis (Minnesota).

DealDash is a penny auction site that advertises with the tagline “Easy to Win, Fair & Honest Auctions”. The big question is whether it is worthwhile to use DealDash. That is, will you find a wide range of products being auctioned in the site? What about its quality; are products on the auction of high quality? Is it really easy to win auctions in the site, so as to get products at significantly low prices?

How is DealDash fair? Also, does offer quality service that we’ll expect of an ideal online store (such as hassle-free bids, fast delivery, effective customer service, etc)? In the first place, is DealDash legit, or is it another scam platform?

Yes, of course, DealDash is legit. It is not a scam because of our findings and also it has been online for a very long time without a problem. Read on to see why we said it is legitimate.

This DealDash review will examine DealDash in order to provide the information that will help you answer these questions.

DealDash review at a glance

• Website: dealdash.com
• An online pay-to-bid auction site started in 2009 and headquartered in Minnesota
• Uniquely offers the opportunity to “get back” your bids if you do not win the auction
• All auctions starts at $0.00
• Each bid raise the product amount by $0.01
• Each bid reset the timer to 10 seconds
• Bids are sold for $0.13 each
• Ships to only the US (excluding Alaska and Hawaii)
• Free shipping is offered for all items (bar Gift cards under $250)
• Guarantees replacement at no cost for defective, damaged, and not-as-described items
• Customer support is available via email (online contact form)

How it works

DealDash is an online auction store. All auction start at $0.00. When the auction starts, you can bid on the product with one credit (that is, $0.01). Each bid will raise the price by $0.01. After each bid, the timer clock resets to 10s. Thus, there are only 10 seconds for another person to place a new bid.

If someone bids before the time are up, the item’s price is raised again by $0.001, and the timer resets to 10s. And so the process continues. If a bid is not placed before the timer goes to 0:00, the last bid is the winning bid; and the bidder wins the right to buy the item at the highest bade amount.

However, like most others, it is also a bidding fee auction site (what it cheekily calls “pay to play”). Before you can take part in an auction you need to buy bids. However, it significantly differs from another bidding fee in that if you are unsuccessful in a bid, you have the opportunity to use the total amount of your bids towards buying the item at a listed price (Buy It Now price).

However, if you do not exercise that right, then you’ll simply lose all you spent bidding. Thus, DealDash is different from other pay-to-bid penny auction sites where unsuccessful bidders lose money, only as far as unsuccessful bidders are willing to use their bid amount towards buying the product bade for.

Is DealDash legit?

In our current world, almost every business is moving online, and that include the scam artists. As a result, except you make sure that an online platform is legit before using it, you just might be ripped off. Thus, the big question is whether DealDash is legit.

The short answer to that is: Yes. The longer answer is that: DealDash is 100% legal, has industry-wide recognition, and has a rich operating record of delivering products won in the site-powered auctions and paid for.

Our first check of the legit online platform is always legality. This is because a store that is 100% legal is less likely to be a scam. Thankfully, DealDash ticks this box. The website is operated by DealDash Inc which is a duly registered company in the US.

Also, in 2012, DealDash also completed the purchase of Swoopo, which at the time was a top Europe-focused penny auction site. Suffice it to say that scam stores do not go for legal company certificates, or make high profile strategic moves.

Another check of the legit online platform is visibility and industry-wide recognition. This is because the scam stores largely operate in the shadows. Thankfully, DealDash also ticks this box as it is one of the biggest penny auction sites in the US.

Just about 4 years after its launch, it was gathered enough attention by industry watchers and followers that it was named Finland’s second most visible startup. Suffice it to say that a scam store cannot earn the recognition of industry watchers and followers.

Another check of the legit online platform is the test of time. This is because the scam stores are generally short-lived. It is only a matter of time that scamming fronts are discovered; and with the exposure, the scam store naturally dies off.

Thankfully, DealDash passes this test of time, as it has been operating since 2009. Suffice it to say that a scam store cannot continue ripping off people using the same front for up to a decade.

However, the ultimate check of the legit online platform is fitness for purpose. As an auction site, the site will be fit for purpose if users can (i) really win auctions, and (ii) get delivery of real and functional items when they make payment.

Thankfully, DealDash also ticks this box. Since its inception, DealDash has been living up to the hype. Many persons have been able to win auctions of different name-brand products; and after making a payment, they did get delivered real and functional products that are largely satisfactory.

Is DealDash safe?

DealDash is safe. When using any e-commerce platform, you’ll have to submit sensitive information such as personal information and credit card details. Given all the cyber fraudsters and identity thieves out there, you’ll want the legit online store to also be safe in ensuring the protection of sensitive data that you share with it.

DealDash does fine in this regards. It says that it “uses SSL encryption to make sure that the transactions are 100% secure”. SSL is the industry standard of ensuring the private connection between two devices communicating over the internet, and the encryption protocol is bank-grade ensuring that whatever data is transmitted cannot be read by unauthorized persons. With the use of SSL among other measures, it is safe to say that DealDash is safe.

Products

Product Variety

Just as you’ll want the regular store to have a wide product range, you’ll also want an auction site to have a variety of products. DealDash also ticks this box. In fact, you’ll be hard-pressed to find an auction store that’ll beat its product variety.

The product categories and some of the items you’ll find in each are:

• Bid packs
• Bundles – two or more products bundled together in one package e.g. Playstation 4 + Schultz Bluetooth Headphones, etc
• Cars – Chevrolet Equinox, Honda CR-V, Toyota LE, and more
• Electronics and Computers – TVs (LED, LCD, Plasma, etc), Tablets (Samsung, iPads, etc), Phones, Smart Watches, Laptops, Cameras, and more
• Fashion, Health and Beauty – Clothing (Polo, Jackets, etc), Fashion Accessories (Bags, Belt, Ties, Gloves, Eyeglasses, etc), Wristwatches, Jewelry (Necklaces, Rings, Earrings, Bracelets, etc), Beauty products (fragrances, skincare, etc)
• Gift Cards – of a diverse range of businesses including retailers (Walmart, etc), restaurant (subway, etc), and more
• Hobbies, Toys, Outdoors and Games – Racing Bikes, Telescope, Trolley Case, Sunset Umbrellas, etc
• Home, Garden, and Tools – Appliances, Wall Clocks, Furniture, Pillows, etc
• Kitchen and Dining – Appliances, Glassware, Drinkware, Knives, Cutting boards, etc

With the items categories above, you’ll find that in DealDash, you can join auctions for virtually anything and everything. Not only is such a wide range of products featuring, but DealDash always features lots of auction. Almost all the time, you’ll find lots of open auctions. Finding lots of auctions is good; however, because of the robustness of DealDash, you’ll also find a lot of bidders. Thus, sometimes, you may find that the competition is fierce.

However, DealDash advertises that you can easily win the auction. While we don’t know of the “easily” part, given the fierce competition that you can face in certain popular auctions, ordinary persons like you win bids on a daily basis and get to pay significantly less for name-brand products.

Product Quality

Apart from supporting a wide range of products, and having lots of auctions, you’ll want the products being auctioned to be of high quality. It’s a no-brainer that after all the stress of bidding if you win the auction, you’ll want nothing less but satisfaction with the quality of the product that is delivered to you.

DealDash does well in this regards, as all its products are brand-new products. DealDash works with top suppliers like Walmart and Sears, so the products you’ll get from DealDash are of the same first-grade quality you’ll find in any of these top shopping destinations.

However, the best way to gauge the quality of a shopping destination is to look at what its customers have to say about the quality of the items they received. Thus, we checked the top independent customers’ review platforms to find out what real users of DealDash have to say.

Interestingly, we found that DealDash is highly rated. For example, at the time of writing this review, in Sitejabber.com, it had a rating of 4.3/ 5 (rated by 4,038 reviewers); and in Trustpilot, it also had a rating of 4.3/ 5 (rated by 2,458 reviewers). Granted, the relatively good rating was not just because of product quality, but persons had only raving remarks about quality. For example:

• Debra Clayborn in Trustpilot says “DealDash is great. The products are excellent quality…”
• Kristi Dare in Trustpilot says “there are items that you can easily win which is super amazing. Especially since they are high quality too…”
• Lisa V in Sitejabber says “…I’m here to tell you there are a few trustworthy sites, and DealDash is one of them! I’ve been a member since October 2016, I’ve won over 21 high-quality items…”

Special Features

Get Bids Back

One characteristic of auctions is that you do not win every bid. Because in penny auction sites, bids are not free, when you do not win a bid, it is essentially losing money.

However, DealDash is one penny auction site that ensures that you never lose money; and that is even if you bade on a product and did not win the bid. It does this with the “Buy it Now” feature. For every product that is being bid for, below the current bid amount, you’ll find a “Buy it Now” price.

You must love an item to bid for it. So if you lose an auction, you can click the “Buy it Now” button to purchase it at the “Buy it Now” price. Every time you use the “Buy it Now” option, every bid you placed in the auction is returned to your bid balance.

So you not only get the item you love; you do not lose any money on lost auctions. With your lost bids returned to you, you’ll not have to buy more bids to try again in new auctions.

It should be mentioned that this “getting back” lost bids is the shining difference between DealDash and other pay-to-bid penny auction sites. However, the Buy It Now price is usually steep. Thus, many times, users do not make use of the Buy It Now option; and the money spent in the unsuccessful bids is lost.

No Jumper Limit

Penny auctions sites can be unfair. Since each bid costs you; imagine having placed several bids in chasing the win, only for someone who have been waiting on the sidelines to jump in, place a bit, and win the auction. Painful, right? Very unfair! The main blurb of DealDash is that it is a fair auction site. Thus, you’ll expect it to tackle such unfair jumping in to win the auction; and it does that with its “No Jumper Limit” feature.

With this feature, if the auction has gone on for a while (reaching the set limit), no new bidder will be accepted. Thus, if you’ll want a spot in an auction for any chance at winning it, you’ll have to join in from the very winning.

Automatic Bids

While auctions are generally exciting, following up the process can easily be stressful. If you’ll really want to win the product being auctioned, while you’ll not want to waste your bids by placing bids too early, you’ll not want someone else to beat you to the product, so you’ll need to be watching the timer to ensure that you put in your bid before it runs down.

If you don’t have the time or energy for such dedicated effort; no problem! DealDash has a solution for you with its automatic bid feature.

The Automatic Bids will place bids for you. All you need do is enter the number of bids you’ll want to place in an auction in the Automatic Bids box. The feature will place the bids for you one at a time. However, you’ll not be wasting your bids with this feature.

It is designed to place bids at the most optimal times of the auction, so you’ll have as many free bids as possible. It basically waits until the last second to bid.

While you can book Automatic Bids before an auction starts, that is no guarantee that you’ll participate in the auction.

This is because the Automatic bids feature is designed to place bids at the most optimal times of the auction, so sometimes while it waits, the No Jumper limit of that auction would have been reached and no new bidders will be accepted.

Thus, if you’ll be using Automatic Bids, DealDash advises that to secure a spot in the auction, you should place a manual bid before the No Jumper limit is reached.

Highest Bidder Reward

There are that “yay” expression and all the good feelings that come with it when you win an auction, as you know that you’ve just won the right to purchase an amazing product at an amazing price. However, DealDash ensures that you have a lot more reasons to scream “yay”.

It does this by a reward program for the Highest Bidders. Every time you are the Highest Bidder, you’ll earn “time”. There’s a Highest Bidder meter visible at the top of your screen; as more time is earned, you level up, and when you reach a new level you’ll be rewarded with free bids.

Winning Limits

Fairness is something we cannot cry enough of. It doesn’t matter that someone is not doing anything wrong, if that person wins every other bid, it wouldn’t be fair.

Since DealDash comes promising fairness, it’s expected to tackle every fairness issues; and it tackles this with its winning limits. First, the same item can only be won once in 30 days. Secondly, only 50 auctions can be won in a week.

Pricing and Related Policies

Pricing

When making any purchase, whether it is in the brick and mortar stores or in the cyberspaces, your eyes will first dart to the item’s price. This is simply because no one will want to throw away hard-earned money.

Since DealDash is an auction site, there is no question about how much products are priced. You’ll only be making a purchase at your own terms. If the auction price rises above what you are ready to pay for the item, you can simply walk away.

However, being the penny shop that it is, you’ll find that many persons are able to win auctions and get high-quality name-brand products for significantly less (sometimes for just pennies).

For example, A  Key Touch Sensitive Electric Keyboard with $390 “Buy It Now” price sold for $2.68; and a Verdict Revival Turntable with Bluetooth Speaker with $285 “Buy It Now” price sold for $0.15.

However, in DealDash, it is not free to join an auction and bid on products. Because of its “pay to play” model, you’ll also want to know how much it costs to place bids. At the time of writing this review, each bid cost $0.13.

However, bids are not sold singly and must be bought in packs. DealDash had 5 different sizes of bid packs are: 300 bids (for $39); 600 bids (for $78); 1000 bids (for $130); 2000 bids (for $260); and 4000 bids (for $520).

Payment Methods

When making online payments you want the process to be hassle-free; and for this, you’ll want the ideal online platform to support a range of convenient payment methods.

Thankfully, you won’t have any problems with buying your Bid Packs as DealDash supports payments via PayPal and Credit/ Debit Cards. It supports all the popular cards such as Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover Card, Visa Electron, and Maestro.

Shipping

If you buy anything online (no matter the buying process) it will have to be moved from the fulfilment centre of the retailer to your shipping address. Thus, shipping is an important consideration in online transactions. The important shipping elements include shipping destinations, delivery times, and shipping costs.

Shipping Destination:

Except for a platform ship directly to your location, getting your orders will be unnecessarily difficult. Thus, the first thing to check is whether a platform serves your location; and you’ll a global-facing platform so that your location is more likely to be covered.

However, DealDash ships exclusively to only the US. And that’s to the 48 continental US states; it does not ship to Alaska and Hawaii.

Delivery Times

No one wants to wait endlessly to receive delivery of an order. Thus, the ideal online platform will also feature fast delivery. In this regards, DealDash promises a delivery time of 14 days from the time of making payment. This is inclusive of processing time and shipping time.

DealDash also furnishes a tracking number for all its items. The only DealDash items you can’t track will be Gift Cards that are under $250. However, tracking information may take up to 10 days for it to be updated.

Shipping Cost

Every cost element is considered when making online purchases. Shipping costs add to the items purchase price in arriving at the total acquisition cost. So that shipping cost does not make an item too expensive to acquire while it itself has a reasonable purchase price, the ideal online store will have shipping costs that are as low as possible.

DealDash aces it in this regards. The lowest possible shipping cost is $0.00 (that is free shipping), and DealDash gives that. For all auctions won in DealDash, free shipping applies.

Returns

If there’s one drawback of online purchase (in whatever guise), it is blindness involved. That is, you do not get to physically assess the products until they are delivered.

Thus, online shoppers look out for return policies which will allow the shopper to return any item that is unsatisfactory and get a replacement or a refund.

Thankfully, DealDash allows returns. Its return policy covers only items that: (i) are damaged or defective upon receipt (ii) do not match the product description. This means that you cannot return any item for buyer remorse (you change your mind). You also cannot return sized products because they do not fit.

If you are unsatisfied with an item, you’ll have to contact customer support within 7 days of receiving the item. You’ll also have to upload photos for proof. DealDash will review your submission and get back to you with return instructions.

However, DealDash does not accept “returns for refund”, but “returns for replacement”. That is, if your item is defective, damaged, or not-as-described, DealDash will replace it for you at no cost.

Customer Service

When using any platform, there are bound to be those who’ll have questions, while there could also be others that’ll have issues. Thus, the ideal online store should have an effective customer support service for handling the questions/ complaints that customers will have.

DealDash does relatively well in this regards. It supports self-help resources and direct help channels. For self-help, you’ll find a “Help” page which holds an article that’ll answer many of the questions that you may have about the platform.

The subjects that the “Help” page address include: How it works, How to bid in an auction, Auction Special Offers, what I a bid pack, Orders & Shipping, Payments, and more.

For direct support, you can chat with DealDash using Facebook Messenger, or you can send an email using an online contact form that is accessible from Help > Contact Us pages of the website. While the online form is clearly DealDash’s preferred means of contact for issues relating to order; other ways of contacting the Customer Support Service are email (support@dealdash.com) and telephone (855 455-3325).

It is important to state that in the independent online customers’ reviews platforms, customers only have glowing remarks about the effectiveness of the Customer Support service of DealDash. Among many things, reviewers mention quick response time and helpful responses.

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Pros

• Has a great product variety
• Lots of auctions almost all the time
• All product auctions start at $0.00
• Bids raise the item price by only $0.01. making it possible to win great products for just pennies
• Auctions are fast and exciting (with only 10 seconds allowed between bids)
• There’s a “Bid Buddies” feature for automatically placing bids in auctions
• Make the biding process fair by featuring “No Jumper” limits and Winning limits
• Offers convenient payment process that supports popular credit/ debit cards and PayPal
• Offers free shipping
• Delivery time is relatively fast (14 days from the payment date)
• Customer support available via the online contact form

Cons

• It’s a “pay to play” auction site, thus you pay to bid
• Ships to only the continental US States
• Tracking information may take up to 10 days to be updated
• Return policy covers only defective, items, and not-as-described items
• Refund policy allows only for only replacement, and no refunds
• Lots of bidders making some auctions very competitive and hard to win

Conclusion

DealDash is a fair and honest auction store. It lives up to this fairness-speak by giving bidders who are unsuccessful in auctions the opportunity to get back their bids (by using it towards purchasing the item bade for at a listed price). Thus, technically, you never have to lose money even as an unsuccessful bidder.

DealDash features a variety of products, and there are always loads of auctions to join. Also, products being auctioned are of high quality. Auctions start at $0.00, and each bid only raises the auction price by $0.01 per bid. Thus, many times auction ends with you winning great products for relatively small amounts (sometimes only pennies).

DealDash has some cool features like the Automatic Bids which you can use to automate your bidding process. Shipping is also relatively fast, and free. What is more, there’s a guarantee to replace at no cost any item you buy that when delivered is defective, damaged, or not as described.

However, there are a few bumps on the road. First, you can’t use DealDash except you are in the US. Though, there’s the opportunity to get back your bids if you lose in an auction (via using it to buy the item at a Buy It Now price); the Buy It Now price is usually steep.

You may not want to take up this opportunity, meaning you still lose money on unsuccessful bids. Also, you may find that auctions are not always easy to win, as there may be many bidders in certain popular auctions. Lastly, when unsatisfied with an item, it may not be possible to get a refund; but DealDash do only replacements.

Dollar Shave Club is a renowned American company located in Venice, California that provides its customers with the ultimate convenience through monthly mail delivery of quality razors and other personal grooming products. Beyond razor blades, they also offer additional items to help enhance your home-grooming routine.

Dollar shave Club was started by Michael Dublin. The beta site was launched in 2011 and ran for a couple of months before the launch of dollar Shave Club as we know it today in March of 2012. Dublin says the goal is about solving a problem for guys, which is that: razors are really expensive and going to buy them mostly result in a frustrating experience. So the whole Dollar Shave Club experience was to make quality razors affordable and breezy to get.

Though staring with razors, the company has since expanded to include an extensive range of grooming products including shaves, hair products, skincare products, and more. Thus, its current mission is apt: “to make sure you always have everything you need to look, feel, and smell your best”.

Dollar Shave Club says its “goal is to make sure you always have everything you need to look, feel, and smell your best”. It is a US-based online store specializing in blades and other grooming products.

The big question is whether it is worthwhile to use Dollar Shave Club. With there being no shortage of places to buy blades and grooming products online, what advantage does Dollar Shave club have over the others? What is the quality of its blades? Is the store competitively priced? What about its service; does it offer the top service that we’ll expect of an ideal online store (such as easy ordering, fast delivery, buyer protection, effective customer support service, etc)? In the first place, is Dollar Shave Club a legit online store, or is it just another scam platform?

Yes, Dollar Shave Club is legit. It is not a scam because we found out lots of information about the site which seems to be good. Continue reading to find out why we said it is legitimate.

This Dollar Shave Club review will examine site in order to provide the information that will help you answer these questions and more.

Dollar Shave Club review at a glance

• Website: dollarshaveclub.com
• A US-based online store founded in 2012
• Specializes in personal grooming products (blades, shaves, skincare products, oral care products, etc)
• Uses a subscription model, where members subscribe to get periodic (usually monthly) supplies
• Offers relatively low prices
• Ships merchandise to US, Canada, UK, and Australia
• Free shipping is offered
• Has a 30 days money-back guarantee
• Customer support is available via Online Contact form

How it works

However, the operating model of Dollar Shave Club differs markedly from those of other online stores. This is because Dollar Shave Club is subscription-based. In its promise to simplify the buying experience, it comes out with a model that makes it possible for customers to always get their grooming supplies without doing anything.

You sign up, choose one of three razor cartridges, and Dollar Shave will send you a set of cartridges every month. If you do not do much of shaving, you can change your schedule (using the “not so hairy” option), and the company will send your set of cartridges every other month.

Is Dollar Shave Club legit?

With scammers everywhere, determining that am an online platform is legit before using it is a wise course if you do not want to be ripped off. Thus, the big question is whether Dollar Shave club is legit. The short and simple answer to that is: YES. The longer answer to that is: dollar Shave Club is a 100% legal company, it has industry-wide recognition, and it has a rich operating record of fulfilling orders with real and functional products.

Our first check of a legit online store is usually legality; this is because stores that are 100% legal are less likely to be scams. Thankfully, Dollar shave Club ticks this box. The website is operated by Dollar Shave Club Inc, which is a registered company in the US. Suffice it to say that scam stores do not bother with company registration certificates.

Another check of a legit online store is visibility and industry-wide recognition; this is because the scam stores largely operate in the shadows. Thankfully, Dollar Shave Club also ticks this box. Dollar shave Club pushed some really aggressive marketing with YouTube; and these viral videos gave the company an astronomical growth that in only a few years of operation, it already boasts of over 2 million subscribers.

In fact, Dollar Shave Club has been the focus of many case studies in how to use social media marketing to shoot up a business. Suffice it to say that a scam store will not shine the light on itself with such campaigns.

However, the ultimate check of a legit online store is fitness for purpose; this is because the scam stores are set up to rip people off, and so do not deliver, while it is a legit store that’ll fulfil an order with real and functional products. Thankfully, Dollar Shave Club ticks this box. In its 7 years of operation, the company has continually delivered; shipping real products to customers who place others, leaving many customers very satisfied.

Thus, with Dollar Shave Club being a 100% legal company, having industry-wide recognition, and with a rich operating record of fulfilling orders with real and functional products, there is no doubt that it I a legit online store.

Is Dollar Shave Club safe?

The fear of the bad elements in cyberspace will also determine that an online store is safe before using it for any transaction. That is, it should protect the sensitive information (such as personal information and credit card details) that you share with it, preventing the leakage of this information into the wrong hands.

In this regards, Dollar Shave Club says that the privacy of its users is important to it, and that it uses reasonable measures to ensure the security of users’ data. While the details of thee measures are not given. The signs show that Dollar Shave Club is safe.

Products

When shopping, customers like to find related product in one place, as that make the process convenient. For example, it’ll be to get your razors from one place and to search another place for your aftershaves. Thus, the ideal online store should offer a wide product range.

Dollar Shave Club ticks the box in this regards. Starting as a razor store, its astronomical growth has seen other products added. Thus, it currently holds one of the largest collections of grooming products. Its products include: Blades, Shave, Deodorant and Wipes, Shower, Oral Care, Hair Style, Skin Care, Cologne, and DSC Goods. The “DSC goods” is a water resistant carrying case (tool kit) that comes with fingernail clippers, toenail clippers, precision tweezers, and universal scissors

However, blades remain its primary business, as its model seems to be centered on subscribing to receive blades and adding other products to your subscription box.

Special Features

Starter Set

Wondering if you can get free trials of products; well there’s no free lunch even in Freetown. However, Dollar Shave Club has something for you – the Starter Set. The Starter Set will contain the blade you are buying, its handle, and trial size versions of some grooming products. Thus, you get to try them out before paying full price for them.

There are three Starter Set options – Simple shave, Perfect Shave, and Ultimate Shave. The Simple Shave set consists of Razor Cartridges and the applicable razor handle; the Perfect Shave set consists of everything in the Perfect Shave Set and adds 1 oz Shave Butter; while the Ultimate Shave set consists of everything in the Perfect Shave set and adds 1 oz Prep Scrub, and 1 oz Post Shave Dew.

Restock Box

The whole model of Dollar Shave Club is about automating getting your grooming essentials. Thus, after using your Starter Set to check out the other products of Dollar Shave Club; the company will ensure that you do not run out of these essentials with the Restock Box. The box will contain blades and full-size versions of the grooming products that were included in the Starter Set.

The first Restock Box is scheduled to ship 2 weeks from the day you sign up to the Club. After that first shipment, the Restock Boxes will be sent based on the frequency selected when you signed up. Also, after the first Restock box, the content of the product of future boxes is up to you; you can add and remove products at any time.

Handle/ Blades compatibility

The Dollar shave Club blades will not fit other handles in the market. No surprise there; we’ll have been surprised to find their blades fitting other handles. Thus, to use blades from Dollar Shave Club, you’ll have to also use its handles.

However, the 4X and Executive (6X) handles are compatible with the blades of one another. Thus, if you were using “Executive” and want to downgrade to 4X (or the other way round); you’ll not need to buy new a handle.

Club Pro Help

What razor is best for me? If you’ve found yourself asking that question; no need to worry. If you don’t know what razor is the best for you; you can contact Dollar have Club, and a Club Pro (support agent) will help you find the perfect razor.

Also, if you do not know what products to get, Dollar Shave Club helps out. You simply tell the company “how you get ready”, and it will “customize a box of products” for you. Telling how you get ready is simply answering some questions like: what you shave (head, face, armpit, private bits, etc); whether there’re problems when you shave (razor burn, dryness, nicks/ cuts, etc); whether you have or are you worried about any of these issues on your face (fine lines/ wrinkles, sensitive skin, dry skin, etc); the hair on your head (straight, curly/ wavy, thick, etc), what soap you use to get clean (body soap, bar soap, both, other), what you brush your teeth with (toothpaste, gel, other).

Pricing and Related Policies

Pricing

According to its founder, one of the problems that Dollar Shave Club set out to solve is that razors are expensive in stores. With that, you’ll expect the prices in Dollar Shave Club to be significantly lower than you’ll find in the store. True to its promise, you’ll really find that items in Dollar Shave Club are relatively priced lower than in other places.

When buying blades, Dollar Shave Club offers three different subscription plans – The Humble Twin, The 4X, and The Executive.

The Humble Twin is the cheapest option. In fact, the company’s name was inspired by the pricing of this blade option. For a long time, The Humble Twin was priced at $1.00; so the company advertised that you can get your blades for a dollar.

Hence the name – Dollar shave Club. However, because at the time, a $2.00 shipping fee applied, some persons were always quick to point out that the “one dollar” talk was in name only, and that the true cost of obtaining the blades was $3.00 ($1 item price + $2 shipping). However, because prices only go north, we knew that it was only a matter of time before Dollar Shave Club stopped being a “one dollar” shop (that is, pretending the $2.00 shipping fee wasn’t there).

Now to the present; The Humble Twin is still the cheapest option, but it now goes for $4.00 per month. As the name announces; the cartridge holds two blades. When you shave, as it slides down your “wherever”, if the first blade mercifully leaves any stubble, the second blade will be less merciful, resulting in a clean shave. For your first shipment, The Humble Twin plan gives you 5 of the two blade cartridges and one applicable razor handle; and in the subsequent months, you’ll get only the 5 stainless steel twin blade cartridges.

The 4X plan is the mid range plan, and it cost $7.00 per month. The cartridge holds four stainless steel blades; and each shipment consists of four cartridges. An applicable handle comes with the first shipment.

The premium plan of Dollar Shave Club is The Executive, which is priced at $10.00 per month. Like the 4X, the monthly shipment consists of 4 cartridges, with the first shipment including a sporty razor handle. However, each cartridge holds 6 blades. Almost everyone we know seems to think 6 blades are excessive, but it means a perfect shave. With 6 merciless blades hacking on that hair, each one working on what its merciless predecessor somehow missed, you’re guaranteed a clean shave.

With these prices for the blades of Dollar Shave Club ($4, $7, and $10), it still comes out as a being priced on the low side. This is because you can easily find blades costing around $30 or more in many other places.

It even gets better if you go for the Starter Set. Whatever set you subscribe to (Simple Shave, Perfect Shave, or Ultimate Shave), the price is only $5.00. The price of the Restock Boxes will depend on the items in the box. But there’s a discount that allows you to save more if you buy more.

Promotions

Everyone wants the best deal possible. Thus, customers generally are attracted to stores that run lots of promotions, because promotional offers allow customers get items for free or for less than the items’ full prices.

In this regards, Dollar Shave Club does not come out shining. Stores that are generous with the promotions will have a lot of the offers greeting you in the landing page of the website. However, the landing page of Dollarshavestore.com was bare of offers bar one – the Handsome Discount. This is a “buy more save more” promo that gives you a discount for including more items into your box.

Dollar Shave Club also offers a referral program where you can earn DSC credits which can be used for future purchases in the store.

Using Dollar Shave Club

One of the goals of Dollar Shave was to simplify the not-so-friendly experience of buying grooming products in-store. Thus, you’ll expect a breezy experience on the website of Dollar Shave Club. Interestingly, the experience is breezy. The company has managed to create a website that is not only simple and highly functional but also very engaging. You’ll find cheeky stuff all over the site that’ll draw some smiles.

The main thrust of Dollar Shave Club is to get you to become a member. Membership in dollar Shave Club is different from what obtains in most other places; because here, membership means you are subscribing to receive items from the company at regular intervals. To buy blades, membership is required. You’ll also need a membership for a subscription for a “box of products”. However, to buy other grooming product singly, membership is not required.

The whole process is relatively straight forward. To start you’ll need to nominate an email address and a password. You can also join using Facebook or Google. After logging in, you can proceed to select your products. To get blades, simply choose one of the three subscription plans in the page. You’ll get your supplies every month.

If you need a box of grooming products, you can simply proceed to select all you need. Alternatively, you may answer the quiz in the homepage of the site, and Dollar Shave Club will give you product recommendations. If you’ll want a try; click Starter Set, select the plan you need, and select your restock frequency. When you have your items, you can proceed to the checkout; add shipping information; select payment method and complete checkout.

Your trial size products will arrive in 3 – 5 days. The first Restock Box is scheduled to ship 2 weeks from the day you sign up to the Club; after that first shipment, the Restock Boxes will be sent based on the frequency selected when you signed up.

Managing your subscription is very important. You can cancel at any time. If you don’t need the next shipment, you can easily go to your account and change the ship date to when you’ll need it. Also, if you run out of something before your next Restock Box ships, you can have your stock shipped sooner. Alternatively, you can place an on-demand order by clicking “Get it sooner” when selecting product.

Shipping

Shipping is an important consideration in online purchases. You’ll want to know the shipping destinations that the store caters to, how long it takes to deliver, and how much it cost.

Shipping Destinations

Except an online store ships directly to your location, using it may be unnecessarily expensive as you’ll need a freight forwarder that’ll receive your order and re-direct it to your location. Thus, persons prefer stores that ship to worldwide locations so that their location is more likely to be covered.

In this regards, Dollar Shave Club currently ships to only the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia. This is definitely not the worldwide coverage that we’ll want. Thus, except you’re in those four territories, you’ll have to try other shopping destinations for your grooming products.

However, if you are a customer in the “lucky four”, you’ll find the shipping okay. Not only does Dollar Shave Club ship to P.O. Boxes, but they use relatively small packages, which most often than not, will fit into mailboxes.

Delivery Times

Except you don’t mind waiting and waiting to receive your orders, the delivery times of an online store will be an important consideration.

Delivery time usually consists of order processing time and shipping time. The former is the time that passes from when you place an order to when the item is dispatched for shipping, and the latter is the time that passes from when your item is dispatched for shipping to when it gets to your location.

In this regards, Dollar Shave club advertises that it takes 24 – 48 hours to process orders; and that shipping takes 3 – 5 business days. Thus, you can expect to receive delivery of your order in 4 – 7 business days.

Shipping cost

Shipping costs add to item purchase cost in calculating the total acquisition fee. Thus, shipping costs can easily make an item that is reasonably priced too expensive to acquire. Remember, earlier we mentioned that because of a $2.00 shipping fee, despite Dollar Shave Club at the time selling its cheapest blades pack for $1.00, some persons openly said the blades of Dollar Shave Club were not actually “a dollar” but $3.00.

That said; the ideal online store will have sipping costs that are as low as possible. The lowest possible shipping cost is $0.00, which is free shipping. Thankfully, Dollar Shave Club now offers free shipping on all its blades plans, whether it is The Humble Twin, The 4X, or The Executive.

Also, when buying a box of products, every box that contains blades ship free. Thus, the Starter Set and the Restock Box ships free. However, if “your box of products” does not contain blades, it can still ship for free if the box is worth $18 or more. But if it is under $18, a shipping cost of $4.00 applies.

That said; you’ll mostly be having free shipping when using Dollar Shave Club. But where free shipping does not apply, the shipping cost is relatively low.

Returns and Refunds

It is not news that many times, customers get their orders and are not totally satisfied with it. As a result, customers gravitate towards online stores that have some resolution for them if they happen not to be satisfied with what they buy from the store.

The resolution oft seen in online stores is accepting returns and giving a replacement or refunds. However, Dollar Shave Club does not accept returns; and this is understandable for health and hygiene reasons. However, the company offers a “Money Back Guarantee”.

It states that the company is so sure that you’ll love its awesome product that it’ll refund you in full if you don’t. All you have to do is get in touch with Dollar Shave Store within 30 days of your purchase.

Customer Support

The ideal legit online store will have an effective customer support service because there’ll always be persons with questions, and there’ll be others who’ll have problems with their orders.

Dollar Shave Club does well in this regards. In supports the usual self-help and direct contact resources. For self-help, there is a Help Center that holds FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions). To aid navigation, the self-help articles are arranged by topics; these include General Questions, My Account, My Orders, Gifting, and more.

For direct contact with Dollar Shave Club, it supports an online contact form. This is accessible using the “Contact Us” from any page of its website.

Complaints

Is there that company with 100% customer satisfaction? Very unlikely! However, while there’ll always be complaints; you can use this to gauge how well the company operates because an ideal Company shouldn’t be overrun by complaints.

That said; we checked the independent customers’ reviews platforms to see what real customers that have bought from Dollar Shave Club have to say about it. Unfortunately, Dollar Shave Club is not highly rated. For example, at the time of writing this review, in Trustpilot it had a rating of 1.9/ 5 (rated by 94 customers); and in Consumeraffairs, it had a rating of 2.1/ 5 (by 30 reviewers). Some of the themes in the complaints include: Not cancelling the Starter Set, and poor quality blade

Not Cancelling the Starter Set

With only $5 for the Starter Set consisting of 2 blade cartridges, a razor handle, and some other grooming products; it’s not surprising that many customers jump at it. Also, it’s not surprising that many of the subscribers of the Starter Set cancel their subscription so that the Restock Box will not be sent. However, the reviews suggest that many times, Dollar Shave Club will not affect this cancellation but simply go-ahead to ship the Restock Box and charge the customer.

For example

• Martha Formstone in Trustpilot says “signed up for a £5 one-off to receive the razor which I actually really like. A month later I receive another box with the full items even AFTER unsubscribing to avoid this issue! I was charged £30 for these products I didn’t want …”
• Lewis in Trustpilot says “Signed up for a sample for $5 and just got billed for $32 even though I have requested to be removed from their auto [billing] twice. Bad people!”

That said; if you opt for the Starter Set and you have to cancel, don’t be dismayed if you get at least a Restock Box before Dollar Shave Club effect your cancellation.

Poor Quality Blades

It must be said that you’ll find glowing reviews of the quality of grooming products of Dollar Shave Club. Almost everybody thinks they are great. However, the blades do not enjoy such general applause. While there are many customers that express satisfaction with the quality of the blade, there are many others who do not think they are great.

For example;

• Ian in Trustpilot says “Blades are not very sharp and seem cheap to me; have cancelled membership. Better products elsewhere”
• Kenny L Phair in Trustpilot says “Their blades are what Gillette was selling 15 years ago. Terrible and when I contacted customer service, no reply. Waste of money”
• MF in Trustpilot says “worst blade I have had in a long long while. I kept looking to see if there was a protective film or something I needed to remove to make them work. Far far better products available [elsewhere], don’t waste your money”

Conclusion

Dollar Shave Club came out promising to be a club where you can get your shaving razor for just a dollar. Its purpose was not only to provide high quality yet inexpensive razors but also to make the buying experience easy-breezy.

Dollar shave Club does finely on both counts. It uses a subscription-based model, where you only choose what you want, and the Company will ship these to you on regular intervals ensuring that you never run out of your grooming essentials. Its price points are also some of the lowest you’ll find around.

Dollar Shave Club holds quality products; its razors more than do the job, and comes with real comfortable rubberized handles. Its selection of grooming products covers hair styling products, wipes, deodorants, skincare products, and more.

The subscription-based model really automates the whole thing, and you’ll always get your grooming supplies without doing much, and you can manage your subscription by bringing forward or pushing back a ship date, or even cancelling ay anytime. Shipping is also free all the time, except your order does not have blades inclusive and is under $18. What is more, Dollar Shave Club comes with 30-days money-back guarantee, which gives you back your money if you do not like your product?

However, you’ll find that you can only use Dollar Shave Club if resident in the US, Canada, the UK, or Australia. Also, you won’t be finding many price slashing promotions, except you’ll be buying a collection of products.

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Pros

• Offers an extensive range of grooming products (razors, shaves, skincare products, oral care products, etc)
• The Executive and 4X handles are compatible with each other’s blade
• Supports in helping one choose the best razor and appropriate grooming products
• The subscription model enables automation of the process of shopping for blades and grooming products
• Its Starter Set offers the opportunity to test certain products before committing to them
• Has some of the lowest prices you’ll find
• Cancelling of membership can be done at anytime
• Offers a 30 days money-back guarantee
• Free shipping is offered and was not applicable the shipping cost is relatively low ($4)
• Referral bonuses are offered to allow the customer to earn DSC credits for referring others

Cons

• Serves only customers in the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia
• Cannot buy razors with membership (monthly subscriptions)
• Not many price slashing promotions except a “buy more save more” offer that’ll require you to include many items in your box

In the course of one’s life, there’re sure to be some special events – weddings, anniversaries, parties, etc. Special events deserve to be honoured with special looks. Thus, if there’re any days to throw away the “I don’t care” life and come out really fabulous, it’s those special days (I know this well, as I’m one who never wore eyelashes until my wedding day and have never worn them since).

JJ’s house advertises as the go-to destination for the supplies and fashion you need to make your special moments unforgettable.

The big question is whether this is just advert-speak, or whether it really has the fashion and supplies you’ll need for your special events. Also, what is the quality of its merchandise; does JJ’s House hold the kind of high quality merchandise that your special occasions deserve?

How about pricing; will you have to break the bank to use buy from JJ’s House? If JJ’s House have high quality merchandise and at good price points, what about the service; does it offer top service that we’ll want of the ideal online store (such as easy ordering, fast delivery, hassle-free returns, effective customer service, etc)? In the first place, is JJ’s House legit, or is it just another scam?

Yes, JJ’s House legit. And also, they have been online for a very long time. You may continue reading to know why we said that the website is not a scam.

This JJ’s House review will examine JJ’s House in order to provide the information that will help you answer these questions and more.

JJ’s House review at a glance

• Website: jjshouse.com
• A China based online store founded in 2007
• Online store specializing in women dresses, shoes, and accessories for special occasions such as weddings, proms, and more
• Supports both standard sizes and custom sized product
• Custom-sized dresses comes at a cost of $20
• All dresses (including Standard sizes) are made-to-order
• Production time is 8 – 11 days for Wedding Party, Special Occasion, and Celebrity dresses, and is 11 – 13 days for Wedding dresses
• An order can be cancelled anytime before it ships; but the longer you wait the more expensive it is to cancel the order
• Ships merchandise worldwide
• Shipping cost depends on order weight, and shipping method selected,
• Returns are allowed for only Standard Size products
• Return request must be submitted within 7 days of delivery; and shipment of return package must be done within 7 days of obtaining approval
• Customer support is available via email (service@jjshouse.com), telephone (+852 81990571) and live chat

What is JJ’s House – About

JJ’s House advertises as “the global leading online retailer for wedding gowns, special event dresses, wedding party dresses, and accessories”. It was founded in 2007; and is based in China.

JJ’s House operates exclusively as an online store, which means it does not have physical stores. If you take this fact, and add the fact that it is based out of china, you can guess that it offers lower price points. It definitely alludes to this, saying that it is where you can “get the best items for your events without breaking your budget”. JJ’s House specializes in formal women event dresses and supplies, from bridal gowns to evening dresses.

Is JJ’s House legit?

Given that almost no day goes by without someone falling prey to some internet fraudster, before making any online transaction it’s important to determine that the online platform is legit. Thus, the giant question is whether JJ’s House is legit. The simple answer to this is yes. Given some real “issues” that JJ’s House is contending with, some persons will feel otherwise; but our position is influenced by the following.

Our first check of a legit online store is usually legality. This is because stores that are 100% legal are less likely to be scam. Interestingly, JJ’s House ticks this box. It is owned by Readmob Technologies (HK) Limited, which is a registered Hong Kong company, with registered address in Flat/RM 901 Yip Fung building, 2 – 12 D’Aguilar Street, Centeal Hong Kong. Suffice it to say that the scam stores do not secure company registrations.

One check of a legit online store is visibility and industry-wide recognition. This is because the scam stores operate in the shadows. Interestingly, JJ’s House ticks this box, as it is globally recognized as a destination for formal occasion dresses and supplies.

Another check of the legit online store is the test of time. This is because the scam stores are generally short-lived. Interestingly, JJ’s House ticks this box. This is because it has been operating since 2007. Suffice it to say that a scam store cannot continue ripping people off using the same front for over a decade.

However, the ultimate check of a legit online store is fitness for purpose. This is because the scam stores are set up to rip people off; and therefore cannot deliver real and functional products when you place an order. Interestingly, JJ’s House ticks this box. First, there’s no doubt that when you place an order, you’ll receive delivery of real product(s).

Also, you’ll definitely find many reviews of customers who were satisfied with the quality of their orders. For this, JJ’s House ticks this ultimate box. However, it should be said that how well JJ’s house ticks this “fitness for purpose” box is another thing entirely. As you’ll find in the “complaints” section, there is a significant number of complaints of unfit orders (poor-quality), and these are compounded by issue with refunds.

These issues make some throw the “scam” tag on JJ’s House. However, it’s not hard to see that JJ’s House is a legit online store, albeit one that can do better in cleaning some significant issues that plague its.

Is JJ’s House safe?

JJ’s House is safe. Another important consideration in any online purchase is safety. Since you’ll be submitting sensitive information like your contact details and credit card details, you’ll want an online store that’ll ensure the protection of this data, and prevent them from leaking into the hands of fraudsters out there.

In this regards, JJ’s House says that it makes reasonable efforts to ensure security of users’ data. This include the use of firewalls as well as secure payment processors.  It is safe to say that JJ’s house is safe.

Products

Product Range

You’ll want an online store that supports a wide range of products, and even so for a niche site. JJ’s House is such a niche site specializing in dresses and supplies for special occasions. However, you’ll find a wide range of product categories; and in each category, you’ll find humongous selection. This ensures that you’re more likely to find a style that’ll appeal to you.

The product categories that JJ’s House holds are:

JJ’s House Wedding Party:

Wedding Party – Bridesmaid dresses (Junior Bridesmaid, Plus Size Bridesmaid, Maternity Bridesmaid, etc), Mother of the Bride dresses, Girls dresses (Flower, Pageant, etc), Ring Bearer Suits, Matching Accessories (Jackets and Wraps, Headpieces, Robes, Wedding and Party Handbags, Bridesmaid gifts, etc)

• Special Occasion – Cocktail and Party Dresses, All Special Occasion Dresses (Homecoming, Prom, etc), Matching Accessories (Headpieces, Jewelry, Dance Shoes, Shapewear, Sashes and Belts, etc)
• Wedding – Wedding Dresses; shop by Silhouette (Trumpet/ Mermaid, Ball-gown, Sheath/ Column, Empire), shop by Trends (Beach, Vintage, Sexy, Boho, Elegant, romantic, Classic), shop by Popular Details (Lace, Long Sleeve, Short, Back Details, Illusions); Wedding Accessories (Veils, Headpieces, Wedding Shoes, Jackets and Wraps, Wedding Flowers, Robes, Sashes and Belts, Petticoats, Men’s Accessories, etc)
• Evening Accessories and Jewelry – All Evening Dresses (you can shop by style or colour); Matching Accessories (Dance Shoes, Jewelry, Headpieces, Ceremony & Party Handbags, Bras, Shapewear, etc)
• Shoes – Wedding Shoes (Pumps, Sandals, Flats, Closed Toe, Peep Toe, Stiletto Heel), Dance Shoes (Latin dance shoes, Ballroom dance shoes, Ballet dance shoes, Jazz dance shoes, etc), Women’s Shoes (Sandals, Pumps, Boots, Platforms, Wedges, Flats, Sneakers and Athletic, Shoes Accessories), Men’s shoes (Loafers, Oxfords, Boots, Slippers, Sandals), Girls’ shoes (Party and Formal Shoes, Flats, Sandals, Casual shoes)

JJ’s House Clothing:

Clothing – Dresses (Casual dresses, Party & cocktail Dresses, Day to Night Dresses, Maxi Dresses, Bodycon Dresses, A-lines, Plus Sizes, Shift Dresses), Swimwear (Bikinis, One-Pieces, Tankinis, Cover-ups), Lingerie (Lingerie Set, Sleepwear, Bra, Panties,

• Gift and Décor – Wedding Gifts, Wedding Favor, Wedding Ceremony (Guestbook, Ring Pillow, flower Basket, etc), Wedding Reception (Wedding Decorations, Cake Topper), Personalization Mall (Personalized gifts, Personalized Jewelry, Personalized Flasks, Personalized Glassware)

Product Quality

While finding a vast selection is important, you’ll want that high-quality items are held so that no matter what you order, you’ll not be disappointed. In this regards, JJ’s House speak big. Among its many blurbs, JJ’s House says: “we only provide the highest quality materials and designs in everything we deliver”. JJ’s House largely lives up to this.

There are many customers’ reviews that are about receiving orders and finding these to feature high-quality materials, excellent craftsmanship, and more. However, as it is to be expected of any fashion store, there are also a few quality-related complaints; and to be candid, though clearly outnumbered by positive quality reviews, these “few” quality-related complaints are not as few as we’ll want them.

Thus, it’s safe to say that JJ’s House offers high quality products, bar the occasional “insect in the fine wine bottle”.

Buying Experience

Everyone will want a hassle-free buying experience. Since this is online purchase where the buyer-retailer contact is the website, the website should be clean and easy-to-navigate. Thankfully, JJ’s House ticks this box.

The website comes with a simplistic yet attractive design. Many online fashion stores will require you to create an account to make a purchase. Because this requires submitting some information that will be saved on file, many customers will rather not create an account. JJ’s House caters to these customers by supporting “checkout as guest”, which do not require you to register and create an account.

To search for an item, you can use the menu or go straight from product sections in the homepage. There’s also a search button; enter something into the box, and it will bring you products related to your search enquiry.

When you find an item that you like, clicking on it will take you to its description page. This is where you’ll find all relevant details about the item. You can also view other product images shot from various angles, as well as close ups. More so, on many items there’s even a short video. You’ll also find delivery information on the page, especially the tailoring time of the product. If you like what you see, you can then choose your colour, and your size.

For most items, there’s a choice of standard size and custom size. If you click to choose your size, the Standard Size Chart comes up where you can pick your size. To go for custom size, click the “Custom size” button, and a page will open where you can enter your measurement. You can then add the item to your cart.

The choice is yours to continue shopping or to check out. During checkout, because having an account is not required, you only need to indicate your country, so that the applicable shipping cost and shipping time is generated. After that you can view your order, select your payment method, and complete payment.

Sometimes customers have a change of heart after submitting an order, and will want to change or cancel it. JJ’s House allows orders to be cancelled anytime as long as the order has not shipped. However, the longer from order submission you wait before you cancel; the more expensive it is to cancel.

For orders cancelled within 24 hours of payment, you’ll get a full refund. For orders cancelled 24 – 72 hours after payment, you’ll get 80% refund + shipping fee; for orders cancelled 72 – 120 hours after payment, you’ll get 50% refund + shipping fee; and for orders cancelled more than 120 hours after payment, you’ll only get refunded the shipping fee.

Special Features

How-To-Measure Feature

It’s been mentioned but it’s worth emphasizing. When buying from JJ’s House; not only can you order Standard sizes, but most of the times, you’ll be able to submit your measurements for custom-sized dresses. Since many persons find themselves off the standard sizes in one or more areas, custom sizes is really the solution to getting unique dresses that really fits.

What is more, getting your accurate measurements will not be an issue. This is because JJ’s House provides a “How to Measure” guide. You’ll find this in the “Size Chart” section of the product description page.

Short Product Video

It is said that online purchase is blind purchase because you do not get to physically assess the items before buying them. However, a lot of resources is being used to make it less blind; one of such is detailed product descriptions, and product images. A picture, they say, is worth a thousand words. Thus, while detailed description is very important, product images speak volume. JJ’s House not only provide these resources but it does better; many of its products come with a short slow-motioned video. As we like to say; “a video is worth a thousand pictures”.

Fabric Swatches

JJ’s House really wants to remove blindness from your purchase experience; and so supports ordering of “Fabric Swatches”. While the product photos (and video where supported) will show the colour of the product; sometimes because of screen resolution, the colour that you see will be slightly different from that of the actual fabric. To eliminate this problem, you can order a Swatch; and a small piece from the fabric will be sent to you so that you can view the colour in person. However, ordering a swatch is at a cost of $2.00

Pricing

As a buyer, one of the things you look at closely is price of the product. Given the realities of the times, shoppers will want online stores that feature prices that are competitive.

This is one area where JJ’s house shines. Among its advert blurbs, you’ll find that JJ’s house gives you “impeccable design at affordable prices” and that JJ’s House is “creating styles that are not only timeless, but that represent the best in value”. True to these, you’ll find that JJ’s House offers some great prices. However, when ordering Custom-sized dresses, there’s a $20 fee that applies.

Promotions

Customers also gravitate towards stores that run a lot of promotions a thee allow them get products for free or for significantly less than the items’ full prices. Thankfully, JJ’s House is one such store that run regular promotions. You can get as much as 80% off prices with certain promotions. Promotions are time-specific, so you’ll need to check the website regularly to know what particular promo is running at any one time. Alternatively, you can submit your email address for alerts; and you’ll get a discount off your next purchase by subscribing for the newsletters.

Payment Methods

You’ll want to find a range of convenient payment methods so that no matter where you are, paying for your order will not be an issue. Thankfully, JJ’s House ticks this box.

You can pay for your order using: Credit/ Debit cards (like Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Diners Club, JCB, Cartasi, Postepay, Maestro, and more), PayPal, Western Union, and Wire Transfers. This is definitely relatively huge; as most stores supports only PayPal and only the popular cards.

Shipping

Shipping is always an important consideration in any online purchase. You’ll want to know whether the online store ships to your location, how long it’ll take to get your order after ordering, and how much it will cost to move the item to you.

Shipping considerations

Whether an online store directly ships merchandise to your location is important because except the online store does, it’ll be difficult to receive delivery of your order. JJ’s house ticks this box because it ships worldwide.

Delivery Times

Except you don’t mind how long you wait to receive an order, delivery times will be important to you. The ideal store should offer fast delivery times. In this regards, it must be remembered that all items in JJ’s House are made to order. Thus, its order processing time also includes the production time. Its processing time is 8 – 11 days for Wedding Party, Special Occasion, and Celebrity dresses, and is 11 – 13 days for Wedding dresses.

After processing, the item is immediately dispatched for shipping, and how long you’ll have to wait to receive it will depend on where it is shipping to, and the Shipping option chosen. JJ’s House supports three Shipping options – Super Saving Shipping (which takes 15 – 30 days), Standard Shipping (which takes 5 – 8 days), and Expedited Shipping (which takes 3 – 6 days). However, the Super Saver Shipping can be used for only accessories priced less than $50.

This means that you’ll be forced to go for the more expensive but faster Shipping methods for most of your purchases.

Shipping Costs

Shipping costs add to the purchase price in determining the item’s total acquisition cost. Thus, with high shipping cost, even an item that is deemed acceptably priced can easily become too expensive to acquire. Thus, the ideal online store should offer shipping costs that are as low as possible.

Unfortunately, JJ’s House does not offer flat rate shipping. Shipping charges are calculated based on the weight of your order. However, Super Saving Shipping starts at $3.99; Standard Shipping starts at $14.99; and Expedited Shipping starts at $20.99. Thus, to get the accurate shipping cost that applies, you’ll have to pick your items and get to the checkout page.

Returns

Many times, customers receive delivery of their order, and their joy turn to disappointment. There are many reasons that could cause persons to not be totally satisfied with their order; thus, customers gravitate towards online stores that’ll allow them return an unwanted item and get either a replacement or a refund. JJ’s house allows returns subject to the following policy

Eligible Returns

First, while JJ’s House allows returns, not every item is eligible. All custom-sized products are final sales, and cannot be returned. Also in these category (final sales items) are personalized items and personal care items (pierced jewelry like earrings, as well as clothing like swimwear and lingerie). The return restrictions on these items are well understandable.

Personal care products just cannot be accepted for health/ hygiene reasons; while custom-sized products and personalized items were made specially for you – to your sizes and taste. However, where you have issues with a custom-sized dress, JJ’s house as goodwill may approve alteration reimbursement for you.

This means that the JJ’s House item that you can return are Standard-size dresses, shoes, and accessories. One of the appeals of JJ’s House is being able to order custom-sized dresses; but the give-off is that there’s no chance of returning such dresses should there be an issue. However, even for these eligible items, to be accepted, they must be in the same condition they were when received. Thus, they must be unworn, unwashed, unaltered, undamaged, and with all tags attached.

Return Process

If you are not satisfied with your item (for whatever reason), as long as they are Standard Size items, you can return them to JJ’s House. You’ll want the process to be relatively easy, so as not to add to the frustrations of receiving an unwanted product. Thankfully, it is relatively easy with JJ’s House.

You’ll need to submit a return request using the “Contact Us” page in JJ’s House website; and this must be done within 7 days of receiving delivery of the item. You’ll also have to state clearly the reason of wanting the return; and you’ll need to attach photos for verification.

JJ’s House will review your request; if approved, you’ll be sent a return form. You’ll then need to package the item appropriately, including the “return form” in the package, and then mail the package to JJ’s House. This must be done within 7 days of receiving the return form.

Exchange Policy

JJ’s house does not allow product exchange. It explains that all items (even custom-sized items) are made-to-order; as such there is no ready-made dress on hand to be shipped to you as a replacement for any one that you wish to return. Thus, where you return an item to JJ’s House, you’ll have to place a fresh order for any replacement, which will go through the normal production and shipping times.

Cost of Returns

You’ll not want a situation where you have an unwanted item in your hands, but the costs of returning it is prohibitive. Thus, the ideal online store should have return costs that are as low as possible. Return cost typically consist of restocking fees and return shipping fees. Restocking fees do not apply in JJ’s house. However, return shipping fees apply.

Customers bear the cost of shipping the return package to JJ’s house. Also, the original shipping cost is not refunded. This means that when you successfully return an item to JJ’s house, you’ll only be refunded the item’s purchase price. What you pay for its initial shipping is gone; and what you’ll pay out-of-pocket to ship it back is also gone.

Also, though the company conveniently refuses to mention it, JJ’s House is based in China. Thus, you’ll be sending the return package all the way to the Far East. In “simple speak”, that means return shipping will be very expensive.

Refund Processing and Refund

After returning an item to JJ’s House, you definitely will not want to wait forever to get refunded. In this regards, JJ’s house says that it will take about 10 – 15 days after receipt of your return package to get the refund of your payment in your account.

Customer Support Service

Issues with orders simply cannot be completely eliminated; and even if that were possible, there’s still be persons who’ll have a few questions about the company and its operation. Thus, the ideal legit online store will have an effective customer support service for handling the issues and questions that customers will have.

JJ’s House does relatively okay in this regards. First, it provides a self-help resource in the form of an FAQ page. The FAQ holds articles that answers many of the questions that customers have thrown in the past. The page is well arranged, putting answer into different topics to aid navigation. These include: My Order, Product, Payment, Delivery, Returns, My Accounts, and About JJ’s House.

If you’ll want direct contact with a support of the company, JJ’s House supports an email service. To send them an email, there’s an online contact form which can be accessed from the “Contact Us” section of the website. Alternatively, you can use the email address: service@jjshouse.com.

There’s also a company telephone number listed in the JJ’s House website, which is +852 81990571. However, the company suggests that its preferred contact channel is email. There’s also a live chat feature.

JJ’s House Complaints

Before entering the review, we’ll want to look at complaints that real customers have against JJ’s House. Granted, there is no company that one or two persons will not have complaints against. However, complaints can give real insight into a company. For this section, we checked top independent customers’ reviews platforms – Trustpilot.com and Sitejabber.com. In our opinion, JJ’s House have a good enough rating. For example, in Trustpilot it has an average rating of 3.0/ 5 (rated by 2,694 reviewers), and in Sitejabber, it has an average rating of 3.7/ 5 (rated by 1,927 reviewers).

First, on getting to Trustpilot, we saw an unusual yellow page with the following message “Trustpilot has been notified that this business has offered refunds contingent on the removal of negative reviews on Trustpilot. This behavior contravenes our guidelines as it might have a misleading impact on the TrustScore and consumers”. That was the first red flag.

Looking through the reviews, some issues stood out in the reviews. These include: Not fulfilling some order; quality issues; Issues with Refunds; and more

Not Fulfilling some Orders

JJ’s House says that it cannot afford to accept the “buy-many-keep-one” purchase. That is; a situation where the customer intends to buy only one item, but proceed to place order for many, so that when the order is delivered, the items can be checked, one chosen and the others returned.

While the position of JJ’s House is understandable; the problem is how it determines that an order is a “buy-many-keep-one” purchase. Thus, some customers will find that their orders are not fulfilled; and sometimes, these include customers placing an order for two dresses.

For example: Kayie in Trustpilot says “I purchased two dresses… 3 days later I was contacted by JJ House, and they were requesting that I cancel one dress because they felt I would be ordering two and returning one… Now they are asking me to take a 90% refund since I didn’t cancel within their cancellation window. No dresses have been made or shipped, they refuse to fulfill my order…oh yeah and they still charged me for both…”

Poor Quality

It must be said that there are many customers who report being satisfied with the quality of their orders. However, negative reviews that cited quality issues were seen. In our opinion, though the number of these poor quality reviews was not many to come out as alarming, it did come out as significant. For example:

• Tatiana Jijon in Trustpilot says “The worst experience ever. The fabric is terrible; the stitches of my custom-made wedding dress are visible all over, particularly in the front. The dress is 3 sizes bigger, the tail is not even properly sewn to it. It I plain UGLY. I will not wear that dress on mu special day. The accessories such as the crap is stiff as cardboard and NOTHING matches the pictures. The shoes are of poor quality that you can actually see the glue in the fake and cheap leather. I HATE everything that I ordered from this company… I got the same silly tickets and offers of partial refunds…”
• Lisa A in sitejabber says “Terrible” The review continued “Ordered a dress on sale, and one not on sale. The one on sale arrived ripped from the inside. I have been back and forth with emails and ticket codes for 2.5 weeks and still no refund of the agreed 40%. As far as I’m concerned, there is no excuse for not accepting a return for a ripped dress in the first place. The return should have been proceed instantly…”
• Susan c in sitejabber says “Refused to refund money on a dress whose fabric was stained” The review continued “Do not buy from JJ’s House. They do not stand behind their product, and their product is not reliable. The fabric failed 3 months later; they must use a chemical product on the bodice of lace that leeched into the chiffon but it takes a few months for this to happen”

Issues with Refunds

By far the biggest complaint you’ll find against JJ’s House will be about refunds. The issue range from customers complaining of not receiving any refunds, to receiving proposals for part refunds.

Even where the company arbitrarily determines that an order is a “buy-many-keep-one purchase”, and bluntly tells the customer that the order will not be fulfilled and should be cancelled; the company still proposes part refund, saying that the cancellation was not done within their cancellation window. What is more, the reviews suggest that JJ’s House will contact you about the cancellation when the “free order cancellation window” has closed already.

Specific review included:

• ELL in Trustpilot says “Still no refunds”. The review continued “the company removed all the messages. The communication is very bad. Please do not order from these people. Once they have your money, they don’t care about you. AND THEY WILL NOT REFUND YOU. Unless you want only 40% of the money you paid”
• Carol in Trustpilot says “WARNING: DO NOT ORDER FROMTHI COMPANY!! They do not follow the return policy they have listed. I contacted them, within the week of receiving the dresses that I ordered and they want to just give you a discount to buy more of their items”
• Sandra F in sitejabber says “Terrible customer service. Beware, return policy is a lie. I emailed same day I received my dress because I received it damaged, and it’s been 3 weeks and have not heard from anyone. I emailed them 5 times…”
• Julie S in Sitejabber says “Offering a 60% refund – update”. The review continued “Update – they are asking me to update my review to 4 or 5 stars in order to refund the 60%. I am updating my review to say that they are offering a 60% refund on the dress and the sandals. That’s the best they can do, so I’m accepting getting something back rather than the expensive shipping back to return. They ask me to take my review down before they would issue the refund…”

It should be said that even when a customer receives a poor quality item, if a refund can be processed without hassles, there will not be any problems. Thus, the issue with refunds is one of the main reasons why you’ll find many customers attaching the “scam” tag on JJ’s House.

Sites Similar to JJ’s House:

• Mirraw
• Bonanza
• eCRATER

Pros

• Offers different categories, and vast selection in each category
• Offers both standard sizes and custom-sized clothing
• Provides a measurement guide to add collection of accurate measurement when ordering custom-sized dresses
• Supports a video technology (for most product) for better view of products
• You can check out as Guest, without having to submit personal information in creating an account
• Prices are some of the best you’ll find around
• Ships merchandise worldwide
• Allows a relatively fine return window (submit a return request within 7 days of delivery; and ship the return package within 7 days of getting approval)
• A wide range of convenient Payment method is supported (PayPal, credit/ debit cards, wire transfer, and Western Union)
• Supports a range of channels for contacting Customer Service

Cons

• Super Saver Shipping option can be used for only accessories priced under $50
• Custom-sized dresses are not eligible for return
• Product exchange are not possible
• Return shipping is expensive (package will be going to China)
• To many reviews citing issues with getting full refunds

Conclusion

JJ’s House promises to be the ideal destination to get the fashion and supplies that’ll you’ll need to make your special day an unforgettable one, be it weddings, anniversaries, parties, etc. True to this, it offers a vast collection of wedding dresses, evening dresses, and more. You can order standard sizes, or enter your measurement for dresses sewn to your size.

You’ll also find that JJ’s House has some of the most competitive prices in the market; and the quality is largely great. Though, all items are made-to-order; JJ’s Shop has a relatively fast production time; and it ships worldwide, so you can order from anywhere.

However, it is not all smooth sailing. JJ’s House has a return policy that allows you return any standard size item that you are not satisfied with. However, because the company is based in China, and customer bear return shipping cost; it may be prohibitive to return an item. Also, though the company promises full refunds for eligible returns; the customers’ reviews suggest that getting full refunds from JJ’s house is hard to come by.

Thus, JJ’s House is a legit house that you’ll largely find having high quality products at good price points. However, for those few times when you are unsatisfied with an order, you may have to contend with more dissatisfaction in terms of returns and refunds.

Cafepress advertises as a company that works with designers to bring the world millions of designs on hundreds of different products. This gives Cafepress two categories of users – persons wanting to make money from their designs (that is, Sellers), and persons wanting exotic products customized with top designs (that is, Buyers).

The big question is whether as a Seller, you can really use Cafepress to make money from your designs. What does it cost to use? Also, how about the user experience; does it offer hassle-free setup, listing, and more?

Continue reading this Cafepress review!

Also, as a buyer, does Cafepress really offer custom products by offering a range of designs that can be put on a range of products? Does it offer personalization; allowing you to customize items with your own designs? What about quality; does Cafepress do high-quality print jobs, and are the products printed on also of high quality? What about the user experience; does Cafepress offer top services that we’ll expect of the ideal online store (such as stress-free ordering, fast delivery, easy return, effective customer support service, etc)? In the first place, is Cafepress legit, or is it just another scam platform?

This Cafepress review will examine Cafepress in order to provide the information that will help you answer these questions and more.

Cafepress review at a glance

• Website: cafepress.com
• Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky
• A based Print on the Demand service provider that lets you earn from your designs
• Offers buyers customized products by allowing them put unique designs on a range of products
• Supported products include clothing, footwear (flip flops), bags, stationery, home and lifestyle products, etc
• It’s risk-free as there are no out-of-pocket costs
• Offers a generous 30 days money back guarantee
• Customer support is available via telephone and email

What is Cafepress? – About

It was in 1999 that Cafepress started. It was founded in San Mateo (California) by Fred Durham and Mahesh Jain. By 2001, its stock has risen so much that it was already winning an award – the People’s Voice Webby Award. As the years rolled by, Cafepress acquired some printing Companies (including Imagekind and Canvas on Demand); these corporate moves further bolstered its position as a robust Print on Demand Company.

Cafepress will later move its headquarter to Louisville (Kentucky) where it still is, and go public; and in 2018, it was acquired by Snapfish.

That’s Cafepress, the company. Now to what the company does; it has dropped already that it I a Print-On-Demand fulfillment provider. In Cafepress’ word, the company “strives to inspire people to express themselves with the best assortment of engaging merchandise”. Thus, it operates a marketplace that holds an ever-growing selection of designs to put on hundreds of products.

In ordinary speak, on the Cafepress website, you’ll find eye-catching designs that are used to customize a range of products. You can also pick a design of choice from their vast selection, and put it on a supported product of choice for your own custom-made item. More so, many products support personalization, where you upload your very own design in creating your custom-made item.

Thus, Cafepress caters to persons who own designs and will want to profit from these, and persons who want to buy fancy custom-made products. However, you’ll need to be 13 year and older to use the Cafepress website.

Is Cafepress legit?

The “legit question” is something that many persons will ask before using any online platform. With cyber fraudsters using different fronts to rip people off, you never can be too careful. Thus, the big question is whether Cafepress is legit.

The short answer to that is yes. The longer answer is that Cafepress is 100% legal, has industry-wide recognition, and has a long operating record of fulfilling orders.

Our first check of a legit online platform is legality, and this is because stores that are 100% legal are less likely to be scams. Thankfully, Cafepress ticks this box. The website is operated by Cafepress Inc, which is a 100% legal company registered in the US. Cafepress Inc even traded in the Nasdaq Stock Exchange. Suffice it to say that cam stores cannot have this profile – making it to the floor of a stock exchange.

Another check of a legit online platform is visibility and industry-wide recognition, and this is because the scam stores largely operate in the shadows. Thankfully, Cafepress also ticks this box. First, there is no visibility than being a public company.

Also, Cafepress has signed many strategic partnerships with big businesses to provide licensed contents on its websites. Then, there have been awards along the way, including a People’s Voice Webby Award in 2001. Suffice it to say that scam stores do not enter strategic partnerships, and definitely cannot earn the recognition of industry watchers and followers.

However, the ultimate check of a legit online platform is the fulfillment of an order; and this is because the scam stores only disappear with payment and do not fulfil orders. Thankfully, Cafepress ticks this box. Starting operation in 1999, Cafepress now have about 2 decades of operation in its belt. Suffice it to say that a store that does not fulfil orders just cannot stay that long.

Even without the test of time, the independent customers’ review platforms abound with real customers who placed orders and got delivery of real products that they were satisfied with. That said; there is no doubt that Cafepress is a legit online store for getting the on-demand fancy product.

Is Cafepress safe?

Cafepress is safe. The “safe question” is also very important when contemplating using an online platform. You’ll be sharing sensitive information with the platform (such as your contact detail and credit card information), and you’ll want a platform that will adequately protect this, preventing the date from leaking into the hands of third parties (think: cyber fraudsters and identity thieves).

In this regards, Cafepress says it values user’s privacy, as such the website incorporates physical, technical, and administrative safeguards, to protect users’ data including the use of encryption, firewalls, limited access and controls where appropriate.

However, it should be said that in the early parts of this year (February 2019), Cafepress suffered a data breach. Thus, to the “safe question”, while Cafepress does take reasonable measures to ensure the safety of users’ data, 100% safety in the web is something that is had until it is not.

Products

Whether using Cafepress as a Seller or a buyer, you’ll want a platform that supports a range of products. As a Seller, it means more sales potential; and as a buyer, it gives the convenience of being able to get your related products in one place.

Thankfully, Cafepress ticks this box. The product categories you’ll find in Cafepress, and the specific items you’ll find in each category are as follows:

• Men – T-Shirts, Hoodies & Sweatshirts, Pajamas, Underwear, Joggers
• Women – T-shirts, Maternity Tees, Plus Size Tees, Hoodies & Sweatshirts, Pajamas, Underwear, Leggings, Joggers
• Accessories – Bags, Hats, Car Accessories, Cases & Covers, Neck Ties, Patches, Flip Flops, Jewelry, Buttons
• Kid & Baby – Bodysuits, T-Shirts , Pajamas, Gowns, Blankets, Bibs, Hats, Burps Cloths
• Home & Décor – Blankets, Canvas Prints, Bed & Bath, Aprons, Pillows, Rugs, Clocks, Magnets, Ornaments, Wall Art, Wall Tapestries
• Drinkware – Mugs, Insulated Drinkware, Drinking Glasses, Water Bottles, Shot Glasses, Coasters, Flasks
• Stationery – Greeting Cards, Invitations/ announcements, Postcards, Calendars, Notebooks, Personalized Stationery, Thank You Notes, Anniversary Cards, Religious Cards, Graduation Cards, Get Well Cards
• Stickers & Signs – Banners, Bumper Stickers, Oval Stickers, Rectangle Stickers, Square Stickers, Yard Stickers
• Occasion – Back to School Gifts, Halloween Gifts, Anniversary Gift, Birthday Gifts, Graduation gifts, New Baby Gifts, Retirement Gifts, Teacher Appreciation, Thank You Gifts, Wedding Gifts

Since Cafepress is a POD (Print on Demand) online shop, being able to shop by specific designs may even be more important than shopping by-products. Thankfully, Cafepress also allow this. These include:

• Holiday inspired products – Christmas, Halloween, etc
• Comics inspired product – Marvel avengers, Captain America, Marvel Spiderman, Iron Man, etc
• Movies and TV shows Inspired products – the Big Bang Theory, Family Guy, Sex and the City
• Politics Inspired products
• Breast Cancer Awareness Inspired products
• Friendship Inspired products
• Pet and Pet Lovers Inspired products

As a buyer, another important consideration is the quality of products. With print-on-demand product, the consideration is the quality of the print, and the quality of the product printed on. Cafepress ticks the box in this regards.

We checked the customers’ review platforms to see what Cafepress’ customers generally have to say about its quality. 100% quality thumbs-up is not possible and that is the case with Cafepress, as there are a few “poor quality”. However, these are drowned by a sea of positive reviews of quality – both the quality of print and of the base product. Thus, Cafepress comes out as offering good quality products.

Cafepress – for Sellers

Listing items for sale

What it takes to be a Seller in Cafepress is to have designs that you’ll want to monetize. You can either create the designs yourself or have someone do them for you. Cafepress operates by providing you a bunch of items that you can customize with your designs and be made available for sale.

One of the best things about Cafepress is that there are a couple of ways to sell. The first is Design and List. This only requires that you upload your design. Cafepress will do the rest. They’ll select products that your design looks great on, and create a collection which will be marketed in the marketplace. If any product with your design sells, you’ll earn a royalty.

The second way of selling is by creating a Shop. With a shop, you control every aspect of selling your design. You’ll get your own branded shop powered by Cafepress. From the products that Cafepress supports, you’ll select which you want to put your designs on. You also set the price of your customized products. Then you’ll have to market your store. When the product sells, Cafepress collects its base price, and pays you the rest.

It should be said that Cafepress will only send royalty to the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Republic of Ireland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, and United Kingdom, and United States of America. Since being in these countries is required to receive payment, it simply means that you have to be in these countries to be able to use Cafepress as a Seller.

Pricing and Earning Potential

It’s important to know what it will cost to use Cafepress. Cafepress comes out strong because there are no out of pocket costs. You’ll not be paying anything upfront, so if things do not go as planned you can simply leave without losing anything (monetarily). This risk-free nature applies whether you are selling via “design and list” or shop.

When you use the simple selling method (design and list); there are no costs whatsoever.  You’ll simply earn 5% – 10% of the sale price. This relatively low earning is the price for the simplicity that the “design and list option” affords.

However, for products sold directly through your shop, you’ll earn whatever markup you set on the base price of products. When adding products to your store, you’ll see the base price of each selected product. The base price includes all fees associated with selling. This means that if your items do not sell, there’s no paying anything to Cafepress.

When your items sell, Cafepress takes only the base price, and whatever markup was on the base price is your profit. Thus when selling through shops, you have control of your profits. For example, if for an 11oz Ceramic Mug whose base price was $10.99 (at the time of writing) you set a selling price of $20; you’ll keep all $9.01 of your profits.

However, Cafepress wants to make something off you when you make significantly large profits. Thus, they charge an additional 5% transaction fee for every markup over $15. That is, for the mug above, if your selling price is $50, and you manage to sell it, you won’t keep the full markup of $39.01. Cafepress will charge an additional fee of $1.2005 (which is 5% of the $24.01 above the $15 markup). Thus, your earnings will be $37.8095 ($15 + 95% of $24.01).

When selling via shop you’ll want to know whether the base price of Cafepress is competitive, because with a high base price you won’t have enough up-room to set your selling price so as to still make a significant profit.

In our opinion, though Cafepress is not the best priced in the market, it still comes out relatively fine in this regards. For example, Hoodies were priced $34.99 (kid’s hoodies were priced at $20.99). Also, the Tees went for $16.99 – $14.95, and the sweatshirts went for $29.95 – $29.99. You can easily put a markup of about $10 on these products

Receiving Payment

Since buyers are paying Cafepress directly, you’ll want to know how and when you’ll be paid after your product sells. Cafepress pays in two ways – PayPal or check. To be paid via check, you’ll need a minimum payment amount of $100; while with only $25, you can receive PayPal payment. This is low enough, so there’ll be no problem of struggling to reach a high threshold before you can be paid.

However, payments are made within 60 days of the month they were accrued. 60 days? That’s a long time for a Seller to wait to receive his/ her payment. However, Cafepress explains that there is a lag time of 45 days to take care of its 30-day money back guarantee.

Selling Pros

• Offers two way to monetize designs, including an overly simplified “design and list” option
• There are no out-of-pocket costs for using Cafepress
• When selling via shops, can set your selling price and keep your markups
• Base prices of products are competitive to allow up room for setting a selling price for significant profits
• Receiving payment is easy as checks and PayPal payments are supported
• The minimum payment amount is relatively low ($25 via PayPal)

Selling Cons

• Earnings with “Design and list” is relatively low (only 5 – 10% of sales price)
• An additional 5% transaction fee is charged for markups over $15
• A long waiting time to receive payment

Cafepress – for Buyers

Ordering

If you’ve used any online shopping platform, you’ll find Cafepress straightforward to use. Buying entails simply going to the website and finding an item by browsing through the product listings (using the product categories or design sections).

Alternatively, you can find products using the search button. Simply type in a product keyword and it will bring out items related to your search enquiry.

Clicking on a product will take you to its description page, where you’ll find details of the product. Where a product is customizable, it is in the description page that you’ll have to add the customizable effect (image or text). You’ll find many products allowing customizing. Thus, you can have personalized items. In the description page, you can also view other product photos.

If you like what you see you can then choose to select a different colour, choose a size (for sized products), add more quantities, etc; then you can and add the item to cart. At any time, you can proceed to your cart; where you’ll enter your shipping address, and view order summary detailing total cost (item price and shipping costs).

If it is satisfactory, you can proceed to enter payment information to complete order. You can make payment for your Cafepress order using credit cards, PayPal, Cafepress gift cards, and Cafecash (Cafepress earnings as a Seller)

Cafepress also gives the convenience of ordering by phone. But you’ll have to go to the site, find the product, and get the product number (under the product name in the product detail page). There are two phone numbers provided for ordering by phone (1-877-809-1659 and 1-919-323-4480), with the first being a toll-free line. The service is open Monday through Saturday, between 9:00 am to 6:00 pm (EST).

Sometimes, Buyers have a change of heart and will want to cancel or modify an order. While you cannot directly cancel an order, if you can reach out to Customer Support Department on time, a cancellation can be affected. Order modifications are not allowed; you’ll have to cancel the first order and place a fresh order.

Shipping

In any online purchase, shipping is an important consideration. You’ll want to know: whether the retailer can ship to your location, how long it’ll take for your order to arrive, and how much it will cost.

In terms of shipping destinations, Cafepress ships to locations within the US, and 25 other countries. These include Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Republic of Ireland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, and United Kingdom. That said; while it’s good that international shipping is done, it is not the worldwide coverage that we’ll want.

Delivery times are made up of order processing/ production time and shipment time. Cafepress advertises that most orders take 2 – 3 business days to be produced and dispatched for shipping. After that, how long it takes to get to you will depend on your shipping address (and the shipping option selected).

When shipping to the US, Cafepress supports four shipping options – Economy shipping (which takes 7 – 9 business days), Standard Shipping (which takes 5 – 6 business days), Premium Shipping (which takes 2 – 4 business days), and Express shipping (which takes 1 business day). When shipping to other supported locations, only Standard shipping and Express shipping is available.

To Canada, Standard Shipping takes 7 – 9 business days, while Express Shipping takes 5 – 7 business days. To the UK, standard shipping takes 5 – 6 business days, while Express Shipping takes 4 – 5 business days. To Australia, Standard Shipping cost 9 – 11 business days, while Express Shipping cost 5 – 7 business days.

Shipping costs are dependent on: the type of items ordered, the quantity ordered, the country it is shipping to, and the shipping option selected. Thus, you’ll find that the shipping cost varies. You’ll find the applicable shipping costs during the checkout. However, the customers’ reviews in many independent review platforms suggest that shipping costs are relatively on the high side.

Return and Exchanges

Because online shopping is characterized by blind purchase (where the item had not been physically inspected before-hand), an important consideration is “returns” – whether the retailer will let you return an item that you are not totally satisfied with and get a replacement or a refund.

In this regards, Cafepress’ promise is “you’ll be completely satisfied, or we’ll make it right, guaranteed” Cafepress makes it right by accepting returns for any item that you are not pleased with for any reason. Cafepress gives a 30 days return window.

The process is also relatively easy. Simply contact Cafepress using the online form, and select “Exchange/ Refund” as the reason for contact. Cafepress will review your submission and send an RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) and return instructions.

For a business that produces items on demand, this is a very generous return policy. Usually such businesses do not accept returns (understandably so) except there is a production error. But as Cafepress advertises, “if you’re not pleased with your product for any reason, you can return or exchange it free within 30 days – even if it’s personalized”.

Buying Pros

• Supports a range of products
• Relatively easy to find products and to place an order
• Personalization is allowed for certain items
• Ordering by telephone is supported
• Quality of products is largely great
• Ships to the US and 25 other countries
• Relatively short 2 – 3 days production time
• Offers a generous money back guarantee

Buying cons

• Shipping costs are relatively high

Customer Support

People will have questions that a retailer must answer to earn their commitment, while other customers will have issues that the retailer must resolve to earn their loyalty. Thus, the ideal online store should have an effective customer support service for handling the questions and issues that customers will have.

Cafepress does relatively well in this regards. In supports the regular self-help and contact-help channels. For self-help, it provides an FAQ page which answers many of the questions that people will have. The page is arranged into two sections for the two categories of Cafepress’ users; the first is “Buying” section, and the second is the “Creating and Selling” Section.

The Buying section holds articles arranged under the topics: order tracking, ordering, changing an order, returns and exchange, my account, and product information; while the Creating and Selling section holds articles arranged under the topics: designing, content, promoting products, selling, earning money, affiliate program, getting paid, and troubleshooting. Thus, you’ll find that this resource will be very helpful.

However, if you still need to contact Cafepress, it supports email service and telephone service. The email service is actually an online contact form, and the form can be accessed from the “Contact Us” page of the website. Cafepress promises that every submission will receive a response within 24 hours.

For the telephone service, US and Canada customer can use the number +1-877-809-1659, while international customers can use the number +1-919-323-4480. The US line is toll-free, so you won’t have to worry about charges when getting help.

Complaints

You can gauge the strength of a platform by the volume and frequency of complaints. Granted, no platform will operate such that there’ll be no complaints, but the ideal platforms should not be overrun by complaints; rather positive reviews will drown any negative review.

For this section, we checked the independent customers’ review platforms to know what real customers of Cafepress have to say about the company. Cafepress comes out relatively well. For example, in Trustpilot it has an average rating of 4.2/ 5 (by 182,389 reviewers); and in Sitejabber, it has an average rating of 2.8/ 5 (by 560 reviewers).

Interestingly, we could not find complaints from Sellers. Some of the buyer complaints that are significant enough to be mentioned are late delivery, poor sizing, and difficulty with returns.

Late Delivery

Before continuing, it must be said that many customers expressed satisfaction with their delivery times. However, there are others (and significant others owing to the number) who reported that their orders came significantly late. For example:

• Deborah M in Sitejabber says “Can’t get my order”. The review continued “I ordered a shirt September 18 and was told I would receive it September 30. As of October 7, I still don’t have it. I’ve called 3 times and been told it’s ‘in production’ but they would ‘expedite’ the order…”
• Scooby D in sitejabber says “Over three weeks for delivery and still not arrived! Customer care zero – will not respond to e-mails and I’m out of pocket £52. Gifts ordered for 18th birthday present – what a disappointment…”
• Christi Long in Trustpilot says “the shirt has still not arrived, though it is a week past the date it was supposed to be delivered”

Poor Sizing

Another matter that was seen here and there is that sometimes items are delivered and do not fit well. For example:

• Kerry K in Sitejabber says “Purchased a shirt for daughter’s birthday…it came and didn’t fit well, the material also very thick and uncomfortable…”
• Jen in Trustpilot says “Best customer service that I have ever received. I returned a couple of shirt because of the size and they refunded me and told me to keep the shirts and donate them or give them to someone…”

Issues with returns

First, Cafepress return policy is laudable for a print-on-demand Company. Secondly, there are many customers who reported processing returns and getting refunded without any hassles. However, some reported meeting brick walls when they attempted making returns.

For example:

• Remember Kerry K in Sitejabber, the review continued “Sent message regarding return instructions… they replied they would get back to me in 24-48 hours, and that was almost 2 weeks ago!! Sent a second message as well… still no word from them!! Ridiculous”
• Dena G in Sitejabber says “Great unless you need a return”. The review continued “I bought a shirt for my husband… Made 3 attempts to get help starting a return and no response at all. I do not recommend unless you like being stuck with stuff you don’t want or cannot use…”

Sites Similar to Cafepress:

• Mirraw
• Bonanza
• eCRATER

Conclusion

Cafepress is a legitimate platform that works with designers to bring you millions of design that you can put on a range of products to get that special fancy product. You also get to use your own design for a truly personal customizing. The company says it wants to inspire people to express themselves, and it really lives up to this.

As a buyer, given Cafepress’ collection of designs, you’re sure to find one with which to express yourself. More so, you can personalize products with your designs. The company supports a range of products that include clothing, fashion accessories, office supplies, home and lifestyle items, and more. While the prices of products in Cafepress do not come out as low; the all-round quality is relatively good. That is, you’ll have quality prints on quality base-products for quality custom-made products. For an on-demand company,

Cafepress also has a very generous return policy, which gives you 30 days to return any item that you are not satisfied with and gets a full refund. The small bumps on the road include; Cafepress being available to only 25 countries, and shipping costs being relatively on the high side.

Bottom line for Buyers: we seriously don’t think you’ll be saving much, but you’re sure to get quality products (bar the occasional sizing issue). Delivery is generally fast, but there may be the occasional lateness. And with its money-back guarantee, you won’t get more legit print-on-demand provider.

As a Seller, you’ll find that Cafepress is relatively easy to use. With the “design and list” option, you only have to upload your designs, and you can watch your earnings come in. To maximize earnings, you can open a shop, where you’ll have full control of the selling process, including the products to customize and pricing. Get Cafepress’ base prices, add a markup when setting your selling price; when the product sells, Cafepress takes its base price and give you the markup 100%.

However, there are also small bumps on the road. Your earning is relatively small when using the “design and list” option (only 5% – 10% of the selling price of the product). When selling via a shop, Cafepress’ base prices are not the best in the market. Also, when you make a significantly large profit from a sale, you’ll find that Cafepress is not content with its regular charge.

It will then charge an additional 5% transaction fee for every markup over $15. Then, there’s the waiting for your payment – because of the 30-days return window, you won’t get paid for any sale earlier than 45 days after the sale.

The bottom line for Sellers: You sure can earn from your designs, but you’ll need patience after your item sells. How much you’ll earn is another thing. If you simply upload your designs, earnings are minimal; and if your operate a store, the relatively high base price does not give room for much earning, and even if you manage to score something big, Cafepress still wants in on it.

Bonanza is an online market place that was created by Bill Harding. The inspiration for an online marketplace came from a failed garage sale. Bill was determined to make selling “relentlessly simple”. However, the success did not come until Bonanza was named “an exciting eBay alternative” by the eCommerce blog. With the article, the number of Sellers soared.

Like any marketplace, Bonanza simply provides the platform. It empowers independent entrepreneurs to build an online business by allowing these to list their products for sale. Then persons can go there to look through the listed products and make a purchase. Thus, Bonanza itself does not own the products listed on the site. It’s just a marketplace like eBay.

Bonanza is not in any way involved in the transaction between Sellers and Buyers. In fact, unlike some marketplaces that receive payment for purchases to later release the Sellers’ share to them, Bonanza does not receive any payment for purchases. When you use Bonanza for any purchase, you’ll be paying the particular Seller directly.

Bonanza is an online marketplace for buying and selling everything but the ordinary. It calls itself a Seller-centric marketplace, and says it makes “selling online easy”.

The big question is whether Bonanza is really seller-friendly or whether the seller-friendly “speak” ends as advert blurbs. That is, can someone want to start an online business really sell and make money using Bonanza? Also, are its Sellers fees reasonable? What about other services; is it easy to set up and sell in the platform?

As a buyer, there are even many questions. With its self-pronounced Seller-centric status, is Bonanza worthwhile for buyers? Will buyers find quality products in the platform? What buyer protection does Bonanza offer should issues arise? What about its services; can one expect top services that we’ll expect from an ideal online shopping destination? In the first place, is Bonanza legit or just another scam platform?

Yes, Bonanza is legit. It is not a scam but one of the most popular marketplace online. You will definitely get the services you seek for on the platform.

This Bonanza review will examine Bonanza in order to provide the information that will answer these questions and more.

Bonanza review at a glance

• Website: bonanza.com
• An online marketplace started in 2008
• It simply acts as a venue that matches independent sellers and buyers worldwide
• Supports a wide range of products, featuring some of the best brands around
• Free to use; but also has membership subscriptions
• Customer support is available via email

Is Bonanza legit?

Yes, it’s wise to determine if an online platform is legit before jumping in, especially where money will be involved. There are just too many cyber fraudsters using different fronts to rip people off. Thus, the big question is whether Bonanza is legit? The short answer is yes. Wondering why that’s our position? Read on.

Our first check of a legit e-commerce platform is always legality. This is because the platforms that are 100% legal are less likely to be a scam. Interestingly, Bonanza ticks this box. Bonanza is a fully registered business. Suffice it to say that the scam stores do not pursue company registration.

Another check of a legit eCommerce platform is visibility and industry-wide recognition. This is because the scam platforms largely operate in the shadow. Interestingly, Bonanza also ticks this box. Since that eCommerce blog article that named it “an exciting eBay alternative”, Bonanza has gone on to be featured by leading publishers and media giants that include Time Magazine, Mashable, CNN and more. Bonanza was even named “Best Entrepreneurial Company in America” in 2016 by Entrepreneur Magazine. Suffice it to say that a scam platform will not earn the recognition of such industry watchers and followers alike.

However, the ultimate check of a legit eCommerce platform is fitness for purpose. As a marketplace, fitness for purpose will be: as a Seller, being able to use the platform to list and sell your products; and as a Buyer, getting delivery of real and functional products when you place orders using the platform.

It’s a no-brainer that a seller that has no sales success in a platform but is out of pocket in fees will find it anything but scam; in the same vein, a buyer that pays for an order, but does not receive his/ her order or that receives delivery of worthless products will find the platform anything but scam. In this regards, it is safe to say that Bonanza ticks the box. That is, some Sellers have had some sales success using bonanza, and some buyers have gotten delivery of real and functional products.

However, especially in the area of buying, it must be said that as in any marketplace Bonanza is not immune to bag eggs. Thus, you’ll find reports of some buyers being scammed by certain Sellers. Thus, the key when buying in Bonanza is to be discerning in identifying legit buyers. That said, while the platform itself (Bonanza) can do better in tightening up to snuffle out the bad eggs within it, it comes out as a legit online marketplace.

Is Bonanza safe?

Using an eCommerce platform entails the sharing of sensitive information that includes personal details (e.g. contact details) and payment method details (e.g. credit card details). With cyber fraudsters, identity thieves, and other bad elements eager to get their hands on such sensitive data, you’ll want an eCommerce platform that adequately safeguards users’ data, preventing these from leaking out to unauthorized third parties.

In this regards, Bonanza says that the protection of users’ data is important to them. Thus, the platform uses industry-standard security protocols. When you enter sensitive information on the website, it encrypts the transmission of that information using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology. With the bank-grade SSL technology used, it is safe to say that Bonanza is safe.

Products

Whether you have something to sell or you have something to buy, you’ll want a place that supports a wide range of products. As a Seller being able to list your different product for sale in one place is convenient; and as a Buyer, being able to purchase your related products in one place is super-convenient.

In this regards, Bonanza advertises as the destination to shop “everything but the ordinary”. This will suggest that it supports a wide product range. The department (and the product categories in each department) you’ll find in Bonanza are as follows:

• Halloween Shop – Men Costume, Women costume, Couple’s Costume, Kids’ Costume, Infant/ toddler costumes, Pet Costumes, Masks and Ears, Halloween Candy, Halloween Décor, Halloween Party supplies
• Women’s Fashion – Clothing, Shoes, Accessories, Vintage, Formal and Wedding
• Men’s Fashion – Clothing, Shoes, Accessories, Vintage, Formal and Wedding
• Home and Garden – Bath, Bedding, Furniture, Home Décor, Home Improvement, Kitchen & Dining, Lamps & Ceiling Fans, Yard Garden & Outdoor
• Health and Beauty – Bath & Body, dietary Supplements, Fragrances, Hair Care, Health Care, Makeup, Nail Care, Skin Care, Vision Care
• Collectibles and Arts – Arts, Collectibles, Antiques, Crafts, Coins & Paper Money, Entertainment Memorabilia, Pottery & Glass, Sports Memorabilia, Stamps
• Handbags
• Jewellery – Fashion Jewelry, Fine Jewelry, Handcrafted Jewelry, Vintage Jewelry, Wedding Jewelry, Watches
• More Categories – Baby, Books, Business & Industrial, Cameras & Photos, Cell Phones & Accessories, Computers & Tablets, Consumer Electronics, Digital Goods, Dolls & Bears, DVDs & Movies, Music, Musical Instruments & Gear, Parts & Accessories, Pet Supplies, Specialty Services, Sporting Goods, Tickets & Experiences, Toys & Hobbies, Travel, Video Games & Consoles, Everything Else

The presence of “Everything Else” as a product category tells you that there’s virtually nothing you can’t sell or buy in Bonanza.

Also, you’ll find a lot of top brands featured. In the men and women fashion department, you’ll find favourite brands like Calvin Klein, Gap, J.Crew, Nike, etc. The Home & Garden department holds brands like DeWalt, Keurig, Kohler, Lenox, etc. The Health & Beauty department holds brands like Avon, Clinique, L’Oreal, etc. In Handbags, you’ll find brands like Coach, Fossil, Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors, etc

Bonanza – for selling

Using Bonanza

Bonanza advertises as a Seller-centric marketplace, which suggests that it is more seller-friendly than many other online marketplaces. The first thing you’ll want as a seller is an easy to use platform. Bonanza actually shines in this regards.

The first step is to open a Seller’s account. This entails clicking the “Start Selling Now” button in the website.  In the page that opens up, you’ll proceed to nominate a username, password, and booth title. An account can also be created using your Facebook or Google login.

The next step is to set up your booth, but it simply entails providing your personal information in appropriate fields. The next step is to provide the checkout providers that you’ll like to offer (that is, how you’ll want your customers to pay you). Bonanza requires that you have a PayPal account, and you’ll have to connect the account to your booth.

Amazon Pay and Stripe can also be added. At this stage, you’ll also select whether you want Bonanza to advertise your items. The last step is to add your credit card information. Click “Finish Setup”. You can proceed to add your items.

Adding items to your booth is also quite easy. This can be done manually or by importing listings. To do so manually; from the “Selling” link, select “Add or edit items” from the drop-down menu. Then click “Add a new item” in the page that opens. You can then proceed to provide the details of the item (description, trait, price, photos, etc).

To send the items to live, then click “Save these changes; customers can see them right away”. To import listing from other marketplaces, you also start from the “Selling” link. From the drop-down menu, select your import option (that is, import from Amazon, import from eBay, etc). Then you select your import settings and click “Import items”. Mandatory fields when importing listings are title, price, and category.

After adding your items to your booth, the last thing is to activate your booth. Selling > Add or edit items > Open booth. Complete the required fields; get to and click “Finalize Booth”. Pending approval, your items will be immediately visible in your booth.

Pricing

One of the most important things you’ll want to know is how much it cost to use the platform. In this regards, bonanza comes out very fine. It is completely free to list items and sell them in Bonanza. It is only when your item sells that you’ll be required to pay a fee. Thus, Bonanza is a risk-free marketplace. If you close your booth and leave, you’ll not be losing any money.

However, in addition to its free account which can be used to sell, Bonanza also offers membership subscriptions which give you access to more selling features. Importantly, these include driving more traffic to your listing. The main plans are Gold, Platinum, and Titan. The gold Plan cost $40 monthly but $25 per month when billed annually; Platinum cost $70 monthly but $55 per month when billed annually; while Titan cost $200 monthly but $167 when billed annually.

Since you pay Bonanza when your item sells, it’s also important to know what those charges will be.  Bonanza does relatively well in this regards. Its charges are based on the Final Order Value (FOV), which it calculates as the item purchase price plus any portion of the shipping fee over $10. Thus, for a $30 item with $12 shipping, the FOV is $32; but a $30 item with $10 shipping has FOV of $30.

That said; Bonanza charges 3.5% of the FOV (for all FOVs under $500), but with a minimum fee of $0.50. Thus, for the $30 item with $12 shipping; Bonanza’s fee will be $1.12 (i.e. 3.5% of $32). However, for an item costing $10 with $2 shipping; 3.5% of the FOV ($10) is $0.35 which is less than the minimum fee. Thus, Bonanza’s fee will be the minimum fee of $0.50.

For all FOVs over $500, Bonanza’s charge is 3.5% of the first $500 + 1.5% of amount over $500. Thus for a $650 item with $15 shipping, the FOV is $155; and Bonanza’s charges will be $22.925 (i.e. 3.5% of $500 + 1.5% of $255).

That said; pricing is one attraction of Bonanza, not only is it free to list items but with its fees, it also comes out as relatively cheap. Most times, FOVs will be less than $500, so Sellers will be paying only 3.5% of FOV. This is definitely cheaper than the popular eBay.

The small thing we didn’t like in the bonanza’s fee is that the portion of shipping fees over $10 go into calculating the bonanza’s fee. While you can use the platform to sell for free, if you decide to buy a membership subscription, you’ll find these to be extraordinarily expensive.

Payment and methods

Another important consideration is making a payment, as you’ll not want a platform that’ll “frustratingly bang on your door”. In this regards, Bonanza fee is due once you’ve accumulated $3.00 in fees; and it bills once a month.

Bonanza supports two methods for paying its fees (Final Value Fee) – PayPal and Credit Cards (Mastercard, Visa, Discover, JCB, or American Express). With these methods, paying Bonanza should be stress-free. Bonanza even simplifies the whole process by charging your credit card automatically at the end of the month.

If you’ll rather pay manually, that option is available via PayPal. When you opt for manual payment using PayPal, you’ll have until the 4th of the next month to pay; if the payment is not made, your credit card will be charged automatically by the 5th of the month.

However, Bonanza does not allow Sellers to accumulate large fees while waiting for the end of the month for next billing. Thus, it’ll automatically charge Sellers if they’ve accumulated $100 in fees. But as a new Seller into your first three months of using bonanza, it’ll automatically charge you if you’ve accumulated $25 in fees.

Advertising Program

In addition to its membership subscriptions which can get more persons to see your product to drive up your sales. Bonanza also offers advertising programs. When you are opt-in to these, Bonanza will push traffic to your product paying for ad clicks that bring shoppers to your listing. There are four advertising levels, with each higher level driving more buyer traffic to your listing.

For each advertising level, you decide how much you want to pay. The basic level cost 9% max fee, the standard level cost 13% max fee, the superior level cost 19% max fee, and the Elite level cost 30% max fee. This means that when your item sells, you’ll not pay above the max fee of your selected level; but you can pay less than the max fee if the total “spend” by Bonanza in driving the traffic for your item sale is lower than the selected max fee.

Another good thing is that no matter the advertising level you choose, Bonanza covers the advertising cost until your item sells. Thus, it’s also risk-free.

Selling Pros

• Relatively easy to use (open seller account, and set up a booth, add items to the booth and activate the booth)
• You can import items from other marketplaces (such as eBay, Amazon, Etsy, and Shopify)
• It is absolutely free to list and sell your products
• Offers membership subscriptions which give access to more selling features
• Sellers fees (after an item sells) are relatively low
• Offers paid advertising program which can drive sales

Selling cons

• Existence of minimum sellers’ fee, which may make you pay more on low-value sales
• A portion of the shipping fee goes into calculating Bonanza’s charges (Final Value Fee)
• May take up to 6 hours after listing an item for it to be indexed in searches
• Membership subscription is very expensive

Bonanza – for buying

Placing an Order

When using any eCommerce platform, you’ll want to find a lot of options. Bonanza gives you this as it boasts of tens of thousands of Sellers. There are two ways to complete a transaction. The first is the traditional buying process, where the Seller states a price for an item, and the order is placed if you choose to buy it at that stated price and proceed to complete checkout.

The second way of buying is by making an offer. The Seller invites you to make an offer when you do, the Seller can accept it and the order is placed, or the Seller can make a counteroffer which you have to accept for the order to be placed.

The buying process is relatively simple, and shouldn’t be a problem if you’ve used any online shopping platform. You can search through the product categories to find something that you like. Alternatively, you can use the Search button in the website; enter a keyword, and bonanza will bring out products related to your search enquiry. Clicking on an item will take you to its description page.

There you’ll find every detail about the item such as its description, condition, material composition, etc. You can also view different images of the product. The page will also hold shipping information, such as when the item will ship, where it ships from, how long it takes in transit, and shipping cost. The return policy of the Seller will also be found in this page, along with some other details such as payment methods, and other products from the particular Seller.

If you like what you see, you can click to add the item to your cart. You can then click to go to your cart. If shipping cost was not provided in the product description and free shipping is not offered, the page that opens next prompts you to input your shipping country and postal code so that your shipping cost can be estimated. After that, you can view your order detail, and complete checkout by putting your shipping address and payment details.

Sometimes, customers have a change of mind and will want to modify or cancel the order. Unfortunately, Bonanza advertises that it is possible to modify/ cancel an order after submitting it. But buyers cannot do that directly, you’ll have to contact the particular seller using the Account > Recent Purchase link.

However, as many persons will testify, there are few Sellers (if any) that’ll even look into cancellation request. Modification? Maybe, especially if the modification leads to an increase of the order value.

Pricing

Another important consideration when using any shopping platform is pricing. Because we always want the best deals, stores that feature relatively low prices are attractive. In this regards, the fact that Bonanza is not a retailer but a marketplace, affect its pricing.

The prices are only a reflection of the independent Sellers. That is some Sellers may price their items relatively low, while others may not. However, looking at listings, Bonanza does not come out as a “low and affordable” shopping destination. In our opinion, prices fall in the middle range. That is, not low, but not expensive.

In terms of payment methods, what you can use for payment depends on what the particular Seller offers. But every Seller supports PayPal, while some may offer Amazon Pay and Stripe. This means that you shouldn’t’ have a problem with paying for your order when using Bonanza.

Shipping

Another important consideration when using an eCommerce platform is shipping. You’ll need to consider: whether the retailer ships to your location, how long it’ll take to receive your order, and how much it’ll cost. As Bonanza is a marketplace, the shipping destination, delivery times, and shipping costs vary depending on the particular Seller.

However, you’ll find that many Sellers ships to worldwide locations. Also, we found that many times are listed as shipping within 1 business day. In terms of delivery, some Sellers offer standard delivery and Expedited delivery.

In terms of shipping cost, many sellers offered free shipping. That said, you’ll want to look at the shipping terms very well in the product description page. You may also want to look at the reviews of the particular Seller to know if the delivery times are honoured.

Returns

Because of the “blind purchase” characteristic of online purchases, an important is return policy. That is, customers will want stores that will allow them to return an item that is not satisfactory and get a replacement or refunds.

In this regards, because Bonanza is a marketplace that is not involved in the transaction between Sellers and Buyers, it does not have a return policy. It is the independent Sellers that may choose to include a return policy. You’ll find this in the product description page. Looking through many products, we found that many Sellers in Bonanza include a return policy; with many going for the popular 30-days after delivery return window.

Buyer Protection

When you buy from an online retailing store and issues come up, at least, you’ll know who you are up against. But when using a marketplace, you don’t. Thus, when using a marketplace, you’ll want the platform to offer strong “buyer protection”. In this regards, in our opinion, Bonanza does not offer buyer protection. One reason is that Bonanza does not receive payment for purchases.

We found that marketplaces that are serious about “Buyer Protection” receive payment for purchases directly from customers. And only when the buyer confirms receipt of the order (and satisfaction with it) will the funds be released to the Seller.

Where a buyer is not happy with an order, and the Seller does not offer a satisfactory resolution, the platform will come in to mediate.  Only when the mediation proves the Seller right will the platform release the payment to the Seller; if the outcome favours the buyer, the platform will refund the buyer.

In Bonanza, since the Seller gets the payment directly from the buyers, there is nothing Bonanza can do if you have an issue with your order. You’ll simply be at the mercy of the particular Seller. Where a Seller has a return policy and stays true to its terms, you shouldn’t have issues with getting a satisfactory solution. But where you are scammed (you do not receive your order, or get some shoddy merchandise), you’ll have to contact the Seller.

If you get nothing (in the way of a resolution) you’ll have to report the Seller to Bonanza. All bonanza can do is to remove the Seller from the platform. Know that, that does not help you in any way in getting back your money. If you want your money back, you’ll have to file a dispute with your payment processor.

PayPal and Amazon offer buyer protection; where Stripe was used, the dispute should be filed with your credit card company. Also, know that there is a window for filing chargebacks; so make sure to file the dispute before the window closes.

For example, with PayPal, you can only file a dispute within 180 days of your purchase; while Amazon gives you 75 days from purchase date. Be careful of some dirty sellers who will string you along until the chargeback window closes.

Buying Pros

• You’ll find many Sellers, which translate to having many options
• You can also make an offer, and buy at your own terms
• Prices are not overly expensive
• Many sellers ship merchandise to worldwide locations
• Many Sellers ship in 1 business day
• You’ll find also find Sellers offering free shipping
• Some seller offer returns

Buying Cons

• Cancelling or modifying an order is up to the Seller
• Does not offer a buyer protection

Customer Support Service

Many customers will have questions, and there are others that will have issues with their orders. Thus, the ideal platform should provide for handling the question and issues that the customer will have.

Bonanza offers a robust self-help section. You’ll find a Help Center, with support articles categorized under Selling, Buying, and Account. To aid navigation, each category opens up subcategories. For example, “Buying” opens up “an item I bought”, “Shopping on Bonanza”, “General Questions”, and “Others”. Clicking on “An item I bough”, you’ll find: how do I cancel my order, I want a refund, How can I track my shipment, never received my item, item not as described, how to report a seller, etc. Thus, with the categories and subcategories, you’ll find an intuitive help centre that will take you to articles that answer many of the questions you may have.

If you want direct contact, that is also supported. With Bonanza being a marketplace, you’ll first have to contact the Seller for everything (both pre-sale and post-sale). Pre-sale, you can contact the Seller from the item description page. Click on contact Seller button, fill the message box, and send. Post-sale, you can contact the Seller from “Account>Recent Purchases”.

Contacting Bonanza will be to report a Seller. You can do this by sending them an email from the “Contact” link of the website. You’ll have to be logged in to send a message; so only members can communicate directly with Bonanza. However, as mentioned before, the only “help” you’ll get from bonanza is removing a Seller.

Bonanza Complaints

True, there is no platform that is immune to complaints. But the complaints should not override an ideal platform. Thus, the volume and frequency of complaints can help you to gauge how well a platform is. In this section, we examine the top customers’ review platforms such as Trustpilot, Sitejabber, etc. These reviews are simply what real persons who have used bonanza as sellers and buyers have to say about it. Sadly, Bonanza has mixed ratings in these platforms.

In Trustpilot, bonanza is rated 3.0/ 5 by 932 reviewers; in Sitejabber it is rated 2.5/ 5 by 773 reviewers; but in resellerratings, it is rated 1/ 10 by 33 reviewers.

Sellers’ Complaints

One complaint common to many Sellers that wrote reviews is not making sales. For example, Gary Pearson in Trustpilot says “Nobody buys anything ever” The review continued “I sell a diversified selection of antiques, motor oil cans, signs, phones, vintage toys, prints, etc. Nothing for the last 6 month, nothing at all, not even a question by these people who buy on this site. If there are any out there I sure don’t hear from them. I have over 1,300 feedback on eBay and hundreds on my wife’s account and I cannot even sell one thing on here; totally frustrating and waste of my time listing things”

Another complaint by Sellers is not being able to find their own listed items. Yet some sellers complained about having their account shut down for no reason and without communication. For example: A.M. in sitejabber says “filing a lawsuit against Bonanza”. The review added that “…after 5 years of working hard to provide the best customer service, bonanza ambushed me out of nowhere and closed my account. This was my life. This was everything to me, and they shut me out and spit me out like I was nothing …If you try to be a seller on bonanza, make sure you pay the insanely high titan and platinum membership fees…”

Bonanza review products after the listing before the products will go live. Though Bonanza advertises that this may take 4 – 6 hours, the reviews suggest that it may take 2 days. This may be why some Sellers cannot find their products after listing. Sure, it’s not an ideal situation; and Bonanza can do well to reduce its listing review time.

For Sellers complaining of not making sales in the platform; this is to be expected when the platform has membership subscriptions. After all, the draw of the membership subscription and its paid advert program is to drive traffic to your listings for more sales. However, it’s frustrating having to use a marketplace for free and having to compete for the same customer pool with subscribers.

Buyers’ Complaints

One prominent complaint among buyers is that the platform is a scam (more appropriately, that they were scammed in the platform)

For example:

• Edward P in Sitejabber says “Platform for scammers. They will steal your money”. The review continued “I ordered a shirt for my son and never received it. Bonanza deleted the seller’s account after I filed a complaint and they instructed me to take the issue up with PayPal rather than taking responsibility for its sellers. Absolute scam”
• Dave Vickery in Trustpilot says “Bad Experience with Bonanza – Avoid” The review continued “I made a small purchase with one seller on this site. That seller did not deliver and since then I’ve been bounced between the seller and the support team trying to get my money back”
• Alex Singh in Trustpilot says “this is the worst site to order from; never got my order or mu refund. So please people stay off this site; don’t order from here, they’ll take your money and never send you the product”

As mentioned earlier, as a marketplace, there are some dirty sellers in Bonanza. However, the operation model of bonanza doesn’t help the situation. First, there is no serious screening of Sellers done, and it allows Seller to receive payment for purchase directly.

Thus there is virtually no buyer protection. While Bonanza’s remedy is to delete the seller’s account; that does not help the scam customer to get the item or the refund. And as one reviewer says, it definitely hurt that Bonanza does not take any responsibility other than “take the matter up with your payment processor”

Sites Similar to Bonanza:

• Amazon
• eCRATER

Conclusion

Bonanza advertises as an online marketplace where you can buy and sell everything but the ordinary. It does support a vast array of product types. Thus, as a Seller, there’s virtually nothing you cannot list for sale; and as a buyer, there’s virtually nothing you can’t buy using the platform. Products include fashion products, home & garden products, collectables & arts, jewellery, and more.

As a Seller, you’ll find the platform to be relatively easy to use. You’ll have to set up a booth, and this has the advantage of showing your other products to customers who come to your booth for a particular item. Also, the platform can be used free of charge. That is, it’s free to set up your booth and free to list items for sale; you’ll only pay when your item sells.

Also what you pay when you sell is relatively low (mostly 3.5% of Final Order Value). However, there are paid services. For example, there’re membership subscriptions; which have the benefit of giving your items more visibility to drive sales. There are also advertising programs which you can subscribe to drive more traffic to your items for higher sales.

As a Buyer, ordering from the platform is relatively easy; and you should also have no problem with making payment. Apart from finding vast product types, a draw of bonanza is that prices are competitive. Bonanza is a legit marketplace, but like every marketplace, not every seller in the platform is legit.

Thus, while you’ll not have a problem with some Sellers, you may find yourself being scammed by the bad eggs. Sadly, bonanza itself does not have buyer protection. Your only defence (at getting back your money) will be to file a dispute with your payment processor. Thus, when buying from Bonanza, be careful to discern the legit sellers from the scam; and if there are issues, be quick to file a dispute.