Onine Stores

eCRATER is an online market place and also free online store builder where you can Buy and sell products. was launched by Dimitar Slavov. His driving force was to create a “clean and simple” eCommerce platform where buying and selling is easy. Given his background in programming, Dimitar got to work in early 2004; and in September of that year, eCRATER was born, hosted in Irvine, California.

In this internet age, where online shopping is increasingly becoming popular, every business owner will do well to have an online shop. Also, it’s not news that listing your products in an online marketplace can drive up sales.

However, the technicality of writing codes or the cost of using a third party to do this can be off-putting. This is where eCRATER comes in. It advertises as a free “web store builder and online marketplace”.

Thus suggest that with eCRATER, you can create your online store and list items for sale, and your items will be seen by the huge traffic from the marketplace. However, the big question is whether it is worthwhile to use eCRATER. As a Seller, will you have the top experience of having an online store and successfully selling products?

Also, as a buyer, will you have a top buying experience characterized by a hassle-free ordering process, and receiving delivery of top quality products? How about another service that we’ll expect of an ideal shopping platform (like delivery times, returns, etc)?

In the first place, is eCRATER legit?

Yes, eCRATER is legit. It is not a scam website because what we witnessed while investigating the site. You may continue reading to know why we said they are not fraudsters.

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

eCRATER review at a glance

• website: ecrater.com
• An online store builder and online marketplace
• Launched in 2004 and based in California
• Can be used to sell and buy virtually anything
• Offers impressive customizable options for your store
• Free to use (no store creation fee, no listing fees, no sales commission where you bring the sales in yourself)
• For sales brought to you by eCRATER, Sellers’ commission is a low 2.95 of the item price
• Does not offer buyer protection
• Customer support available via email (online contact form)

eCRATER advertises as a “free web store builder and an online marketplace”. This means that eCRATER serves two distinct functions. The first function of eCRATER is that it is an “online store builder”. This means that it gives people who have products to sell the opportunity to create an online store to list and sell their products. The online store comes complete with a unique URL.

The second function that eCRATER serves is that it is an online marketplace. That is, it shows every item listed by Sellers in a generic place, where Buyers can browse items to make a purchase. In this regards, eCRATER simply connects Sellers and Buyer for selling and buying.

Is eCRATER legit?

Every online shopper asks the “legit question”; and for good reasons. There are just too many scam stores in cyberspace; and except you determine that a store is legit before using it, you just may be ripped off. Thus, the big question is whether eCRATER is legit.

Our first check of a legit online platform is legality. This is because platforms that are 100% legal are less likely to be scam. Interestingly, eCRATER ticks this box. It is a duly registered business in the US, with headquarters in Irvine California.

Another check of a legit online platform is visibility and industry-wide recognition. This is because the scam stores largely operate in the shadows. Interestingly, eCRATER also ticks this box. eCRATER has been featured by giant publishers and media houses that include Business Insider, Mashable, Business Week, CNN, CNN Money, and more. Suffice it to say that a scam store cannot gain the recognition of such high profile industry watchers and followers.

The ultimate check of a legit online platform is fitness for purpose. This is because the scam stores are simply set up to rip people off, and do not live up to their mandate. Interestingly, eCRATER does not fail outrightly in this regards. In its first function (being a web store builder), eCRATER aces it. As a Seller, you’ll have your eCRATER-powered online store live in minutes. In its second function (being an online marketplace), there are mixed reactions, especially from Buyers.

That is, while you’ll find satisfied buyers who received delivery of real and functional products; you’ll also find a good number of Buyers complaining of not receiving delivery of their order, or being delivered items that are overwhelmingly unsatisfactory. This bring to fore something that characterize most online marketplaces – presence of a few bad eggs (scammers).

Conclusively, while there is no doubt that eCRATER is a legit platform, there seem to be some scam Sellers using it. Thus, if you enter eCRATER as a buyer, you should have on your discerning glasses and use due diligence to tell the legit Sellers from the scam artists.

Is eCRATER safe?

eCRATER is safe. The “safe question” is another important questions that online shoppers ask; and also for good reasons. When shopping online, you share sensitive information such as contact details and credit card details; you’ll not want this data leaking out in this era of cyber fraudsters and identity thieves. Thus, the ideal online platform should adequately safeguard users’ data.

In this regards, eCRATER says that the protection of users’ data is important to it. While it does not give the details of its data protection measures; it’s safe to say that eCRATER is safe. This is because, while complaints about eCRATER are rife, you’ll be hard pressed to find any relating to compromise of payment instrument data.

Products

Whether you are a Seller or a Buyer, you’ll want a platform that supports a range of products. Thankfully, eCRATER ticks this box. You can sell and buy virtually anything in the platform.

The product categories that you’ll find include: Antique, Art, Automotive, Baby Products, Beauty and Fragrances, Books and Magazines, Cameras and Photo, Business and Industrial Products, Cell Phones/ PDAs and Accessories, Clothing and Shoes, Collectibles, Computers and Networking, Crafts, Electronics, Entertainment Memorabilia, Flowers and Gifts, Glass and Pottery, Health and Personal Care, Home and Garden, Jewelry and Watches, Miscellaneous, Movies and DVDs, Music, Office Supplies, Real Estate, Services, Sex Stuff, Sports and Outdoors, Sports Memorabilia, tools and Hardware, Toys Games and Hobbies, Video Games, Wholesale

eCRATER for Sellers

Store-builder function vs marketplace function

If you have products to sell; you can use eCRATER to simply build your online store and sell yourself, or you can create your store and then sell using eCRATER’s marketplace services.

When using its marketplace service, items that you add to your store will be added to the eCRATER marketplace. That is, your items will be found by anyone browsing the product categories in the eCRATER website; and when Buyers do product search using the search button on the website, your items will be shown in search results. eCRATER will also put the items on Google Shopping, meaning you items will get more to drive more sales.

However, when you choose not to use the marketplace service, eCRATER will not drive traffic to your store and your items. That is, notably no adding to Google Shopping; your items won’t even be found in the product categories or in search results when customers use the ECRATER website. You’ll have to drive traffic to your store yourself. eCRATER will furnish you with a unique URL for your store; you can then do the legwork of advertising your store by putting your link wherever.

Setting up to sell

To use eCRATER as a Seller, registration is required; and completely registration will lead to the creation of your store. You don’t need to have any coding skills to create your store. Registration is relatively straightforward; simply click “Register” in the eCRATER website.

In the registration form, the information you’ll fill include your desired store name (which will come out as www.example.ecrater.com). eCRATER allows you to use your custom domain with your store, but this is a premium service which cost $5.00 per month. There’s even a 5-day free trial period, so you’ll see how it works.

Other information required includes address, name of contact person, location, telephone, and email address. While Sellers from all over the world can use eCRATER to create stores and sell their products; being able to ship to US locations is a requirement.

The good part is that the eCRATER-powered store is customizable. You can choose between pleasant template, change the color scheme, add logos, and more in terms of design. To make your store a reflection of you, you can add texts (sections like about, terms, FAQ, and contact page). You can also create categories for your products, to improve your listing. eCRATER also has a set of premium templates to improve the look of your store.

Adding products is also relatively easy. Simply go to the “Products” link, and select “Add New Product”. In the page that opens, fill the required information which will form the details in the product description page when the Buyer clicks on the product.

There’ll be the option to add a photo; eCRATER allows up to 10 photos per added item. eCRATER also simplifies adding products to your store, as it supports the importing of products from eBay stores. If you have a lot of products to add; eCRATER also supports bulk list listing.

Shipping

When a customer buys your item, you’ll have to ship it directly to the Buyer. Unlike some marketplaces, eCRATER does not provide shipping label. The Sellers handles everything. Thus, when listing products, you’ll have to set up the shipping method that you’ll offer. eCRATER supports 3 different methods allowing you to choose what best works for you. These are: flat rate, weight matrix, and USPS calculator (which is only available to US Sellers).

Pricing

An important consideration is pricing. You’ll want to know what it will cost to use the platform.  eCRATER shines in this regards. It is absolutely free to use the platform. You can create your online store, and add your item, all for free.

However, it should be said that the eCRATER shining light (in terms of service pricing), while still shining blindingly in comparison to other platforms, has dimmed somewhat in recent times. This is because, in times past, it was completely free to use eCRATER. Many “free” online marketplaces, are free until your item sells.

When a sale is made, you’ll then have to pay the marketplace a commission (called the Final Value Fee). Formerly, eCRATER was free all the way. That is, even after a sale is made, you keep the payment 100%.

Currently, eCRATER is free for sales that you bring to your store yourself; while there’s a small commission for sales that eCRATER brings to your store. Thus, if you simply use eCRATER to create your store, and then proceed to exclusively drive your own sales, you’ll get to keep all that you make.

Thus, while exclusively driving your own sales, eCRATER is 100% free. But when Buyers come to the marketplace, then get to your products, and make a purchase, eCRATER will charge you a 2.9% marketplace fee.

On the whole, eCRATER’s pricing is arguably the best you’ll find. Not only is it free to create your online store and list your items, but when your products sell, you’ll not have to pay commissions on some of those sales (sales your bring yourself).

Where you have to pay commissions (sales brought to you by eCRATER), the required commission is relatively small (only 2.9% of items price).

Another important consideration is when fees are dues, as no Seller will want a platform that always bangs on the door for its fees. eCRATER also does well in this regards. For sales, it sends to you in any given month, eCRATER will generate and send you an invoice 15 days after that month ends.

Selling Pros

• Relatively easy to get started and create an online store
• Supports importing of products from eBay stores
• Completely free for all sale you bring to your store (no FVP)
• A relatively low 2.9% marketplace fee is charged when eCRATER bring you sales
• Fees are due 15 days after a particular month

Selling Cons

• Sellers must be able to ship to US locations
• No longer 100% free (eCRATER now charges a small fee for sales it brings you)

eCRATER for Buyers

Buying using eCRATER

Unlike many online platforms, eCRATER does not require buyers to register. Without having to create an account, you can search for items, add them to your cart, and proceed to complete checkout.

Thus, buying in eCRATER is relatively straightforward, as it is in many online shopping platforms. To find an item, you can browse through the product categories on the site, or you can use the search button.  After finding an item that you like, clicking on it will take you to its description page, where you’ll find its details.

The page gives you the full description of the particular product and holds more pictures to allow you view the product from other angles. It’ll give other details such as shipping terms and return policies.

One of the best buyer resources in the product description page is the customers’ reviews. eCRATER advices that you look up any reviews that customers have dropped about a particular Seller, as these will help you discern whether a Seller can be trusted.

If you like what the product, and are okay with the shipping terms and other seller’s policies, you can add it to your cart. You can then continue shopping to add more products, or you can go to your cart to complete checkout. You’ll have to add your shipping address and select a payment method to complete the transaction and submit your order.

eCRATER supports a range of payment methods, but what will be available will be what the particular Seller choose to offer. These include Credit cards, PayPal, Money Orders. Cashier checks, Personal Checks, and COD (available to US Sellers through USPS).

Shipping

Shipping is an important consideration in any online purchase. You’ll want to know whether the retailer ships to your location, how long it takes, and how much it takes. In terms of shipping destinations, one of eCRATER’s requirements in admitting seller is shipping to US locations.

Thus, all Sellers in eCRATER ships to all locations in the US. Also, you’ll find many sellers in eCRATER who ship to worldwide locations. Thus, you’ll be able to buy from eCRATER from many parts of the world.

In terms of delivery times, eCRATER says in its “Terms of Service” that it has the right to reverse order and return funds to the customer if “at least 5 business days since the order paid to date have passed” and the order has not shipped. This will mean that it gives Sellers 5 business days to ship out orders (except custom-made items).

However, we found that many Sellers in the platform quote relatively low times for processing and dispatching orders for shipment. After that, how long the order takes in reaching you will depend on your shipping address.

Also, the shipping costs in eCRATER depend on the particular Seller. Sellers choose what shipping option they’ll offer and they set the cost. However, it should be said that when buying multiple products, you’ll have to pay shipping on all. Definitely, as a marketplace, when buying from different Sellers, you’re sure to pay shipping on every item.

However, when buying different products from the same Seller, or many quantities of the same product from the same Seller, you’ll expect to pay one shipping for the “one” order. However, this is not the case. But where the Seller is giving flat rate shipping, you’ll be able to get a reduced shipping cost for each additional product.

It should be said that you should pay particular attention to the description page of each item for its shipment details – where it’s shipping from, when it will ship, how long it stays in transit, and its shipping costs.

Returns

Many times, customers are not satisfied and will want to return the item and get a replacement or refunds. Thus, stores that offer returns are appealing.

Since eCRATER is not an online store, but simply a marketplace, it does not have title to any goods, is not involved in the transaction, and is not responsible for returns. It is the independent Sellers that are responsible for returns, and you’ll find this in the product description page. However, we find that many Sellers in eCRATER offer returns and give varying return window, especially the popular 30 days from delivery date.

However, as we’ll find in the complaint page, while advertising returns, when it comes to actually accept returns and issuing refunds, many Sellers are non-responsive or at best lukewarm.

In our opinion, the operating model of eCRATER contributes to lukewarm. This is because eCRATER does not collect or process funds for Buyer or Seller. Thus, it does not have a Buyer Protection.

Buyer-focused platforms collect purchase payments directly from the buyer, and will only release the funds to the Seller if the customer confirms receipt of the action and satisfaction with it. If the customer has complaints, the funds are held by the platform, until such a time when a resolution is reached.

However, with eCRATER not collecting funds, it becomes difficult for them to force the Seller to ensure delivery or resolution of any arising issue. However, eCRATER does say that there are situations where they may issue refunds. In our opinion, banking on eCRATER’s refunds is not wise. You’ll be better served by the Buyer Protection of your payment processor.

If you do not receive delivery of your product, or get delivered something that is overwhelmingly unsatisfactory, the first thing is to directly contact the Seller. If a resolution is not reached, you can then contact eCRATER. Contacting eCRATER is only possible, 14 days from the date of order placement.

The eCRATER’s promise is that when you contact them, they “will attempt to refund the transaction”. We don’t know if it’s just us, but that statement does not inspire any confidence about getting back your money. Also, in its answer to whether eCRATER offers buyer protection, it says that “Buyer Protection services would be offered by your respective payment processor if available”.

Don’t bank on eCRATER to help you get your money back if you do not receive delivery of your order, or get delivered worthless items. While you should dutifully contact the seller first, and then eCRATER later, you should also file a dispute with your payment processor. Know that there are windows for filing the dispute, so don’t let the Seller or the platform string you along until the window closes.

Buying Pros

• A humongous range of products
• Prices of listed items are relatively low
• Registration is not required to make purchases
• Product description page holds customers’ reviews about the Seller
• Many Sellers ship products worldwide
• Able to get reduced shipping rate for each additional item when buying multiple items from one Seller

Buying Cons

• Does not offer a buyer protection

Complaints

We know that it is impossible for a platform to be free of complaints. However, the ideal platform should not be drowned by complaints; rather, complaints will be few and far in between and drowned by positive reviews. Thus the volume and frequency of complaints can help to gauge how well a platform is performing.

In this section, we look at the independent customers’ review platforms to know what persons who have used eCRATER as Buyers and Sellers are saying about it. At best, eCRATER has mixed ratings. For example, its average rating is high (4.4/ 5) in Trustpilot; it is average (2.4/ 5) in Sitejabber; and it is poor (1/ 10) in Reseller Ratings. Also, in each platform, you’ll find users ranging from highly satisfied to highly pissed.

Buyers Complaints

The buyers’ complaints have one theme – scammed in eCRATER, and Customer Service did nothing to help. The being “scammed” is not receiving delivery of items, or getting something that’s overwhelmingly unsatisfactory. For example:

• Aleia in Trustpilot says “item never shipped, the seller does not communicate, ecrater does not refund” The review continued “I bought a skincare item and never got any tracking, no product; filed a complaint with ecrater. They tried communicating with seller ion my behalf but seller again did not respond. Ecrater the suggested I file a resolution case with PayPal. I did and PayPal refunded me as they could see that seller again was not answering to resolution case…”
• Tobi Q in Sitejabber says “If there was a choice of a triple zero (000) I would give them that” the review continued “I ordered something through this [site], the company name was macgenius. They hit my bank account that’s sure. Didn’t receive s***, this place is a total f*** scam job. Shouldn’t even be allowed to be on the internet. I think I’m going to call the FTC and let them know a few things”

There are many such reviews of Buyers not getting their items, getting some poor imitation of what was ordered, or getting something entirely different. It wouldn’t hurt too much if you can simply process a refund. But the complaints reveal that the defaulting Sellers either blank off or give Buyers the runaround; such that the only hope of refunds is filing a dispute with the payment processor used.

Sites Similar to eCRATER

• Amazon
• AliExpress

Customer Support

The ideal platform should provide resources for assisting users with questions or complaints. eCRATER does this by offering self-help and contact-help resources. For self-help, the platform has an FAQ page which holds articles that answers many of the questions that users have asked in the past.

To aid navigation, these articles are grouped into three broad categories – General, Buying, and Selling. In each category, you’ll find section withholding articles that treat related questions. For example, “buying” is arranged into “before ordering” and “after ordering”; while Selling is arranged into “getting stared”, “managing your store”, and “administrative tool”.

For contact support; eCRATER provides an email service. Being that eCRATER is a marketplace; your first contact for anything will be with the Sellers. eCRATER allow for this contact from the product description page (pre-sale) and from the “Order” page (post-sale). When you have to contact eCRATER directly, you can send them a mail using an online contact form accessible from the “Contact” page of the website.

Contact Channels are not enough; you’ll also want a swift response. The customers’ reviews suggest that eCRATER does relatively well in its response times. However, while eCRATER does well to respond to customers and to reach out to the Sellers, the assistance it offers is limited by its operating model. Thus, many times, it’ll advise you to file with your payment processor if you need your money back.

Conclusion

If you have a business and will want to take your business online, eCRATER’s web store building service is definitely a fine solution. With eCRATER, you don’t need any website building skills; more importantly, you don’t need any money.

But you’ll have your store live in minutes, with its unique URL to advertise it. More so, the customizable options that eCRATER offers are impressive. Apart from choosing free templates, changing the color scheme and adding logs, you can also add sections like about, terms, FAQ, and more.

eCRATER’s other function is a marketplace where buyers and sellers come to buy and sell. The best part of using eCRATER is that it can be used free of charge all the way. Where you drive all your sales, you’ll not pay any commissions to eCRATER. However, where eCRATER drives sales to you through the marketplace there’s a commission payment; but this is relatively small (only 2.9% of item’s price).

As a buyer, it is relatively easy to buy using eCRATER; you don’t even need to register to make a purchase. You’ll find that it features a humongous range of items; there’s virtually nothing you cannot buy in eCRATER, from physical product to electronic products, from real estate to services and more.

More so, you’ll find that pricing is relatively fine. Many products in the platform are listed at unbelievably low prices.

However, because eCRATER is a marketplace, while it is a legit platform, it is not immune to the “scam Sellers” problem. Its operating model also does not help. It’s not known for strictness in screening Sellers; it’s super-easy to use; and there is no in-house Buyer Protection. Thus, when buying using eCRATER, you have to know to tell a legit Seller from the scammer.

If you’re successful in that, you’ll get a satisfying buying experience; but if you fail and fall for the scammers in the platform, it’ll be a regrettable experience.

Fitbit is a company that builds and offers fitness trackers that’ll empower and inspire you to live a healthier, more active life. The big question is whether this is just advert-speak or whether Fitbit actually has the products that’ll help you live healthier.

There are many persons that refer to fitness trackers generally as fitbits. This is despite the fact that Fitbit is just one of many companies producing fitness trackers. This means Fitbit is so big a brand in fitness trackers industry that its name is almost synonymous to fitness trackers. Fitbit was started around 2007 by James Park and Eric Friedman, and it is headquartered in San Francisco.

It says that its mission is to empower and inspire you to live a healthier, more active life. And to do this, the company produces and offers fitness trackers and smart devices.

Health can be serious business. But it doesn’t have to be. According to Fitbit, you’re more likely to reach your health and fitness goals if you’re encouraged to have fun, smile and feel empowered along the way.

If Fitbit has the product, what about its service (like return policies)? In the first place, is Fitbit legit?

Yes, Fitbit is legit. It is not a scam because they will never steal your money or credit card details. And Fitbit is one of the most popular sites online.

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

FitBit review at a glance

• Website: fitbit.com
• Founded in 2007, and headquartered in San Francisco
• Developer and retailer of fitness trackers and smartwatches
• Better known for their fitness trackers
• Provides a range of devices to suit different lifestyles, age, and budget
• With its Sleep Stages and Sleep Insights, it has some of the best sleep tracking devices in the industry
• Prices are very competitive
• Returns authorization can be requested within 45 days of shipment of the product
• Customer support is available via Live Chat, Telephone, Email, and Twitter

Is Fitbit legit?

Except you make sure that an online store is legit, you may be ripped off. So the big question is whether Fitbit is legit. The short answer to that is yes. The longer answer is that Fitbit is 100% legal, has industry-wide recognition, has a long operating record, and fulfil orders with real and functional products.

Our first check of a legit online store is usually legality. This is because the 100% legal stores are less likely to be scams. Thankfully, Fitbit ticks the legality box. Fitbit does business using two legally registered companies (depending on where you are located). For customers living in the European Economic Area, the UK, or Switzerland, the company is Fitbit International Limited, which is an Irish Company with registered office at 76 Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2, Ireland. For customer everywhere else, the Company is Fitbit Inc, which is a US Company with registered office at 199 Fremont Street, 14 Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA. Suffice it to say that scam stores will not seek company registration certificates.

Another check of a legit online store is visibility and industry-wide recognition. This is because the scam stores operate in the shadows. Thankfully, Fitbit ticks this visibility box. As mentioned earlier, the Fitbit name is almost synonymous with fitness trackers; as Fitbit is one of the fitness tracker industry’s biggest names. Suffice it to say that a scam store will not have the recognition of Fitbit.

Another check of a legit online store is the test of time. This is because the scam stores are usually short-lived. With a time, scamming activities are exposed; and with such exposure, the store naturally dies. Thankfully, Fitbit passes the test of time. It was started around 2007, which, means it’s been operating for over a decade. Suffice it to say that no store can carry out a scamming activity using the same front for that long a time.

The ultimate check of a legit online store is fitness for purpose. This is because the scam store is out to rip people off without delivering on their promises, but it is only legit stores that deliver on their promises. As a health and fitness enthusiasts, the promise of Fitbit is to provide products that “empower and inspire you to live a healthier, more active life”. Fitbit delivers on this promise by actually fulfilling orders with real and functional products. While questions surround the durability of these products and other aspects of Fitbit’s services; there’s no question that when you place an order, you’ll get a real and functional product that you’ll love.

With Fitbit being 100% legal, having industry-wide recognition, having a long operational record of fulfilling orders with real and functional products, there is no doubt that it is legit.

Is Fitbit safe?

Fitbit is safe. It is not enough that the online store you use be legit. It’s also important that it be safe. While a legit store will not rip you off, if it is not safe, sensitive information that you share with it (such as credit card information) will leak out, and you’ll be exposed to all the fraudsters out there.

Thankfully, Fitbit ticks the safety box. Fitbit says that it works hard to keep your users’ data safe via a combination of technical, administrative, and physical controls. One such control (a technical one) is the use of Transport Layer Security (TLS). This advanced security measure is the successor to SSL (Secure Socket Layer) technology, which is still regarded as the industry standard for creating a private connection between two devices communicate over the Internet. With the use of the superior TLS protocol, it is safe to say that Fitbit is safe.

Products

The Fitbit products fall into two categories – fitness trackers and smartwatches.

Fitbit fitness trackers

1). Fitbit Charge 3

The Fitbit Charge 3 is usually hailed as Fitbit’s best fitness tracker. We’ll not hesitate to join that chorus and for good reasons. The Fitbit Charge 3 is a step ahead of the Charge 2 in almost every way, while at the same price. So apart from some weird sentiments, there’s no reason to pick the Charge 2 over the Charge 3.

First, it has a design that’s really attractive for a fitness tracker. It is slimmer than its predecessor and has softer bands. It also has a larger screen which is able to display more information. In terms of functionality, Charge 3 has all the fitness tracking standards (steps, calories burned, etc). In addition, there’s the all-important 24/7 PurePulse heart rate monitor.

The Charge 3 jumps up the ratings with this because, to fitness enthusiasts, cardio fitness level is almost always the number one fitness metric. For this, there are lots of goal-based exercises which includes swimming, running, and biking. Not a self-motivator? No worries. After setting your goal, Charge 3 has a feature that’ll serve to motivate you to accomplish it.

The Charge 3 is also one of the best Fitbits to tracker sleep cycles. As part of the single number Sleep Score, it measures Sleep Duration, Sleep Depth, and Sleep Restoration. That is, you’ll get insights like: how your sleep duration compares with the average for your age/ gender bracket; how much time you spend in deep sleep; and your blood oxygen saturation during sleep.

In addition to these fitness tracking essentials, the Fitbit Charge 3 can send call notifications and calendar reminders. So Charge 3 can do some smartwatch basics. Yes, Charge 3 is water-resistant to about 50 meters, so you can track all the way into the pool or beach waters. The one big drawback with Charge 3 is that it does not have a built-in GPS. However, if you are the type to go on workouts with your phone, you wouldn’t miss this feature.

Pros:

• Attractive design
• Relatively long 7-day battery life
• Track the different stages of sleep
• 24/7 heart rate tracking
• Goal-based exercises
• Has a few smart-watch features

Con

• No built-in GPS

2). Fitbit Inspire

If you want a value fitness tracker, you should look no further than the Fitbit Inspire. It gives you a solid fitness tracker with all the essentials at an affordable price point.

It will track distance, steps, and calories burned. It will recognize and track your daily activity, and there’s also the motivation feature that’ll encourage you to put in a few more steps. It is also water-resistant (up to 50 meters), so you can take it for a dive into the waters. However, it gives you only basic swim tracking. Worst still, the swim data cannot be viewed on the band, but only via the companion app. Also, there are no dedicated sports tracking; but the biggest miss of the Fitbit Inspire is heart rate tracking.

With sleep science one of Fitbit’s strength, the Fitbit Inspire does a good job of sleep tracking for a basic tracker. You’ll find Sleep Stages and Sleep Insights. The former monitors the various sleep stages (however, since there is no heart monitor, you’ll not find any tracking of heart rate during sleep), while the latter draws pertinent insights from your sleep data (such as your most restless nights).

Fitbit Inspire also gives you notification for calls and texts, but no support for third party apps. It comes with the slim sleek design and comfortable bands that are interchangeable. The battery life is relatively okay; it is up to 5 days, but there are certain watch faces (like Valerie faces and Heavy Stats) that are known to significantly bring down battery life.

Pro

• Tracks steps, distance, calories burned
• Tracks sleep
• Automatic activity recognition and tracking
• Water-resistant (up to 50 meters)
• Calls and Text notification support
• Up to 5 days of battery life

Cons

• No heart monitor
• Very basic swim tracking
• No dedicated sports tracking (Goal-based exercises)

3). Fitbit Inspire HR

The Fitbit Inspire HR is an upgrade of the Fitbit Inspire. So it incorporates those features that the Fitbit Inspire lacks while striving to remain at a price point that won’t break the bank. What it means is that you get a tracker that covers all the fitness tracking bases, including the goal-based exercises that you’ll find in the Charge 3. Importantly, Inspire HR includes the heart rate monitor. This also means that its sleep tracking is more advanced than that of the Fitbit Inspire as it’s able to “heart-rate based” sleep stages.

The Inspire HR also comes with call and Text notification; and like the Inspire, that’s where it draws the curtains on smartwatch features, so there’s also no support for third-party apps. The Inspire HR comes with a sleek attractive design; that one review dubbed it “the best Fitbit for women”. It also comes with a clip accessory; in case you don’t want it on your wrist. It also water-resistant (up to 50 meters), and does some swim tracking.

Pros

• Heart monitor
• Goal-based exercise
• Sleep tracking (with stages)
• Water-resistant with swim-tracking
• Call and Text notifications
• 5-day battery life

Con

• No built-in GPS

4. Fitbit Alta HR

This is an entry-level fitness tracker, which is very fashionable thanks to the slim sleek design. It covers all the fitness tracking bases – it’ll track your steps, distance, and calories burned. There’s also a heart rate monitor that delivers accurate data on cardio fitness levels such as resting heart rate and continuous heart rate. In its simplistic self of the Fitbit Alta HR, the heart rate reading is available every five second; and not real-time (every second) as it is with the other Fitbit devices with heart rate monitor.

The much heralded Sleep Stages and Sleep Insights of Fitbit debuted with the Alta HR. That tells you that Alta HR is one of the best Fitbit for sleep tracking. It’ll track your sleep cycles, including how much time you spend in each sleep stage, and more. The Alta HR also comes with the silent alarm; which will vibrate softly on your wrist t wake you up without waking up any other person with you.

One of the major drawbacks of the Altar HR is GPS (or the lack of it). It does not have either a built-in GPS or a connected GPS. Many of the other Fitbit devices without a built-in GPS (like the Charge range and the Inspire range) make up for this by allowing connection to GPS from a smartphone. Unfortunately, Alter HR does not even allow this. This will make it a no-no for those who’ll want a tracker for running distances.

To cap its functionality, the Alta HR has some smartwatch features like call and text notifications as well as calendar alerts. Fitbit says the Alta HR is the slimmest fitness tracker with continuous heart rate tracking. Its slim frame really makes it fashionable, and its strap comes with watch-like buckles for fastening it to the wrist.

Pro

• Very sleek and attractive design
• Heart rate monitor
• Advanced sleep tracking (with sleep stages)
• Long battery life

Con

• No connected GPS

5. Fitbit Flex 2

The Fitbit Flex 2 is the definition of a basic fitness tracker. Its minimalist design is screen-less and comes with a clasp mechanism that can even make it look like a simple wrist band. Flex 2 came onto the Fitbit’s scenes as the company’s first swim-proof tracker. Thus, you can dive into the pools, and track your swim duration and laps. You won’t get a ton of swimming metrics; but for casual swimmers, the Flex 2 will do.

It also covers the fitness tracking basics. You’ll be able to track steps, calories burned, sleep and daily activity. The Flex 2 also comes with the SmartTrack feature which is able to automatically recognize and track certain activities. These include exercises like walking, running, biking, as well as some sports.

The Flex 2 uses LED lights (green, white, yellow, and blue) and vibrations to communicate with the user such things as call and text notifications, alarms, reminders, as well as workout progression. However, most times, you’ll have to go back to the app to check actual data.

The Flex 2 does not come with the heart rate monitor, which will be off-putting to real fitness nuts who prioritize the cardio fitness levels. It also lacks GPS, whether built-in or connected. Thus, Flex 2 is not the best tracker for the runs, and that’s even if you go with your phone. Flex 2 comes with a 5 days battery life. While this is relatively fine; but for a screen-less tracker, many people will expect a longer battery life.

Pro

• Minimalist sleek design
• Sleep tracking
• Covers fitness
• 5-day battery life

Con

• Screen-less; there are no screen displays
• No heart monitor
• No built-in or connected GPS

6. Fitbit Ace 2

Fitbit Ace 2 is designed as a fitness tracker for children. It’s recommended that children get at least 60 minutes of active play each day. The Ace 2 may just be the tracker that’ll help your kids get this necessary active playtime. Thus, you’ll find that the Ace 2 comes with bright colours and animated watch faces that’ll appeal to children, as well as a bumper body that’ll withstand the rigours of child play.

However, Fitbit Ace 2 also covers the fitness tracking basics. It tracks steps, activity, and sleep. It is also swim-proof and water-resistant up to 50 meters, so the kids can hit the pools with it. Fitbit Ace 2 also uses different motivators to encourage children to reach for fitness goals. There are challenges, as well as fun achievement celebrations and badges awarded for reaching certain goals. It has a battery life of about 5 days. However, apart from the basic fitness tracking and motivators, Ace 2 is limited in functionality.

No one will remain a kid forever; and the Ace 2 knows that. So it can adapt to its maturing user. You’ll be able to remove the tracker from its silicon bumper, and put it on the more mature bands of the Fitbit Inspire products; and you can upgrade the interface from the kid-friendly cartoonish faces to something more mature. Also, when buying the Ace 2, you don’t need to worry about child privacy laws. Fitbit assures that the tracker is 100% compliant.

Pros

• Fun and cartoonish watch faces
• Fitness challenges, achievement celebrations and badges as motivators
• Swim-proof (up to 50 meters)
• Complies with child privacy laws
• 5-day battery life

Cons

• Limited in functionality

7. Fitbit Zip

The Fitbit Zip is going away (or should we say it has gone). However, it can still be found in the market. The Fitbit Zip is a fitness tracker for those who’ll not want to wear a wrist band. It does not come with a band; rather it has a clip-on feature, which allows you to clip it to many clothing (shirts, pants, sports bra, etc) or accessories. Thus, it’ll be there tracking your activity without people (or even you) really noticing that it is there.

However, in terms of fitness tracking, it does the basics. It’ll track the steps taken, distance covered, and calories burned. It syncs wirelessly (and seamlessly) with the Fitbit app and a lot of third-party apps. Overall, the Fitbit Zip comes out as a very simple tracker, with an intuitive interface that’s extremely easy to use. Thus, the Fitbit Zip can also be a good tracker for children. It’s also water-resistant. Lastly, it comes with a replaceable coin cell battery; with a battery life that is remarkably up to 6 months. Since the Fitbit Zip will not be strapped to your wrist, it’s limited in functionality. For example, you’ll not be able to track your heartbeat or sleep.

Pros

• Inconspicuous
• Seamless wireless syncing with apps
• Basic activity tracking (steps, distance, and calories burned)
• Longest battery life of any Fitbit product (6-months)

Cons

• Limited in functionality (no heart monitor, no sleep tracking, etc)
• Replaceable battery

Fitbit Smartwatches

Fitbit’s foray into the smartwatch fields came first with the Fitbit Ionic, followed by the Fitbit Versa. Then the Versa Lite came out as a stripped-down version of the Versa.

1. Fitbit Ionic

Fitbit is better known for their fitness trackers, but they have successfully entered the smartwatches scene, and the Company made the entrance with the Fitbit Ionic. Following a series of upgrades, the Fitbit Ionic now comes as a full-fledged smartwatch and not a fitness tracker that includes smartwatch features. However, it is still far from rivalling some of the best smartwatches on the market like Apple WatchOS.

Fitbit Ionic gives you the smartwatch basics like viewing notifications and messages. Some smartwatches allow you only an abbreviated view of the messages, so you may still need to bring out your phone to read the whole thing. However, the Ionic will allow you to view these in their entirety.

The Fitbit has about 2.5GB of music storage space, and there is also support for Bluetooth headphones. However, transferring music may not be as seamless as many people will want. The Ionic is also lacking in many apps.

Not surprising, Fitbit does not allow the push of the Ionic as a smartwatch to affect its fitness tracking functions. The Ionic has the best activity and fitness tracking you’ll get from any Fitbit device. The Fitbit Ionic offers the usuals in Fitbit activity tracking like counting steps, distance, and calories burned. It also has the PurePulse heart rate monitor, so you’ll get the best that Fitbit has in cardio fitness tracking.

With the companion app, you can set your fitness goals; and if you’re not the self-motivator, you can also set reminders that’ll nudge you on. Ionic also tracks your sleep with a plum; as it features Sleep Stages and Sleep Insights. It also features the silent alarm, that’ll vibrate softly on your wrist to wake you up without disturbing your partner. You can also take the Ionic for a swim to track your laps.

The Fitbit Ionic soars above other Fitbit trackers with its built-in GPS. So unlike the Charge 3 and Inspire HR, the Fitbit Ionic does not require you to tag along with your phone. The Fitbit Ionic also has a 4-day battery life, which is easily the longest among smartwatches in the industry. Though its beauty design (relative to other Fitbit devices) may suggest otherwise, the Fitbit Ionic is light; this and its tapered sides make it really comfortable. It also comes with arguably the brightest and sharpest displays among smartwatches, that you won’t have any problem viewing it even in the brightest of outdoor conditions.

Pros

• Smartwatch functionality – music storage and mobile notifications,
• Excellent exercise and activity tracking
• Heart rate monitor
• Advanced sleep tracking
• Built-in GPS
• Sharp screen and display
• Relatively long 4-day battery life

Cons

• Very limited in apps

2. Fitbit Versa

The Fitbit Versa is one product that stands as a rival to Apple Watch 4. The Fitbit Versa is the second smartwatch of the Company, so it’s expected to tackle some of the issues with the Ionic; and to an extent, it sure does. In its design, it sure looks posher than the Ionic. In terms of functionality, the Versa comes out with all the bells and whistles of fitness tracking.

If the Fitbit Versa is supposed to top the Ionic (which is already great for exercise and activity tracking), then you know, you won’t find the Versa lacking in fitness tracking (You can track your activities, workouts, sleep, heart rate, etc). It also features female health-tracking, which allows women to track their period, ovulation and fertility, and more.  The only back-step is that the Versa, unlike the Ionic, does not have a built-in GPS. So, you’ll have to go out running with your phone to use the connected GPS.

On the Smartwatch features; Versa comes with music storage. However, it is still limited to apps. For example, you’ll find Deezer, but not Spotify. In terms of notification, you’ll get text and call notifications, but you can’t respond to them from the watch. Fitbit Versa also does well in term of battery life, which last 4 days.

Pros

• Relatively long (4 days) battery life
• Excellent fitness tracking (activity, steps, heart rate, sleep, swim, etc)
• Music storage
• Text and call notification

Cons

• No built-in GPS
• Very limited in apps

3. Fitbit Versa Lite

The Versa Lite is basically the Fitbit Versa missing a few body parts. Some of those parts are music storage, activity tracker, and on-screen workouts. It means, like the Versa, you’ll find the Versa lite very good for fitness tracking. Apart from the basics (counting steps, distances, calories burned, etc), there is a heart monitor, there is the excellent sleep tracking with Sleep Stages and Sleep Insights, and there are guided breathing sessions.

On the smartwatch end; you get text and call notification and a few apps. On-board music storage is missing, but this may not be missed. This is because there is no built-in GPS in the Versa Lite, and you’ll have to go out with your phone to track your route. So why not use the phone for music? The Versa Lite also comes with a relatively long 4+day battery life, which outlives many smartwatches in the market. Lastly, it is one of the cheapest Smartwatch pieces you’ll find.

Pro

• Heart rate monitor
• Excellent sleep tracking with stages
• Water-resistant
• Relatively long (4+ days battery life)
• Call and Text notification

Con

• No built-in GPS
• No onboard music storage

Return Policy

It is not news sometimes customers are not totally satisfied with their purchases after receiving delivery of the item. With tech items needing a substantial outlay, you’ll not want to be stuck with an unwanted item, and be down the substantial payment. Thus, the ideal online store should allow customers to return the unwanted item for a replacement item or a refund. In this regards, Fitbit allows returns.

Like every online store that allows returns, the unwanted item will only be accepted by the retailer if it is returned within a specified time period. Fitbit is no different. Fitbit says that it’ll accept back its items if the customer requests a return authorization within 45 days of the order’s original shipment date. However, for purchases made in November or December, the deadline for requesting return authorization is 31^st January of the following year or 45 days from the shipment date (whichever is longer).

Customer Support

Customers will always have questions, and others will have issues with others. Thus, the ideal online store will have an effective customer support service for handling the questions and complaints of customers.

Fitbit does this with different self-help and contact-help resources. For self-help, you’ll find a Fitbit troubleshooter, which opens articles that answers some questions that customers have asked in the past. This includes questions like: how do I set up my Fitbit devices; why won’t my Fitbit device sync; what is Fitbit’s return and warranty policy; and more. However, only a handful of questions are treated (6 by our count). Thus, you may find the troubleshooter limited.

Thankfully, Fitbit allows contact support. There’s a Fitbit community where you can get help from peers. Also, you can contact the support service of Fitbit and get help directly from one of its support reps. The supported channels are Live Chat, Telephone, Email, and Social Media. The Live Chat is accessible from the “help” page of the Fitbit website. To use the telephone service, you’ll find the call link also on the same page; hit it, and you’ll get the applicable phone number. 8776234997 was the number that jumped out when we hit the call link.

The email service is simply an online contact form service, which you’ll also find in the “help” page. Fitbit promises a response time of within 2 days for “email” Support submission. Lastly, you can use get help via Twitter using the address @Fitbitsupport.

Fitbit Complaints

Fitbit may be a big brand in the fitness tracker industry, but the company does not leave all its customers happy. In fact, the independent online platforms, suggests that more customers than we’ll want to find are left anything but satisfied with their Fitbit experience.

For example, Fitbit is rated 1.5 out of 5 (by 1,608 reviewers) in Trustpilot.com, with 71% of reviewers rating Fitbit bad. The relatively poor rating is as a result of numerous complaints, especially about connections, durability, and customer service.

Not Durable

There’s no doubt that when you get a Fitbit, you’ll love it. But how long you’ll love it is another thing entirely. There are just too many comments about Fitbits not lasting as long as customers will expect. The following are just some comments you’ll find in Trustpilot.com.

• Carmen says “Horrible Fitbit Charge 2 performance”. The review continues that “About 6 months [after purchase], cracks began to appear on the screen of my device. It was still working properly but obviously it was no longer attractive. About a month later, similar cracks appeared in my husband’s”
• Jurg Wiegers says “Do not buy, fails within 1.5 years”. The review continues that “I’ve has the Fitbit Ionic for about 1.5 years now, and it has completely broken down. This expensive watch should last much longer than that!! Worthless”
• Donna Mitchell says “Don’t buy a Fitbit”. The review continues that “Like other reviewers, I have to stress “DO NOT BUY A FITBIT”. It will work for about 6 – 8 months, you’ll love it, it will die and you will have to use their horrible customer service”
• Courtney Poole says “Unfortunately, my Fitbit Alta HR screen cracked somehow while still under the 1-year warranty. I always take care of my devices, keeping them clean, and taking off for swimming/ shower etc”
• Matthew Pivovitz says “Their products break and Customer Service blames it on you and refuse to help at all. Stay away, find another brand. Don’t be fooled that they have a large name, this is not where you want to spend your money”

Connection Issues

Another issue that tussles with durability issues for the top spot are connection issues. In trustpilot.com, the following are just some of the comments on the connection that you’ll find:

• Rodante Mesa says “If you care about your money, stay away from this thrash”. The review continues “I bought Charge 3 and these items are just a pain. They usually do not want to connect to my phone. Sometimes they are connected, but 95% of the time you have to fight tooth and nail with the app to get it connected. I have to restart the device 10x before it can connect again”
• Amy says “Why is it so hard to sync to my phone??? I literally can only sync once in a blue moon. I find it very difficult to track anything (especially sleep) as it does not show up on my phone”
• David C says “I can see why Canadian tire has stopped selling Fitbit and went to Garmin, They could not fix my syncing problems after many attempts talking to them online. When I said my warranty is up, they simply disconnected me. Never again. The merchandise is obviously defective”
• Customer says “Wow, this tells you something”. The review continues “Wow. Sync issues again… same thing a year ago… company does not acknowledge the issue exists… and hundreds of people cranky… check the reviews on google play app…”

Poor Customer Support

Another issue that jumps out at you when you look at the customers’ reviews of Fitbit is poor customer service. Given the many issues with connection and durability, it’s not surprising that the Customer Service will be inundated with submissions. However, it appears that customers do not get the expected help.

For example, in tristpilot.com:

• Kaye says “Don’t care about their customers” The review continues “I contacted Fitbit customer services on Sunday 8^th September and after countless emails that they have not read correctly, I am still yet to receive the appropriate information or the details I have requested”
• Gregory Wyzad says “One star is too many, This is a no star Customer Service outlet”
• Judith Millar says “I would give zero stars if I could. Very bad support from Fitbit. Offers nothing but platitudes and refuse to address the actual issue”

Sites Similar to Fitbit:

• GARMIN VIVOFIT 3
• TOOBUR FITNESS TRACKER
• DealsCube
• TopHatter
• Hollar

Pros

• Has a range of products that include fitness trackers and smartwatches
• Have products directed at kids (Fitbit Ace 2)
• Ship merchandise to many countries around the world
• Allow the request of return authorization within 45 days (of order shipment date)
• Different channels for contacting customer support

Cons:

• Smartwatches have limited smartwatch features
• Connection issues
• Reviews show too many cases of products not lasting long
• Returns may not be as easy as customers will want

Summary

Fitbit is a legitimate company, and the biggest name in the fitness tracking industry. It says its mission is “to empower and inspire you to live a healthier, more active life”; and it delivers on this by providing a range of fitness trackers. This range from entry-level trackers (that’ll count your steps, distance covered, and calories burned), to sophisticated trackers (that in addition to the basics, will automatically recognize and track your daily activity, track your heart rate, monitor your sleep, and more).

In fact, with Fitbit’s Sleep Stages and Sleep Insights, the Company has some of the best products for sleep tracking. Products are also available in a range of price points, so there’s something for everyone.

Apart from the functionality, you’ll find that Fitbit’s products have elegant designs to suit your lifestyle. From the rounded-square design of its smartwatches that stands out from the fully rounded shapes in the market to the slim design of the Alta and Inspire ranges, and more.  You’ll also find that Fitbits are light and comfortable; so a Fitbit tracker will not feel like an annoying growth on your wrist.

Fitbit has made an entry into the smartwatches fields with the Fitbit Ionic and Fitbit Versa. Admittedly, these efforts still remain behind top smartwatches from the likes of Apple and Garmin. However, the Fitbit smartwatches include all the bells and whistles of its fitness trackers. Thus, while they may not stand tall if all you want is a smartwatch, they are giants as fitness trackers, and they hold their own as hybrids of fitness trackers and smartwatches.

However, it is not all smooth sailing. Though, Fitbit has a return policy that allows a reasonable 45 days from the order shipment date to request a return authorization; many reviews show that Fitbit accepting back an item is easier said than done.

Also, the customer reviews show that Fitbit products are generally loved when received, but also that they may not be as durable as customers will hope. Then, there’s the connection challenge. Though these dominate the independent review platforms, Fitbit does not accept that it exists.

Hollar is your one-stop shop for a wide variety of items such as toys, apparel, electronics, beauty products, accessories and party supplies to home essentials – all at an unbeatable dollar!

Everyone needs stuff. But where is the best place to get these? Online shopping has come to stay as a shopping option; and because of the convenience that it offers, it’s even overtaking traditional purchases in brick and mortar stores. As a result, there are many online stores today.

Interestingly, while convenience is highly rated, harsh economic realities are pushing customers to rate stores that offer sweet deals even more highly. That is where Hollar comes in. It is an online dollar store – a store that gives the convenience of online stores as well as the sweet deals of dollar stores.

Yes, Hollar is legit. It is not a scam online store because they will never steal your money or credit card details. And they will ship any item you purchased from the store to your destination without a problem.

The big question is whether it is worthwhile to buy from Holler. Are the deals of the store too good to be true? If the store does offer high quality and functional items at “steal prices”; what about its service? Does it offer top services (like easy ordering, fast delivery, easy returns, effective customer service, etc) that we’ll expect of the go-to online shopping destination? In the first place, is Hollar legit, or is it just another scam?

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

Hollar review at a glance

• Website: www.hollar.com
• A US-based online dollar store which was started in 2015
• Offers a wide range of products that include home, office, and school supplies, toys, apparel, shoes, and fashion accessories, and more
• With items costing only a few bucks, prices are some of the lowest you’ll find anywhere
• Offers a price match guarantee
• Quality of items offered is largely fine
• Ships to only the US (the 48 contiguous US States)
• Free shipping is available (for orders over $25)
• Unwanted items can be returned to Hollar within 365 days of the order date
• Customer support is available via email (support@hollar.com) and telephone (888-682-5119)

What is Hollar?

Shopping on the cheap has grown in popularity especially since various worldwide recessions. But why pay a premium for a piece when you can get an almost identical functional piece for a bargain? This is the draw of dollar stores. These dollar stores are especially popular in the US, as they are in the tens of thousands.

Hollar is an attempt to bring dollar stores online. It was started in late 2015 by a group of like minds; some vastly experienced in discount shopping. In particular, David Yeom (who is a co-founder and current CEO) is someone who, while growing up, spent countless weekends hunting for deals in discount shops. Also, John Um (also a co-founder) was at the time the Head of Strategy at the 99 Cents Only Stores. Hollar was intentionally set up as a store to discover things you didn’t know you needed, and things you need every day; from toys to houseware, to apparel, and more. Its goal is to offer incredible products at the best prices around. According to its site, when you shopping Hollar, “you can shop freely knowing you’re getting the most for your dollar”.

Is Hollar legit?

Hollar is a legitimate store. In this digital world, even fraudsters have gone online. Many use storefronts to rip people off. Thus, you’ll want to make sure that an online store is legit before making any payment in it for an order.

We will not follow the lead of some reviewers that attach the legit label to stores that they are satisfied with, and the scam label to scam that they are not satisfied with. Rather, we’ll follow an objective course.

The first test of a legit online store is legality. This is because an e-commerce platform that is backed by a 100% legal company is less likely to be a scam. In this regard, the website is operated by Hollar Inc which is a Company duly registered in the US. Suffice it to say that scam stores do not seek company registration certificates.

Another test of a legit online store is visibility and industry-wide recognition. This is because the scam stores operate in the shadows. Thankfully, Hollar ticks this box. First, there is a physical presence. Hollar has an identifiable office and warehouse that holds millions of units of merchandise. Thus, it is unlike scam stores that are only virtual and do not have any physical merchandise to deliver.

Also, Hollar has grown in popularity since it debuted. This is thanks to targeted social media and TV advertisement as well as a partnership with industry influencers (one of such Hollar’s partners is vlogger Kathryn Snearly). Suffice it to say that the scam stores will not seek the exposure of adverts or partnerships.

Another test of a legit online store is the test of time. This is because in our information age, a scam store will be called out after only a few rip-offs; and with such exposure, it will disappear. Granted, Hollar has been operating for just under four years; but given its exposure, that is more than enough time for it go under if it were a scam.

The ultimate test of a legit online store is “fitness for purpose”. This is because a legit store will deliver real products that are functional. Hollar ticks this box. You only need to do a little internet search, and you’ll find happy customers. Granted, there are also negative reviews, but the sheer numbers of positive reviews are overwhelming.

Thus, there is really no doubt that Hollar is a legit online dollar store. Being 100% legal has industry-wide recognition, has a good operating history, and fulfils orders with functional products. Also, remember the complaint of Hollar restricting purchases. This is in sharp contrast to what the scams will do.

Is Hollar Safe?

Hollar is safe. A legit online store will not rip you off, but it also has to be safe so that it will not leak your sensitive information (such as credit card detail) to unauthorized persons and leave you exposed to the online fraudsters out there.

In this regards, it is safe to say that Hollar is safe. The online dollar store uses secure payment channels. Also, its website seems to employ the industry-standard SSL encryption for providing a private connection between a retailer and its customers. More importantly, there is no report of Hollar suffering a data breach or any record of anyone complaining of leakage of payment instrument details after using Hollar.

Products

Many shoppers want a one-stop-shop that allows them to get all they need in one place. This is super convenient as it saves you the time and effort f checking out another store. But it may also result n cost savings – from big order discounts, or from shipping one order instead of shipping different orders from multiple stores. Hollar ticks the box in this regards.

Hollar offers a wide range of stuff. You can get virtually all home essentials, lifestyle products, toys fashion products and accessories, and more. When shopping in Hollar, the product categories you’ll find, and the items you’ll find in each category are as follows:

• Toys – Sports an Outdoor Play, Action Figures and Sets, Games and Puzzles, Novelty Toys, Building Sets and Blocks, Dolls, Stuffed Animal and Plush Toys, Learning and Education, Dress-Up and Hero Play, Grown-Up Toys, Music and Sound
• Kitchen – Tableware, Tools and Gadget, Kids’ Kitchen, Kitchen Storage, Drinkware, Bakeware and Cookware, Cutlery, Cook Books
• Office, School and Craft – Back to School, Arts and Crafts, Kids’ Art and Craft, Kids’ Backpacks and Lunch Bags, Kids’ School Supplies, Office Supplies
• Home – Storage and Organization, Bedding, Bath, Home Décor, Kids’ Home, Outdoor and Gardening
• Health – Personal Care, Health Care, Exercise and Fitness, Travel Size
• Beauty – Make-Up, Beauty Tools, Cosmetics Bags and Organizers, Hair Care, Skin Care, Nails
• Apparel and Accessories – Women’s Accessories (Hats, Gloves, Handbags), Kid’s Accessories (Key Chains, Headband, Hair Clip, Totes, etc), Travel Accessories, Jewelry (Bracelets, Necklaces, Earrings, etc), Women’s Clothing and Shoes (Dresses, Tops, Bottoms, Swimwear, etc), Girls’ Clothing and Shoes, Boys’ Clothing and Shoes, Men’s Clothing and Shoes
• Household – Air Fresheners, Automotives, Batteries, Cleaning supplies, Dish Washing Supplies, Hardware, Household Cleaners, Laundry, Outdoor and Gardening, Paper and Disposable Plastics
• Seasonal Supplies – Summer (Pool and Beach Supplies, etc), Easter, Valentine Day, etc
• Grocery – Beverages, Candy and Sweets, Condiments, Spreads and Spices, Dry Grocery, Snacks
• Baby – Baby and Toddler Toys, Baby Shoes and Clothing, Diapering, Essentials, Nursery, Nursing and Feeding
• Party – Bundles, Decorations, Party Favours and Games, Table Ware, Invitations and Stationery, Gift Bags and Accessories
• Tech – Audio and Video, Cables and Cords, Cell Phone Accessories, Laptop and Tablet Accessories
• Pet – Dogs Supplies, Cats Supplies

One beautiful thing about Hollar is that you’ll find a host of branded products. Unlike many cheap and affordable stores that sell only off-label products, Hollar gives you many popular brands.

Importantly, Hollar gives good quality. It is not news that cheap products, most often than not, feature cheap quality. However, Hollar is out to beat this “you get what you pay for” syndrome. We understand that quality means different things to different people, but everyone will want a functional and durable product.

The many reviews of Hollar in the independent customers’ review platforms show that Hollar can be classed as delivering quality products. For example, in Sitejabber.com Hollar is rated 4.0/ 5.0 (by 339 reviewers), and on Trustpilot.com it is rated 5.2/ 10 (by 39 reviewers). On both platforms, Hollar got raving reviews for the quality of its products. The relatively average rating of Hollar on Trust Pilot came largely from non-quality related complaints.

Using Hollar

It’s also relatively easy to use Hollar. It has a simple website that should be familiar to online shoppers but at the same time intuitive enough for those new to online shopping. You can find items by browsing the product categories. You’ll also see many items on the landing page of the website under “steals of the day”. Alternatively, you can use the search tool. Clicking on any item will take you to its description page where you can view its details. You can add an item to your cart with a click of a button. Checking out is also relatively easy. Also, Hollar takes phone orders. So if you need help placing an order, you can contact its Customer Support via email or telephone.

Most times, customers will want to modify or cancel an order after placing it. Thankfully, Hollar allows this. However, such requests are only granted if the order has not shipped. Since many items are quickly processed and dispatched, you’ll want to submit any order modification or cancellation request as fast as possible.

Pricing and Related Policies

Pricing

Hollar advertises that you can find what you love for just a few bucks, promising to give the best prices around. It does live up to this promise. You’ll find a $1.00 shop where you can find a host of items for just $1.00. You’ll be surprised at what you can get with $10 in Hollar. In fact, you’ll literally be filling your cart.

Price Match Guarantee

To ensure that customers get the best deals possible. Hollar even offers a Price Match Guarantee. That is, if you find a product on a competitor’s website advertised for less than it is in Hollar, as long as the product is identical to the one Hollar is offering, it will match the price.

Competitors’ prices will be matched for up to 30 days after the date of purchase. Eligible competitors that Hollar will match their prices include Amazon.com, Target.com, Walmart.com, Dollargeneral.com, Kohls.com and 16 other online stores.

Promotions

Won’t you want to be able to get items for free or for less than their listed price? Then you’ll like stores that run a lot of promotions. Thankfully, despite its rock-bottom prices, Hollar still comes out as a promotions-generous store.

On the landing page of Hollar, you’ll find a host of discount coupons slashing prices by as much as over 80%. There are even a referral and a welcome bonus. When you refer someone and that someone makes a qualifying purchase, you and the friend will each receive $2.00 credits to be used for purchases in Hollar. You can earn as much $50 referral credits in a year.

Payment Methods

You’ll an online store that supports a range of convenient payment methods so that paying for your order will be hassle-free. Thankfully, Hollar ticks this box. You can pay for your Hollar order with PayPal, as well as with all major credit and debit cards including Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express. With these supported payment options, you shouldn’t have any problem with paying for your Hollar order.

Shipping

Unlike the brick and mortar dollar stores, you’ll not be walking out of Hollar with your purchase. Rather your order has to be moved from the fulfilment centre of Hollar to your address (where you’ll take possession of it). Thus, it’s important to consider if the store ships to your address (shipping destinations), how long it’ll take before the received delivery of your order (delivery time), and how much it’ll cost you (shipping cost).

Shipping Destination

You’ll only be shopping from an online store that ships to your location. Thus, you’ll want a store that ships to many worldwide locations so that your location is more likely to be covered.

In this regards, Hollar serves only its domestic market. It ships merchandise to only the 48 contiguous US States. Hollar does not ship to Alaska or Hawaii; it also does not ship to military (APO/ FPO) addresses. Thus, if you’re in the continental US states, you’ll find joy using Hollar; but if you’re resident anywhere else, you may have to do your online shopping elsewhere.

Delivery Times

No one will want to place an order and wait forever for it to be delivered. So the ideal legit online store will make fast deliveries.

In this regards, Hollar does relatively well. After an order is placed, the expected delivery time is 5 – 8 business days (excluding weekends and holidays). At the time of writing this review, Hollar supported only this Standard Shipping. Expedited Delivery options were not available. However, the standard delivery of 5 – 8 business days is still relatively fast. Hollar is able to achieve this relatively fast delivery time because orders are fulfilled from its fulfilment centre in Ohio (US).

Thus, if you are a US shopper, and are tired of cheap and affordable items purchased from China-based cross-border online stores which take an eternity to arrive, Hollar is a fine alternative. The low prices of Hollar products match (or even better) the pricing of these affordable Chinese products, the quality of Hollar may even be better, and delivery time of Hollar is 8 or more times faster.

Shipping Cost

The total cost of any online purchase is the item’s purchase cost and its shipping costs. Thus, even when the item is reasonably priced, high shipping costs can easily make it expensive to purchase. Thus, the ideal legit online store should also come with shipping costs that are as low as possible.

Thankfully, Hollar’s low pricing is not to be overturned by high shipping costs. The online store offers a flat shipping rate, which at only $3.99, is relatively very low. This is easily one of the lowest shipping cost you’ll find in the industry.

Interestingly, it also offers free shipping. Most often than not, free shipping offers come with a minimum purchase requirement. Many stores tend to set a high minimum purchase requirement to subtly pressure buyers to buy more (in order to chase free shipping). Thankfully, the minimum purchase requirement of Hollar to get free shipping is only $25. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a lower minimum purchase requirement in the whole industry. To put this in perspective, a minimum purchase requirement of $50 is widely considered as low and very friendly; and you’ll easily find stores with free shipping order requirement in three figures ($100+). Thus, Hollar does not give buyers the “subtle pressure” to buy more. With only $25 required to get free shipping, you’ll not have to break the bank in order to get free shipping.

Returns

Most often than not, online shoppers are not totally satisfied with their order when it is delivered. Reasons vary but we’ll not be highlighting these. Suffice it to say that a customer will want a store that allows him/ her to return an unwanted item to it. Thankfully, Hollar allows returns. What follows is its wonderful return policy.

Return Window

Stores that allow returns accept only returned items that get to its warehouse within a specified timeframe. Thus, you’ll want an extended time period so that your returned package will not get back late and be rejected.

Hollars says that if you are not 100% happy with its products, you can return it to the store within 365 days from the order date. If you’ve checked many reviews, you’ll find that this is one of the most generous return windows out there. The industry’s average is 30 days from the delivery date, but that does not compare to the full year (from the date of placing the order) that Hollar offers. Thus, the risk of a return shipment getting to Hollar late and being rejected is almost zero.

Return Process

You want a hassle-free return process so that you can easily return an unwanted item to its retailer. With Hollar, you only have to contact Customer Support (either through email or telephone) with a return request. However, products to be returned must be unused and in their original packaging.

Customer Support Service

No matter how efficiently or openly a store operates, people will have questions that they’ll need answers to before committing to using the store, while others that are already using the store may have issues with their orders. Thus, the ideal legit online store will have an effective customer support service for handling customers’ questions and complaints.

Thankfully, Hollar does fine in this regard. The first place to getting answers is usually an FAQ page with self-help articles, and you’ll find that Hollar has an FAQ page accessible from the landing page of its website. However, while the page is very succinct and provides sharp and direct answers that sufficiently treat the questions, we found that it is not very detailed.

However, if the FAQ does not do it for you, Hollar supports contact channels that allow you to directly reach a support Rep of the company. You can either send a mail (using support@hollar.com) or put a call through (using 888-682-5119). The contact time is between 7 am – 4 pm (PT) from Monday through to Friday.

We were impressed by the presence of the Hollar Customer Support on many of the independent Customers’ reviews platforms. The store goes to these platforms to proactively try to help customers who may have had issues.

While it’s fine that email and telephone channels are supported, we’ll like to also find a live chat feature. Also, support is not available 24/ 7; but for a store that serves only its domestic market, this can be forgiven, because there will be no problem of the support hours being the down-time of some customer in some part of the world.

Complaints

Purchase Restrictions

One complaint against Hollar that is very common is that it places restrictions on purchases. This is just one of the many reasons why the store has its somewhat average rating on Trust Pilot.

For example, Hollar’s best-selling $2 light-up jumbo pillows were so popular that the company’s had to put a one-per household limit. Imagine wanting to get two formats of these beauties (say the sparkling unicorn and the pink puppy). Many customers found to their frustration that they could only get one. In fact, many items in Hollar are so restricted. As such, very often customers find that they cannot make bulk purchases (as the jumbo pillows example shows, the bulk could just be a few more units).

To this, Hollar explains that most of its items are limited editions and that limits are placed on items to ensure that all of its customers can have the chance to order them. What this will mean is that products frequently run out of stock.

Damage in Transit

Another complaint against Hollar that can be found is that items are delivered in damaged conditions, which apparently was not the condition of the products when they were dispatched for shipping. With this complaint occurring in different platforms, we think it’s significant enough to deserve mention. It will appear that Hollar needs to do better in its packaging or that its shipping partners need to do better in its handling.

Sites Similar to Hollar:

• StyleWe
• BangGood
• TopHatter
• Rosewholesale
• Gearbest

Pros

• Offers a wide range of products
• Offers high-quality products including a host of brand-name products
• Offers rock-bottom prices
• Offers a price match guarantee
• Offers many price slashing promotions as well as a referral bonus
• Convenient payment methods are supported (credit/ debit cards and PayPal)
• With orders fulfilled from its Ohio fulfilment centre, delivery is relatively fast (5 – 8 business days)
• Free shipping is available and with a very low minimum order requirement ($25)
• Where free shipping does not apply, shipping cost is relatively low (flat rate of $3.99)
• Offers a very generous return window (365 days from order date)
• Customer support is available via email and telephone

Cons

• Ships merchandise to only the 48 continental US States
• Expedited shipping options are not available
• Products frequently run out of stock
• Sometimes, restrictions are placed on purchases
• Live Chat is not supported

Summary

Hollar is a legit online store. If you want convenience, deals, and value, you’ll find joy in Hollar. As an online store, you can simply click buttons, and it’ll ship products to your door. Like a dollar store, you’ll find a wide range of incredible products for $1 or just a few bucks (it even a low price match guarantee) Most importantly, it’s a legit store that offers top quality, so you’ll find that its products are largely functional.

You’ll find a wide range of products in the store; from fashion, accessories and beauty products, to home, office and school supplies, to toys, and more. Interestingly, these include some name-brand products. For a difference, shipping is relatively fast, shipping cost is relatively low, and if you happen not to like your order, you’ll have 365 days (from order date) to return it to Hollar for a refund.

However, Hollar is not all smooth sailing. At the time of writing this review, it ships directly to only the US using only Standard Shipping; some products go out of stock quickly, so purchase limits are placed on certain products; and sometimes, items get damaged in transit.

Banggood is global online where you can buy 3d printer, cell phones, rc toys, tv box, home appliances, home & garden, apparel at affordable prices. BangGood was started in 2006. According to its website, when it started, it specialized in computer software research and development.

It will later shift its business focus to become the international e-commerce platform that it is today. Headquartered in Guangzhou (China), BangGood is now a cross-border retailer specializing in offering products (especially from Chinese manufacturers) to buyers around the world.

The website is owned and operated by BangGood Technology Co. Ltd. The website is available in a host of international languages, and it can be used by persons who are 16 years and above.

Because of the convenience that online shopping offers, it has swiftly overtaken traditional brick and mortar shopping. The natural outcome is a plethora of online stores.

This review will examine one of them and provide you with answers to your questions.

Most recently, China-based cross-border stores have come up as online shopping destinations promising rock bottom prices for high-quality products. BangGood is one of such stores. It says its motto is “more bang for your buck”, and explains that that is a promise to offer low and high-quality products.

The big question is whether this is just a marketing blurb, or whether BangGood really offers high-quality products at low and affordable prices. If it does have the product; what about the service? Does it offer quality services (such as fast delivery, easy returns, effective customer service, etc)? In the first place, is BangGood legit?

Yes, BangGood is legit. It is not a scam because they will never steal your money or not ship the items you ordered them. And you can always return the products if you are not satisfied and get your money refunded.

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

BangGood review at a glance

• Website is www.banggood.com
• It is a China-based e-commerce platform started in 2006
• Has a wide product range consisting of over 200,000 products that include electronics, auto, lifestyles products, apparel and fashion accessories, and more
• Prices of products are attractively low
• Ships merchandise worldwide
• Customer support is available via Email (cservice@banggood.com), telephone (001 3235700368), and live chat

Products

A lot of buyers want to find that a store has a wide product range. That way, they can get all their stuff in one place. Getting your stuff in one place is first of all convenient as it saves you the time and effort of checking out other stores. It can also result in cost savings, such as from big order discounts. Thus, the ideal online store should have a wide product range.

BangGood more than ticks the “product range” box. The company says that since it shifted its business to international e-commerce service, “it has become an online retailer selling almost everything you may need or think of”.

True to that you’ll find over 200,000 products lines in BangGood. The products categories and the various products you’ll find in each category are as follows:

• Toys, Hobbies and Robots – RC Drones, RC Vehicles, RC Parts, RC Robots, Musical Instruments, Dolls and Stuffed Toys, Learning and Education, Novelty and Gadget Toys, Model and Building Toys
• Mobile Phones and Accessories – Smart Phones, Power Banks, Chargers and Cables, Cases and Leather, Earphones and Speakers, Mobile Phone Accessories (Replacement parts, Screen protectors, etc), Gadgets, Mounts and Holders, SmartWatch and Band, etc
• Electronics – 3D Printer and Supplies, Home Audio and Video, Media Players, Electronic Accessories and Gadgets, Arduino Compatible SCM & DIY Kits, Video Game Accessories, Security and Protection, Photography and Camera Accessories, etc
• Tools, Industrial & Scientific – Professional Tools (Electrical soldering tools, electrical welding tools, etc), Tools Accessories, Laser Equipment, Lab and Scientific Supplies (Lab Chemical, glassware etc), Measurement and Analysis Instrument, Mechanical Parts, Electrical Equipment and Supplies, Hardware and Accessories, Tapes, Adhesive and Sealants, Raw material (fabrics, fibers, textile, etc), Power Tools, Hand Tools, Fasteners
• Computer and Networking – Tablet and PC, Laptops and Accessories, Office and School Supplies, Computer Peripherals, Computer Components, Drives and Storage, Networking (Routers, Repeaters, etc), Mini PC and Accessories, Computer Cable and Connector, Office Furniture
• Home and Garden – Kitchen, Dining and Bar; Home Décor; House Keeping and Organization; Home Textiles; Baby, Kid and Mother Care; Gardening (Gardening Tools, Seeds, etc), Pet Supplies; Bathroom Items; Faucets; Furniture; Festival Gifts and Part Supplies
• Home Appliances – Cleaning Appliances; Kitchen Appliances; Smart Home; Household Appliances; Air Conditioning Appliances; Home Appliance Parts; Home Entertainment and Works
• Sports and Outdoor – Bike and Bicycle; Camping items; Fishing and Hunting items; Fitness and Wellness items; Outdoor Recreation items; Team Sports items; Outdoor Clothing and Shoes; Travel Supplies; Hiking and Climbing Supplies
• Clothing and Apparel – Women’s Clothing (Plus size, Outerwear. Tops, Dresses, Bottoms, Swimwear, Tracksuit, Athleisure, Wedding and Events, Lingerie, Accessories); Men’s Clothing (Coats and Jackets, Pants and Shorts, Underwear, Hoodies and Sweatshirts, Swimsuit and Beach Shorts, Shirts, Sportswear and Athleisure, Tops and Tees, Sleepwear and Robes, Outdoors, Accessories); Kid’s Clothing (Baby Clothing, Girls’ Clothing, Boys’ Clothing, Maternity Clothing, Accessories)
• Automobile and Motorcycle – Car Lights, Car DVRs, GPS and Accessories, Car Audio and Monitor, Car Alarm and Security, Diagnostic Scan Tool, Autoparts, Interior Accessories (Car Air purifier, Storage supplies, etc), Exterior Accessories (Car stickers and decals, etc), Car Repair and Maintenance, Motorcycle, Electric Scooter, Boats
• Lights and Lighting – Flash Light, LED Light Bulbs, Lighting Accessories, Lasers, Indoor Lighting, Outdoor Lighting, LED Strip, Holiday Lights
• Jewellery and Watches –Men Watches, Women Watches, Smart Wearable Devices, Gym and Hiking Watches, Men’s Jewelry, Women’s Jewelry, Fine Jewelry
• Bags and Shoes – Women’s Bags, Men’s Bags, School Bags, Kids’ Bags, Women’s Shoes (Flat and Loafers, Athletic and Casual Shoes, Platform, Sandals, Pumps, Boots), Men’s Shoes (Sneakers, Flats and Loafers, Sandals, Slippers, Boots, Oxford), Kids’ Shoes, Babies’ Shoes
• Health and Beauty – Nail Art, Skin Care, Make-Up, Hair Styling Tools and Salon, Eye Care, Teeth and Mouth Care Products, Personal Care Supplies, Tattoo and Body Arts, Hair Accessories, Health Management (Thermometer, etc), Health Care (Ear Care, Nose Care, etc), Massager and Relaxer, Shavers and Hair Removers, Brace and Supports

Product Quality

The ideal online store should offer top quality items so that for every order, you’ll be sure of receiving high-quality products. In this regards, BangGood says that it is committed to providing “low price and high-quality products”.

The only way to determine if BangGood lives up to its quality promise is to look at what actual customers have to say. For this, we checked the independent online customers’ reviews platforms; and found that BangGood cannot be said to come out in flying colours. In fact, it only limped into our good books. In Trustpilot.com, BangGood is rated 7/ 10 (by 19,672 reviewers); in sitejabber.com, it is rated 2.2/ 5 (by 1,803 reviewers); and in reviews.io, it is rated 1.5/ 5 (by 167 reviewers). In the reviews, you’ll find that many customers are satisfied with the quality of their order. However, there are just too many unsatisfied customers; and for that, BangGood barely manages to limp into our good ratings.

Pricing and Related Policies

Pricing

Where payments are involved, no one will want to pay more than is reasonable for a product. Thus, low and affordable pricing is fast becoming the in-thing. BangGood more than ticks this box.

The motto of the e-commerce platform is “best bang for your buck”; and it says that the whole team is committed to providing customers with low prices. True to its motto and stated commitment, BangGood offers some of the lowest prices you’ll find around. From whatever category you are shopping you’ll find that its prices are rock bottom prices, with some even looking too good to be true.

Promotions

“More buck for your bang” suggests that BangGood will give you more than your money’s worth. There’ll be no better way to achieve that than by promotional offers because these offers allow customers to get items for free or for less than the items’ full prices. That said; you’ll expect BangGood to run a lot of promotions. Thankfully, BangGood does not disappoint on this front.

Like any promotion-generous online store, the landing page of its website announces several promotional offers. At the time of writing this review, some of the offers included: Save up to 70% in Back to the School shopping list; New Term, New Tech promo offering up to 50% on certain items; Up to 60% off on New Products of Light; and many more. There was also a welcome bonus, where new members can get up to $100 in discounts. Being time-specific, these offers change from time to time, so you’ll have to visit the website to know what offer is running at any one time.

Payment Method

You’ll want an easy payment process so that making payment for your online order will not be a problem no matter where you are resident. The first place to start is supporting a wide range of convenient payment methods. Thankfully, BangGood ticks this box.

You can pay for your BangGood order using PayPal, credit cards (MasterCard, Visa, American Express, and others), Boleto and a host of other methods. BangGood also supports COD (Cash On Delivery) payments. However, COD is only available in a few Asian countries that include Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Also, COD cannot be used for every order; as it is available for certain items only.

Shipping

A review of an online store is not complete without considering shipping. This is because the ordered item has to be moved from the fulfilment centre of the store to where the customer will want to receive delivery of it. The important shipping considerations are shipping destination, delivery time, and shipping costs.

Shipping Destination

An online store has to ship to your location before you can use it for your online purchases. Thus, you’ll want a store that ships merchandise to many worldwide locations so that your location is more likely to be covered. Thankfully, BangGood fits the bill. It ships to virtually every country in the world.

Delivery Times

You’ll not want to wait forever to receive your order, so you’ll want a store that offers fast delivery. In this regards, the delivery time of BangGood is varied and depends on a number of factors. This includes the warehouse that the product will ship from, the country that the order will ship to, the shipping option selected, and more.

Unlike many China-based online stores, BangGood operates a network of warehouses in Asia, Europe, Australia, and North America. The Asian warehouses are located in China, and most orders are processed through these Chinese warehouses. However, the oversea warehouses stock a lot of items, and orders can be processed through them for speedy delivery. That is if you’re located in England, and your order is processed from the UK warehouse or any of the other European warehouses, it should arrive faster than if it had been processed through the Chinese warehouse.

In terms of shipping option; BangGood offers different shipping options that include: Standard Shipping, Air Parcel Register, Priority Direct Mail, Expedited Shipping, and EMS Express Mail Service. All shipping options can be tracked except the Standard Shipping. Typically, you’ll expect expedited shipping options to be faster than the regular shipping options.

Since delivery times vary, you’ll find applicable delivery time during checkout. However, BangGood has a couple of delivery warranties. The e-commerce store warrants that orders, originating from Chinese warehouses, will be delivered within 60 days. This also means that you are only allowed to make a claim for lost order if you’ve waited for more than 60 days.

Shipping Cost

Since the total expenditure on an item is its purchase price and shipping cost, you’ll not want high shipping costs, as it can make the item too expensive to purchase.

Just as with delivery times; the shipping costs of BangGood depends on where the order will ship from, the shipping option selected, the type of item it is, and many others. You’ll find applicable shipping cost at checkout.

Returns

Online purchases are blind purchases because the customers do not physically assess the products before making the buy. As a result, there’s the possibility that the item may not be satisfactory when the customer finally receives it. Thus, customers will want retailers that allow returns; where the customer can return an unwanted item to the retailer and get a replacement item or a refund.

Thankfully BangGood allows returns. However, it is not uncommon to find a lot of “bobby traps” in return policies which make returns difficult or practically impossible. Thus, what follows is the review of the return policy on BangGood.

Return Process

You’ll not want a difficult return process that’ll cause frustration when you have to return an unwanted item; thus, the ideal online store will offer an easy process.

The return process of BangGood is not different from that of many China-based e-commerce platforms. You’ll have to contact the Support Service to state your intention. You’ll state your reasons, and upload a picture or video to show the problem. BangGood will review your submission, and only when the request is approved can your proceed to package the item, and ship it back to BangGood.

While the return process is relatively easy, it is not the best. Since you’ll have to get approval before making a return to BangGood, a lot of problems can come out. For example, you may see an item as defective, only for BangGood not to be convinced of the “defect”.

Return Window

Usually, items returned to a retailer is accepted if it gets back to the retailer’s warehouse within a specified time frame (usually from the date of receiving delivery of the item). Thus, so that your returns will be accepted, you’ll want an extended time period.

BangGood does not do well in this regards. In its return policy it states: if you are not satisfied with your purchase, you can return its content to us within 3 days after its delivery. That will suggest that BangGood offers a return window of only 3 days from delivery.

If that was so, then it’s really disappointing because the industry average return policy is 30 days (from delivery date). Apart from the industry average window being relatively long, a 3 days return window will be useless, because it will be very difficult (bothering on impossible) to get the return package back to the return shipping address of BangGood in that time. However, it will appear that though the wording may suggest otherwise, the stated 3 days is the length of time within which you must contact BangGood about returning an item in your order.

Eligible Returns and Conditions

Like every online store, not every item is eligible for returns. However, you’ll not want too many restrictions on returns so that you can have the protection of being able to return a range of items.

For hygiene reasons, items like adult toys and clothing like women swimwear and lingerie are not eligible for returns. While this is the policy with the China-based stores, there are many stores that’ll accept returns of these clothes as long as their hygiene strip/ seal is unbroken.

Also, all items eligible for return must be returned in their original new condition. That is, the items must be unused and undamaged.

Return Cost and Refunds

Customers like zero costs when it comes to returning an item to a retailer. Unfortunately, BangGood does not offer free returns. Customers are responsible for all return shipping. As a result, when you’re being refunded after returning an item to BangGood, what you get is the original payment less the shipping cost.

It should be said that in the many complaints that can be found about BangGood, there’s always the issue of refunds. These include complaints of customers waiting longer than they expected to be refunded. Also, there were many of these that late refunds really come out as a problem plaguing the store.

Is BangGood safe and legit?

BangGood is safe. When using an online platform, legitimacy is not enough. A legit online store will not rip you off, but if it is not safe, it will leak your sensitive data (such as credit card details) to the world, thereby leaving you exposed to every bad element out there who will be all too happy to defraud you. Thus, the ideal online store should also be safe.

In this regards, BangGood says in its privacy policy that it uses “reasonable technical, administrative, and physical security measures designed to safeguard customers’ data”. It does not provide details of such measures; it only states that access to personal data is “strictly limited data controller, data processor and data protection officer who need access to such data to perform their assigned job duties”.

In order to have confidence in their effectiveness of the security measures employed, we’ll like to know the details. However, while BangGood does not provide us with the details, we didn’t find anything to suggest that BangGood is not safe. For example, there is no report of a data breach, or of customers experiencing credit card problems. Also, BangGood is certified by Trustwave and McAfee Secure. Thus, the site is free of malware, malicious links, and any such nonsense. Thus, it’s safe to say that BangGood is safe. And also legitimate.

Customer Support Service

There’ll always be questions about a store’s products and services, and there are customers who’ll have issues with their orders. Thus the ideal online store will provide for handling customers’ questions/ issues.

To directly contact the customer service of BangGood, the company supports a range of channels that include an online contact form, email, telephone, and live chat. The online contact form can be accessed from the “Contact Us” page of the BangGood website. The email address to send your submission is cservice@banggood.com. The contact form and email service are not instant feedback services. Thus, you’ll want a relatively fast response time. BangGood advertises that it will respond to your submissions within 24 hours.

However, if you’ll rather not be kept waiting when you need assistance, BangGood also supports the instant feedback channels of telephone service and live chat. The telephone number is 001 3235700368. The phone service is available Monday to Friday, between the hours of 0:00 am to 9:00 am (UTC+8). The live chat can be accessed from the BangGood website. Interestingly, it is available round the clock (24/ 7). However, it is available for only pre-sales assistance.

Sites Similar to BangGood:

• RoseWholesale
• TopHatter
• Wayfair
• Gearbest
• LightInTheBox

Pros:

• Offers a vast selection of products comprising of over 200,000 products
• Offers rock bottom prices
• Ships merchandise to virtually every country of the world
• Supports a wide range of channels for contacting Customer Service (online contact form, email, telephone, and live chat)

Not sure:

• Product quality can be top-notch but can equally be unsatisfactory
• Not sure what the return window is

Cons:

• Delivery time can belong
• Live Chat is available for only pre-sales assistance

Summary

BangGood is a legitimate place to shop online. Do you want an online shopping destination where you can get the best bang for your buck? BangGood says you should walk through its virtual doors. It is one of the many Chinese cross-border retailers in the market, and it says it is committed to offering low-price and high-quality items.

You’ll find that BangGood fully lives up to the first part of that commitment. It offers a wide product range that includes electronics, personal items, fashion products, and more. In fact, you can find almost everything you want in the store. Interestingly, its prices are rock bottom, and it offers different promotional offers that further bring down prices to tantalizing levels.

However, you’ll find that BangGood is only so-so on the second part of its commitment (that is, on providing high-quality items). While the store does hold and deliver many high-quality products, the reviews reveal that you can easily be delivered items that’ll not meet quality expectations.

While ordering is easy-breezy, delivery can take longer than expected because of the most products ship from China. It also appears that returns and refunds are not as easy-breezy as customers will want it.

Tophatter is online market place where you can explore and purchase extraordinary items from around the globe in a blink of an eye! This lightning-fast, auction-style marketplace makes it simpler than ever for anyone to find their ultimate treasure.

TopHatter was established in 2012. The website is operated by TopHatter Inc, which is an incorporated California based company.

TopHatter is also a platform that connects people selling items online to people who want to purchase items online. Thus, it is simply an online marketplace.

This means that TopHatter is a platform provider and not a retailer. Thus, when you make a purchase in TopHatter, the item is not sold to you by TopHatter, but by another member using TopHatter as a Seller. Apart from bringing buyers and sellers together; what TopHatter also does is to use third-party service to process payments and make payments to the Sellers.

Yes, TopHatter is legit. It is not a scam because they have been online for a very long time and selling products without a problem.

However, being an online marketplace is not only what distinguishes TopHatter from other e-commerce sites. Rather, TopHatter is different from many of the rest in that it is an online auction site. It says that its mission is to “spark a moment of fun and fulfilment”. Thus, it pushes aside “boring” traditional purchase, where customers are welcomed to make payment for items listed for particular prices; and it brings the fun, thrills and excitement of auctions to online shopping.

Thus, when you join TopHatter (as a buyer), you’ll see an auction schedule; and when the auction for the product you like starts, you can make bids, and see how other buyers are reacting. One of the attractiveness of auction sales is that you set the price as to how much you want to pay; and when you have a winning bid, you know it is just a fraction higher than how much another person was willing to pay.

Being a marketplace two categories of people can use TopHatter (Buyers and Sellers). Thus, what follows is a review of TopHatter as pertaining to a Buyer, then as pertain to a Seller.

In this digital world, almost everything is done with “clicks”; and that is why online shopping has come to stay. With a few clicks, a customer can, in the comfort of his/ her home, purchase an item online, and it will be delivered.

However, instead of the traditional purchases, where a customer simply pays the price set by the retailer; online shopping has changed tremendously, and can now be a lot more fun.

TopHatter is an online marketplace that advertises that it has changed with the changing trends in online shopping, such that it is now “a fast, fun way to discover cool stuff and win amazing deals”.

“Cool Stuff” speaks of a range of high-quality products; “amazing deals” speaks of offering the products at relatively low and affordable prices; while “fun way” speaks of a very satisfying, exciting, and even entertaining buying experience. Does TopHatter really offer all of these, or are these just advert blurbs? Is TopHatter any different from the many e-commerce platforms out there, and is it worthwhile to buy from TopHatter? In the first place, is TopHatter a genuine e-commerce platform or just another scam?

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

TopHatter review at a glance

• Website is tophatter.com
• Based in California, and established in 2012
• It is an online marketplace that connects sellers and buyers from all over the world
• It is a fast-paced free auction shopping platform
• It is free to bid
• Have 30 days return policy as buyer protection
• Customer support is available via email (help@tophatter.com)

TopHatter – for Buyer

If you want to make online purchases, there are certain things to look out for in the shop which include product range, shipping, return policies, costs, etc

Is TopHatter legit?

TopHatter is legitimate. A must asked question is whether an online platform is legit. Asking this question and getting the answer can be the difference between being ripped off or not when making online transactions. Some scam stores are set up to just collect “payment” from unsuspecting buyers and disappear, so before making that payment in an online store, make sure to determine that it is legit.

So the big question is whether TopHatter is legit. The short answer to that is: Yes, it is legit. The long answer is that the online marketplace is operated by a 100% legal company, has industry-wide reputation, has a long operating record, and it actually delivers functional products that are fit for purpose.

Our first test of a legit e-commerce site is usually legality. This is because platforms that are operated by 100% legal companies are less likely to be scams. TopHatter ticks this box; because the website is owned and operated by TopHatter Inc, which is a duly registered and incorporated company in the US.

Another test of a legit platform is visibility and industry-wide recognition. This is because scam platforms operate in the shadows. TopHatter ticks this visibility box. First, the platform is accredited by the BBB (Better Business Bureau); secondly, it is recognized by many industry leaders and followers, and widely regarded as one of the top online auction sites around.

Another test of a legit platform is the test of time. This is because scam stores naturally die with the passage of time especially as their scamming activity is exposed. TopHatter passes the test of time; because it has been operating since 2012. 7 years is more than enough for a scam site to be exposed and dies off; but TopHatter is waxing stronger as an auction site.

Our ultimate test of a legit platform is “fitness for purpose”. That is, the platform would do that which it purports to do. Also, TopHatter ticks this box. It plays its role excellently as a marketplace; it connects sellers and buyers, with make the necessary arrangement to make sure that all is happy. There are many testimonials to this effect both in the TopHatter website, in blogs, and in the independent online customers’ review platforms. Sellers can use TopHatter to get direct sales for their products via auctions; while buyers can use TopHatter to get cool products at wonderful prices. Though, there are the occasional unsatisfied customers with some scathing reviews about quality; but there are many positive reviews, to show that on the whole, quality is good.

That said; with TopHatter 100% legal, having industry wide recognition, having a relatively long operating record, and fit for purpose as testified by many Sellers and Buyers, there is no doubt that it is a legit online marketplace.

Is TopHatter Safe?

TopHatter is safe. You’ll want an online store that is able to safeguard the sensitive information that you share with it such as your personal contact information and your credit card details. If information like credit card detail is allowed to leak out, the card owner can be defrauded. Thus, the ideal online store need not only be legit, but also safe.

TopHatter ticks this box. When you make payment in TopHatter, your transaction data is securely transmitted to TopHatter using 128-bit SSL encryption. SSL (Secure Socket Layer) is the industry standard for creating private communication between a device and a web server; and the encryption standard is bank-grade, ensuring that unauthorized third parties will not capture and read customer’s data. With the use of this technical security measure amongst others, it’s safe to say that TopHatter is safe.

Product Range

The ideal online store should offer a wide range of products. That way it will be a shop where buyers can get all their needs in one place. Apart from having different products, you’ll want to find a large inventory of each product type; that way, you’ll find different types of a particular product and will be more likely to find something that you like.

The items you can buy in the TopHatter platform fall into the following categories:

• Fashion and Beauty – Apparel (dresses, tops, shirts, pants, etc), Shoes (Sneakers, Boots, etc), Bags (Backpacks, Children Lunch Bags, Women Fashion Bags, etc), Fashion accessories (Nail trimming kit, Eyelashes,
• Electronics – Pet GPS tracker, Cameras, Bluetooth Wireless Headset, phone accessories, gaming items, and more
• Home and Hobbies – Kitchen items (Thermos, Cookware, Utensils, etc), DIY Home Tools (Drills, etc), and more
• Jewellery – Earrings, Necklaces, Rings (including Engagement Rings), Bracelets, Fine Jewelry, and more

Discussing its product range, TopHatter advertises that “you’ll find a little bit of everything when you browse [its] millions of items”. On that, the platform is on point. You’ll find a little bit of everything, from sweet new gadgets to trusted brands; and from perfect gifts for someone to beautiful little treats for yourself.

However, while you can find different types of cool products, TopHatter differs significantly from other marketplaces where a store owner can put up have his/ her range of products for sale. Many times, Sellers come to TopHatter to auction a few of their products. The implication is that TopHatter is not a marketplace where you’ll go to if you have something specific in mind, rather it is a marketplace you should go to to find something that might interest you.

We also found that though TopHatter allows its Sellers to put up branded items for sale, most items that sell in the platform are not brand names. Thus, Top Hatter may not be for you if you are into brand names. Another interesting fact is that at any time of the day, you’ll find a lot of auctions in TopHatter.

Product Quality

There is not a buyer that’ll want poor quality products, so the ideal e-commerce platform should list only high-quality products.

Quality is largely subjective, but almost everyone will converge on functionality and durability when describing quality products. Thus, these are the parameters we’ll use in discussing the quality of items coming from TopHatter. Because TopHatter is simply a marketplace, where anyone can go to sell a product, quality varies greatly from Seller to Seller. However, it will seem, on the whole, TopHatter is given the thumbs up. This is because of the ratings of the TopHatter in the independent online customers’ review platforms.

In the top platforms, TopHatter is highly rated. For example, it is rated 8.5/ 10 in Trustpilot.com (from 10,304 reviewers), and it is rated 3.9/ 5.0 in Sitejabber.com (from 5,902 reviewers). You’ll find comments from literally thousands of customers satisfied with the quality of their order. However, this is not to say that there are no negative reviews of TopHatter’s quality. But the positive reviews are overwhelmingly more than any negatives. Thus, there’s no doubt that you’ll find top quality products in TopHatter.

Using TopHatter

You’ll have to register by submitting your email address before you can use TopHatter. Even if it is to just take a look at the website, you’ll have to sign up. Evidently, this is so that they can later reach you with some marketing emails. Needless to say, having to submit an email address before even seeing what a platform offers will be off-putting to many. It sure was for us.

However, if you look beyond the enforced registration, you’ll a lot of things to like about TopHatter. As mentioned, it is primarily an auction site. Live auctions are scheduled, and members are invited to make bids for an item. The highest bid is the winning bid, and the item is sold to the member that made the highest bid. However, while TopHatter is primarily an auction site, you can also buy items from the platform via regular purchase. There are many items available for “Buy Now” purchase. This is a regular purchase where the Seller sets a particular price for an item, and you pay the amount to accept the offer of the seller.

It’s also relatively easy to use TopHatter as a buyer. After signing up (or logging in), you’re taken to the homepage where you can explore the field of what’s up for auction at the time; and go through the list to find something that you like. For a more directed search, you can click on the product categories (fashion and beauty, home and hobbies, electronics, etc), and you’ll find products in the relevant category that is up for auction. You can also see products that are scheduled for auction soon.

If you find something that you are interested in, you can click on it to view details that will include product description, product images, as well as reviews of the product by other customers who have purchased it in the past. If you trust what others say, these reviews will be good for gauging whether the product will function well.

If you still like a product after checking its details, you can then join other bidders in bidding for it. That too is relatively easy because making an initial bid (and higher bids) is simply by a click of a button. Bids in TopHatter starts at $1.00. Thus, when an item is up for bid, the auctioneer invites customers to bid for it; against the item, you’ll find the button “Bid $1”. Simply clicking it sends in your bid. Being a live-action auction site; when a bid is made by a customer, and it is accepted, the auctioneer calls for a higher bid. The prompt button declares a higher figure; like “Bid $2”. At any time, you’ll see the number of bids that have been made, and the user name of the customer winning the auction.

TopHatter advertises that it is a place where you can truly have fun while shopping, and that is so correct. With auction sales the primary activity in the site, you’ll be thrilled in TopHatter. Instead of the traditional purchase where you just pay a set price and go; auction sales bring the excitement and curiosity that combines to give more than a dose of fun. When you see an item you like and want to bid on, you’ll be curious as to how far another bidder will want to go to get it; then the competitiveness of making bids and watching how other bidders react crowns the excitement. What makes TopHatter even more fun is the speed of its auctions; like most of its auctions last only about 90 seconds.

However, there’s a catch to the fast-paced 90 seconds auction, which is that there may be no time to really research a product once it is up for auction. Before you’ll be done with checking the detailed product description page or doing any necessary product research, 90 seconds are up, and the product is sold. Thus, you’ll have to act really fast. However, if you’ll rather take your time to do your product research (which is advisable if you don’t want to end up buying an item that you’ll later hate), you can simply click on the heart icon beside the item’s picture. That way, the particular auction will be over by the time you are done with your research, but you’ll be notified when next the item comes up for auction. Alternatively, you can view upcoming auctions, so that before they’ll be up for auction, you’ll be done with your research of the products.

Costs and Pricing

When it comes to cost, customers want the lowest possible costs. Thankfully, TopHatter ticks the box in this regards. We are used to auctioning sites that charge customers a token for their services. That is, customers have to pay to be able to bid for products. This is one area where TopHatter shines. It is a free auction site. That is, it is free to bid for items. You pay only you win a bid.

Another area in which TopHatter shines is that its Sellers are willing to sell products at low and attractive prices. We found that we were able to win a lot of bids. When making trial purchases for the purpose of this review, we had winning bids with ridiculously low bids, and in the process purchased cool products for very low prices. When making some of those ridiculously low winning bids, we were confident that there will be a higher bid, or that if there is no higher bid, the sale will not go through for the highest bid so far being lower than the Seller expects. In fact, we were even prepared to go higher; but to our bewilderment, we’ll win the bid, and be directed to the payment page.

Granted, auctions can go either way, a winning bid can easily be higher than the cost of the product in the regular stores, and also can be considerably lower than it can be found in the stores. Our experience in TopHatter leads us to believe that the latter is the case. Thus, if you’ll want to score great deals on cool products, you may want to visit TopHatter.

Shipping

When making an online purchase, an important consideration is shipping. You’ll need to consider if the online store ships to your destination, how long it takes to deliver, as well as how much it’ll take to get your order (shipping cost).

Because TopHatter is simply a marketplace, shipping depends on the individual Seller. However, you’ll find that many of the Sellers in TopHatter ships products to worldwide locations.

In terms of delivery time, there is no buyer that’ll be willing to wait forever to get delivery of an online order, so the ideal online store should offer fast delivery. Delivery time is determined by order processing time (the time from when you place an order to when the order is dispatched for shipping) and shipping time (the time from when the order is dispatched for shipping to when it is delivered). For fast delivery, both order processing time and shipping time should be relatively fast. TopHatter does relatively well in this regard. In terms of order processing; it’s a rule in TopHatter that Sellers cannot list items with processing time above 5 days. Thus, all items bought in the platform will be processed within 1 – 5 business days. Then the actual shipping times vary depending on the Seller. Typically, the farther the country the Seller is located, the longer will be the shipping times. Also, some Sellers offer expedited shipping options, offering customers the opportunity to get their orders faster.

In terms of shipping cost, you’ll not want expensive shipping cost so that the total expenditure on the item will still be reasonable. Shipping cost varies like the delivery times, depending on where the item will be shipping from, where it is shipping to, its weight, and whether expedited shipping option is available (and selected).

When making a bid, you can also view how much it’ll take to ship the product to your location. The shipping cost we saw for many of the products up for bid were relatively low. However, because winning bids were also relatively low, the shipping cost in relation to the winning bid (which is the product’s price) almost always turn out to be very significant. For example, an elegant wine red prom dress was quoted a shipping cost of $6 (which is relatively okay), but the winning bid was also $6.00. Also, we got a tooth whitener with a bid of $5.00, but its shipping cost was $4.00. Thus, while the shipping costs were always relatively low, they were often close to or even more than the final cost of the product itself. However, you’ll also see many products with free shipping.

Buyer’s Protection

There are many reasons that can cause you to be unsatisfied with the order, and you’ll want to be able to return it to the retailer to get a replacement or a refund. Thus, the ideal online platform should have some form of buyer’s protection.

Thankfully, TopHatter has. It has a 30 days return policy that serves as buyer protection. IF you do not like the product when you receive delivery of it, TopHatter allows you 30 days (from the delivery date) to return it to the retailer. 30 days (from delivery date) is a generous offer, as it is the industry average returns window.

TopHatter for Buyer (Pros and Cons)

Pros

• It is a fun way of making online purchases with fast-paced circa 90 seconds auctions
• You’ll find a lot of auctions at every time of the day
• It is free to bid for an item; you only pay for an item when you win its bid
• You can get great deals, as many auctions will be won with reasonably low bids
• There is relatively fast processing time, and many shops ship fast, so delivery is relatively fast for most items
• There are some items for free shipping; and where free shipping is not available, shipping cost are relatively low
• There is a 30 days (from delivery date) buyer’s protection return warranty

Cons

• You have to register even to view the website
• There are very few branded items
• Because auctions take about 90 seconds, there may be no time for in-depth product research before bidding
• You may be unable to bid for more items until you pay for items that you won

Top Hatter – for Sellers

If you have an online store and want another selling outlet for your products, TopHatter can be a solution. However, there are some things to look out for in any online marketplace, which includes hassle-free services (registration, adding products, receiving payments, etc), the pool of visitors, costs, and more.

Pool of Buyers

Location! Location!! Location!!! Just as you’ll want to locate your brick and mortar business where it’ll see traffic, you’ll want an e-commerce platform (especially for auction sales) where many buyers can see your product when it is up for auction. Thus, the ideal online platform should have a lot of visitors.

TopHatter ticks this box. First, it has a lot of visitors. It’s Android and iOS apps have seen a combined download of over 20 million, while the website is visited by thousands on a daily basis. Another important thing is that because everyone visiting the TopHatter website have to register, the site is less likely to have disinterested visitors. The registration gate will turn away disinterested persons, and those that do join will more likely convert to sales.

Easy Registration

You won’t want to be put off using an online marketplace because of a difficult registration process, so the ideal platform should provide easy signup.

In TopHatter, the registration process is relatively easy. It starts from submitting your email address. The next page asks of your contact detail (telephone number) and information about your stores, such as the store name, the size of the business, your URL, and others. After this step, TopHatter advice using a computer for the other steps of the registration process. This might be off-putting because many persons will want to be able to do everything on their mobile devices. These steps include: Add products, Confirm terms, Set Return Shipping Address, and Set how you’ll receive payments.

One of the most important of these steps is adding products. Thankfully, that is also relatively easy. The sections you’ll fill to add products are:

• Basic information – Here, you’ll supply: a unique ID, product category, product description, product condition (whether it is new, used, etc), brand, sizes, colour, etc.
• Pricing – Here, you’ll state some prices, which include: Buy Now price (the price of the product when it appears in your store), target price (the amount you must sell the product to break even), the retail price, etc.
• Shipping – Here, you’ll state where the item will be shipping from (the country you are domicile), the weight of the item, and how long it’ll take to process (not exceeding 5 business days).
• Images – Here, you’ll have to upload product images, which the bidders can view to help with their buy decision. The minimum of images is 2, and the maximum number 8.
• Scheduling – Here, you’ll set a campaign, which controls how your product will be presented to buyers. That is, whether it’s a New Auction, New Reminder, etc. You’ll also get to set how many times in a day you’ll want your product scheduled.

Thus, it’s relatively easy to get started, and list a product in TopHatter.

Receiving Payments

As mentioned earlier, when a customer buys something from you, the payment is made directly to TopHatter, and not to you. However, you’ll not want to be given a run around to receive your payments. Thus, you’ll want an online marketplace that processes your payments swiftly and without hassles.

TopHatter does relatively well in this regards. As long as the amount to be disbursed to you exceed $5.00, you’ll receive payment after delivery of the item has been confirmed through the tracking information that you provided in connection with the shipping. It is only when there is a return request, that payment will be held.

To receive payment for sales you make on TopHatter, the platform supports 2 payouts options. You can use Payoneer to withdraw funds to your local bank account or to a prepaid debit Mastercard; alternatively, you can receive payouts to WorldFirst bank account.

Costs

We always want cost to be as low as possible. This is especially so when using an online e-commerce platform to sell products because high service costs will eat up your profits. Sadly, TopHatter does not come out flying in this regards.

First, you’ll notice that when getting started as a Seller in TopHatter; “add a product” comes before “confirm Sellers’ term”. Thus, it is after adding a product that you can view the applicable fees. This policy, in our opinion, is very unfriendly. After going through adding a product, we don’t think there is that Seller who’ll simply not go on with the service.

When the costs are finally revealed, they come out as too many and steep. There is a scheduling fee which is determined by the product, there is a payment processing fee, and then there is the TopHatter Commission which is a whopping 15% of the item’s winning bid. Thus, before you’ll be done, the total TopHatter charges can get as much 35% of the item’s winning bid. Needless to say, that is too high.

Special Sellers Features

Reserve Price

In auctions, the item is sold to the highest bidder. But what if the highest bid is lower than what you’ll want to sell the item for?

TopHatter solves this problem with its “reserve price” feature. When listing items that will be sold by auction, you can set a “reserve price”. This is a protection in auction sales, which ensures that the highest bid is not lower than what you expect for the item. If the highest bid is less than the “reserve price”, the sale will not go through. However, “reserve price” is an add-on that comes with an extra payment. It cost $2.00 per item.

Guaranteed Sales

One of the good parts of using TopHatter is that, as an auction site, you are guaranteed the sale of the item when it is up for auction. If the sale does not go through because the highest bid does not meet the reserve price, the product will be rescheduled for auctioning. Thus, if you are tired of having inventory in your store, and will want to convert them to sales; an auction site like TopHatter is a solution.

You can also use the TopHatter platform to push traffic to your regular online store. You can use usernames that are identifiers, which can cause the buyers to look up your store.

TopHatter for Sellers – (Pros and Cons)

Pros

• Relatively easy to register, and add products
• Getting payment is swift and without hassles
• You are guaranteed a sale
• It can drive traffic to your website

Cons:

• Seller registration requires a computer
• There are many fees, and adding a product comes before the page to view applicable fees
• Fees are a bit steep

Customer Support

An ideal online platform will provide for answering questions that people will have, and for resolving issues that members may have. Thus, effective customer support service is a must.

The first place to get answers is usually an FAQ page of the website. Thankfully, TopHatter has a very detailed FAQ page. It makes life easy by grouping its support articles into two (Seller FAQs or the Buyer’s FAQs) catering specifically to the two categories of its users. Within each page, you’ll also find that the articles are grouped by subjects, which allow users to find what they want. In the buyers’ FAQs, you’ll find subjects like: Bidding and Buying, My Account, My Orders, Rewards, Paying, Promotions and Credits, Common Issues, Shipping and Delivery, and Others.

For direct contact with a customer support rep, TopHatter supports an email service. The email to send your submissions is help@tohatter.com.

Summary

TopHatter is a legitimate online marketplace that connects buyers and sellers. However, it makes online shopping fun via auction sales. There’s no doubt that TopHatter is a legit and safe e-commerce platform. As a buyer, you’ll get the fun and excitement of auctions, you’ll find a wide range of high-quality products, you’ll win bids for cool stuff with relatively very low bids, you’ll get relatively fast delivery, and you’ll get a 30 days buyer’ protection.

As a Seller, the platform has the large pool of very interested visitors that’ll excite you, it’s relatively easy to register and use, and you’ll not be given the run around when it comes to payments.

Naked Wines is a wine company that was founded in 2008. The founder Rowan Gormley operated a wine company himself (Virgin Wines) which was sold in 2005 to the larger UK wine company – Direct Firm. However, Virgin Wines operated independently from its parent; and Rowan stayed on as its boss.

In 2008, Rowan tried to lead a management buyout of Virgin Wines from Direct Wines, but he met resistance and was kicked out. Since buying back Virgin Wines was no longer an option, he decided to set up a rival wine company, and only 6 months later Naked Wines was born.

However, the only thing that Naked Wines had in common with Virgin Wines before it is that they both offered wine; when it comes to how they offer the wine, their paths couldn’t be more different. Naked Wine started its international expansion by launching in the US and Australia in 2012.

In 2015, Rowan sold Naked Wines for £70 to Majestic Wine which is the UK’s largest specialist retailer of wine. Thus, Naked Wines is currently one of the operating companies of Majestic Wine Plc. Naked Wine has over 363,000 customers worldwide, with over 200,000 of these in the UK alone.

If you are wondering why the company is called “Naked”, it explains that it is because you pay for only what you taste, and every other thing is stripped off.

Naked Wines is an online shop that advertises as “your new favourite place to buy wine”. Given that there are many online wines; a big question will be what sets Naked Wines apart that’ll make it your “favourite place to buy wine”. NakedWines answers that the online wine company will get its members better wines for less money.  That’s a promise of having access to good quality wine, at the best prices.

This even raises other bigger questions. For example, is that just a marketing pitch, or does Naked Wines actually provide better (or more appropriately, good quality) wine? Does Naked Wines actually have the best prices? In the first place, is Naked Wines genuine?

Yes, Naked Wines is legit. It is not a scam because they will never take your money without shipping your products to you. And your money and credit card details are product on the website

This Naked Wines review will examine everything about Naked Wines in order to provide the information that will help you answer these questions and more.

Naked Wines review at a glance:

• The website is www.nakedwines.com
• Online wine shop founded in 2008
• Customers pre-pay monthly against future wine orders
• Every payment into your Naked Wines account remains yours to spend at anytime
• Naked Wines invest the money on independent winemakers who otherwise would not have gotten their projects off the ground
• In return, the winemakers offer preferential prices to the pre-paying customers
• Thus, winemakers offer their products directly to customers, cutting off all middlemen
• As a result, prices are very very competitive
• Wines available in Naked Wines cannot be found anywhere else, and popular wines around are also not provided on the site
• Naked Wines list a wide range of wines
• There is a money-back guarantee

Business Model

The business model of Naked Wines is drastically outside the norms of conventional wine-trade. The traditional wine trade model has one or two intermediaries. That is, usually, the products flow from the producer to the wholesaler to the retailer, and to the final customer. On the other hand, Naked Wines cuts off the intermediaries; and allows the wine to be made and sold directly by the producer to the customer.

However, it is not just cutting off the middlemen that make Naked Wines so unconventional. Rather, it is because customers of Naked Wines (which the company calls Angels) pre-pay monthly against future wine orders.

That is, each month Naked Wines customers make a payment into their Naked Wines account (£20 for UK customers, $40 for the US and Australian customers). The company invests this money in talented independent winemakers, many of whom will otherwise not be able to produce. In return, customers get exclusive wines at preferential prices, which Naked Wines says is as much as 33% off full prices.

However, it should be noted that the business model is just a classic example of crowdfunding. The monthly contributions of the angels of Naked Wines are aggregated and invested in the “struggling” but talented winemakers. This is somewhat satisfying as there is the social effect; it gives a kind of relationship with the winemakers and the knowledge that you are contributing to helping talented winemakers to breakthrough.

However, this is no charity work. The money you pay into your Naked Wine account remains yours to spend on any wine in the site and at any time.

You can let your account accrue as much as you want. There are no times when you can lose the money in your account, so you are not under any obligation to buy at any time. The decision to buy (use money in your account) is entirely yours

Product

Product Range

The ideal shop should have a range of products. Even for a niche ship like a wine shop, it should be able to offer a variety of wine, made from a variety of grapes.

Thankfully, Naked Wines tick the box in this regards. The company has invested in over 159 independent winemakers in 14 countries; thus, you’ll find a wide variety of wines in the store. When looking for wines, there are different criteria that you can use to filter out wines. Under the “special” category, you’ll find New Wine, Fine Wine, Sweet Spot Wine, Medal Winners, and more. You can filter using the alcoholic content, dietary status (e.g. vegan), or type (red wine, white wine, sparkling wine, rose wine, and more). You can also choose from different styles of particular wine types. For example, of Red Wines, you can search for Big Red, Fruity Red, Smooth Red, and more. If you know your grapes, you can also search for wines made from specific grapes; you’ll find wines from scores of different grapes.

The variety to choose from is pretty impressive. However, if you do not know what to pick, Naked Wines can advise you all the way. There are the “buy it again” ratings which can tell you particular wines that members think are great. If you want to trust other members, you can also search for wines using the Naked Wines ratings. Another way Naked Wines helps you in selecting is with a green checkmark.

Going by what you have in your profile or your activity on the site, Naked Wines will suggest wines that you’ll love using a “green checkmark”. That is; if you’ve shown admiration for a particular wine, the wines with the green checkmark will be wines similar to the one you admired.

Wine Quality

The wines offered in Naked Wines are made exclusively for (and thanks to) to Naked Wines.com. What it means is that you may not recognize the labels. However, “unknown” is not equal to “poor quality” Thus, it does not mean that you’ll be getting poor wines.

Naked Wines does its best to assure that the wines coming off its winemakers are of the requisite quality. For example, it says that “because growers know that their fruit has been sold upfront, they can focus on quality, not the quantity of the grapes”. It also says that because its winemakers have “amazing stories to tell” there will be a commitment to quality that’ll beat wine “made to a recipe in an oil refinery”.  Another assuring pitch is that “winemakers know that their wine is sold upfront, so they spend their time in their cellar making the wine delicious, rather than on the road trying to sell it”.

That said; it’s clear that Naked Wines tries to say that their winemakers produce better wine because of the two things:

• Winemakers are more committed to quality because of the social factor in the community
• Winemakers will have more resources (especially time) to throw at quality because of not doing any sales and marketing of their product

Also, it should be said that the winemakers that Naked Wines propel are proven stars that need that propelling to set up their own. As a result, among the credentials that winemakers in Naked Wines must have are the expertise to make truly world-class wine and local and international recognition.

That said; it is not only “a commitment to quality wine” or “having more time for winemaking” that ensures that wines in Naked Wines are of world-class quality. Rather, it’s because the winemakers are themselves talented winemakers who can (and have proven to) make great wines. Naked Wines only help by removing factors that were restricting them from getting their great wines to the market.

Another thing that testifies to the quality in the shop is the “money-back guarantee”. If you do not like wine, you can contact Naked Wines, and it will arrange a refund for you.

Pricing and Related Policies

Pricing

People who like wine will not want to substitute anything for good quality wines. However, they may be resistant to paying what is unreasonable for any wine. Thus, while the ideal online store should provide good quality wine, these should be offered at reasonable prices.

This is exactly where Naked Wines shines. In fact, the main selling point of Naked Wines is providing world-class wines at reduced prices. The best way to check the reasonableness of the prices in a store is to do a comparative analysis of the store’s prices with prices in other stores. This cannot be done in this case, because Naked Wines sells exclusive wines that cannot be found anywhere else.

However, Naked Wines helps us in gauging the reasonableness of the prices it offers its members. This is because, non-members can also buy from the site, but will not have the advantage of the preferential prices that members have. To that end, for every wine listed in Naked Wine, there are two prices – market price and the Angel price. The market price is the price for non-members, while the Angel price is the price for members who have been making monthly payments. From these two prices, you can easily see how much less you’ll be paying as a member.

Interestingly, for every wine (bottle or case), the Angel Price is always lower than the Market price. The price difference is very small for some wines but quite large for others.

For example, the Sharon Weeks Tattoo California Feral Red 2018 had a $1.99 Angel’s savings (Market Price = $11.98, and Angels’ price $9.99), but the Matt Parish Napa Valley Tino 2017 had a $15.01 Angels saving (Market price $40, and Angels price $24.99). Also, for the wine cases; the Brothers Miller Spotlight 6-Pack had an $80.55 Angels’ saving (Market price = $143.54, and Angels price = $62.99), while the Top Rated Cabs 6 Pack had a $103.00 Angels’ saving (Market price = $212.99, and Angels price $109.99). Thus, it’s clear that the Angels (members of NakedWines) really get good deals for the wines. How good a deal they get depends on the particular wine that they go for.

Naked Wines is able to give customers good prices because middlemen and their markups have been eliminated. Wine goes from the makers directly to the customers.

Promotions

Naked Wines is also generous with the promotions. From time to time, you’ll find free vouchers on offer in the site. At the time of writing this review, on getting to the UK website, we were prompted to take a survey and get a “free £30 wine voucher”; and on getting to the Australia website, we were prompted to take a quiz and stand to win a $20 free wine voucher.

However, going to the terms and condition, we found that, before one can redeem a discount voucher, one has to be a registered member of Naked Wines. Also, there are some wines that the vouchers cannot be used against; and more so, the discount vouchers are on the full prices and not on the Angels’ prices. So even as a member with a voucher, you’ll be using it on the Market price of the wines. However, it’s nice to see that members can get vouchers and the free wines that that entails.

Payment Method

You don’t want to have a headache when making any online transaction. Being an Angel (member) of Naked Wine involves monthly transactions (via the monthly contributions). Thus, you’ll want a hassle-free payment method, so that you’ll be spared monthly headaches.

Naked Wines does well in this regards. It accepts the popular credit and debit cards (Master Card, Visa, American Express, and more). Your first payment will be transferred from your card on the day you register and become an Angel (member) of Naked Wine; while subsequent monthly payments will be removed from the registered card on or around that date of any month. However, if you want to choose your payment date, you can do that in your Account page.

When you place an order in Naked Wines, the amount is deducted from your Naked Wines account. However, if your order amount is more than the balance in your Naked Wines account, your registered credit/ debit card will be charged for the difference.

Delivery

Buying things online is different from buying in brick and mortar stores where you’ll walk in pay for the merchandise and walk out with it. Making online purchases means that the item will have to be moved from the store to your location (where you’ll take a delivery). Thus, some important things to consider are shipping destinations, shipping cost, and shipping times.

Naked Wines only serves the UK, the US and Australia. So shipment is to only these countries. IF you are not resident in any of these three territories, you’ll have to use other online stores for your wines.

In terms of cost and delivery times; delivery to the mainland United States takes 2 – 6 business days. Shipping cost $9.99 for all orders less than $100, while it is free for orders over $100. The only exceptions to this are New Jersey, Alaska, and Hawaii, which cost $19.99, $130, and $70 respectively. However, there are a few US states which Naked Wines do not ship to such as Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Ohio, Rhode, Island, and Utah. If a shipment goes missing or is damaged in transit, Naked Wines will usually send a replacement within 7 days or offer a full refund price you paid).

For shipping time and cost for customers in the UK; Naked Wines uses next day delivery service for most addresses in the UK (when you order before 5 pm). If you don’t want the wine to be delivered the next day, you can select another future day for its delivery (but it has to be at least 5 days from the purchase date). Delivery cost is £4.99 for all UK orders but is free for orders above £100. However, if you’ll want a special Saturday delivery (before noon) it’ll set you back by £6.99.

Naked Wines also have the Click and Collect delivery options for its UK customers. That is, you can buy wine in the store and have it sent to a Majestic Store closest to you; after which you can go to the store for pick up. All Click and Collect delivery is free (except if you are a new customer purchasing a discounted case). Stores delivered to Majestic Stores for the Click and Collect service will be held for 5 working days, after which they will be returned to inventory. However, be advised that there are some postcodes in the UK that Naked Wines do not deliver to; you’ll have to check their website for such postcodes.

For Australian customers; Naked Wines uses Next working day delivery for orders to Sydney, Melbourne and Perth metro areas, and it uses 2 – 4 business days for orders to Brisbane, Canberra, and Adelaide. However, orders have to be made before 3 pm. In terms of cost; Australian customers do not get the flat shipping rate. Orders going to Sydney and Melbourne are free, while shipping costs vary for all other orders. You’ll have to use the “delivery calculator” on the site to see how long and how much delivery will take. However, Naked Wines does not shop in the Northern Territory.

Special Feature

Ratings

Naked Wines has a “buy it again” rating against each listed wine in the website. This rating helps you to know how popular wine is; this is because it shows the percentage of customers who’ll definitely return to buy the particular wine again at the price. If you do not know what wine to pick from the vast selection in Naked Wines; these ratings might help. Needless to say, only customers that find a product good (at the price it is offered) will give it a “thumbs up”.

A good thing about the “buy it again” ratings is that it does not only show percentages of customers that gave the wine a “thumbs up”, but it also shows the total pool of customers that rated the wine. You’ll know that statistically, a larger sample size gives a better confidence level. For example, I’ll have more confidence in something rated good by 95% of 1,000 reviewers than in something rated good by 100% of 4 reviewers.

Communication

The community factor of Naked Wines extends beyond just knowing that your contributions have helped a winemaker. You can also get to talk with the winemakers. In these interactions, you can talk of what you like best about a particular wine, and even make suggestions for improving on a wine.

Customer Support

No matter how effectively a store operates, customers will still need help. There are some who’ll simply have questions and need answers; while there are others who will have complaints or issues with orders, and need a resolution. Thus, the ideal online store should have an effective customer support service for addressing the questions and issues of customers.

Naked Wines does very well in this regard. The first step to getting answers is the FAQ on their website. The self-help articles of the FAQ are systematically arranged to aid navigation; you’ll find subjects like ordering, delivery, vouchers, what are angels, money-back guarantee, and more

If the FAQ articles are not adequate, you can directly contact Naked Wines and an agent will be in touch with you. Naked Wines supports three different channels for direct contact – live chat, telephone, and email.

For the email service, the email address to direct your submissions is help@nakedwines.com. Mails can be sent in at any time, and Naked Wines promise to respond to all mails within 24 hours (Monday to Saturday). Response time of 24 hours is relatively fast in an industry where some stores can take more than 48 hours to respond to email submissions.

However, if you still want instant feedback, you may use the live chat or the telephone service. The live chat can be accessed from links on the website, while the telephone number to call is dependent on the country you are calling from. For UK customers, the number is 01603 281869; for US customers it is 1-800-673-4718; and for Australian customers, it is 1300 898 677. The instant feedback channels (telephone and live chat) are available between the hours of 9 am – 5:30 pm (Monday – Friday), and 9 am – 1 pm on Saturdays.

Is Naked Wines legit and safe?

Naked Wines is safe and also legitimate. When using an online platform, legitimacy is not always enough. A legit platform will not rip you off, but unless it is also safe, the sensitive information that you share with it will leak out to unauthorized third parties which will leave you exposed to other fraudsters out there. Thus, the ideal online store should also be safe in ensuring that users’ sensitive data is protected.

Naked Wines also ticks this box. It assures in its privacy policy that the company is committed to protecting users’ data. It uses employs different measures for the protection of data; one such is SSL encryption. Thus, users’ data (whether personal data or credit card details) is encrypted as it is being transmitted so that even if it is intercepted by hackers, the information cannot be read.

With the use of standardized encryption protocol and other measures, it is safe to say that Naked Wines is safe.

Complaints

Insignificant Price Difference

One of the selling points of Naked Wines is that members get wines at discounted (angels) prices that are significantly lower than the full price. However, you’ll find in many channels that this claim of Naked Wines is misleading. The complaint is not that the angel prices are not more favourable than the prices of comparable wines in the open market, but that they are not as favourable as Naked Wines claims.

For example, at the time of writing this review:

• the D.H. Elliot California BX 2017 was listed thus: Market Price – $10.92 and Angel Price – $9.99, which means that Angel’s saving was less than a dollar ($0.93), which is 8.5%
• the D.H. Elliot California Pinot Grigio 2018 was listed thus: Market Price – $11.49 and Angel Price $9.99, which means that Angel’s saving was only $1.50, which is about 13%

However, it should be said that, while the Angel’s saving is very small (almost insignificant) for some wines, for others it is very significant.

• The Michaud Columbia Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2018 was listed thus: Market Price – $19.23 and Angels Price $10.99, which gives an Angel’s savings of $8.24, which is over 42%
• The Ken Deis Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 was listed thus: Market Price $56.66 and Angel Price $22.99, which gives an Angel savings of $33.67, which is over 59%

Also, when buying in cases, you’ll easily see that the price difference is very significant. At the time of writing, we checked the first 30 listed cases; and the Angel’s Price was better off than the Market Price with cost savings that ranged from 28.38% to 56.11%. You can easily save over $100 on most cases with the Angel Price.

Obscure names

Another complaint you’ll find that is pitched at Naked Wines is that it sells obscure wines. Not necessarily cheap or poor quality wines, but lesser-known or totally unknown wines. The company itself says that it sells exclusive wines, warning that you will not “recognize the labels”.

So if you are for popular brands, you’ll not find joy shopping in Naked Wines. Some of the classics that are available in the market, you won’t find in Naked Wines. In the same vein, the wines you’ll find in Naked Wines are exclusive to it; you won’t find them anywhere else.

However, it’s been noted that “unknown names” does not equal poor quality. In fact, most often than not, you’ll find the wines to be of very fine (or even better) quality.

Misleading Claims

Another complaint you’ll find thrown at Naked Wines is that it uses a slew of misleading statements to promote the brand. For example, some have pointed out that Naked Wines claim of supporting “struggling” winemakers is not always true. That is, the complaint is that not all the winemakers of Naked Wines were actually struggling and needed a boost.

While it is true that “struggling” does not describe some of the Naked winemakers, it cannot be disputed that many of the winemakers of Naked Wines would not have gotten their wine projects off the ground without the help of the company.

Another thing that people point to is the loaded rhetoric of Naked Wines, many of which bother on misleading. Some of these statements were made to assure customers that the quality of wine in Naked Wines is topnotch, these include statements like: “winemakers know their grapes have been sol upfront, so they harvest at full ripeness”, and “winemakers know that their wine is sold upfront, so they spend their time in their cellar making the wine delicious, rather than on the road trying to sell it”. However, those in the know easily scuff at a statement like those.

However, while the rhetoric is a bit heavy, the point is that Naked Wines does have quality wines. Not just because grapes were plucked at full ripeness, or because winemakers spend more time on quality than for sales and marketing; but because the winemakers know their stuff. The Naked Wines community is the market of these winemakers; the wines are rated by customers, and these ratings drive many future sales. So the winemakers have every reason to make the “killer” wine.

Pros

• Get wines at discounted prices
• A wide range of wines are provided
• Good quality wines are provided
• Independent winemakers are funded with members’ contributions
• Promotes interaction with winemakers
• There are customer ratings and wine suggestions to help in selecting a wine
• There is a money-back guarantee (in case you do not like a wine)
• Discount vouchers are regularly made available
• Delivery is relatively fast
• Shipping cost is relatively on the low
• A wide range of options is supported for getting help (email, telephone, and live chat) and response time is relatively fast

Cons

• Have to make monthly contributions
• Popular wines will not be found on the site

Summary

Naked Wines is legitimate, and also a popular UK wine company with a unique approach to selling wines. As a customer, you’ll have to make monthly payments into your Naked Wines account. The money is used by the company to fund independent winemakers; who are then able to make great wines.

The benefit to you is that you get these wines at low prices; significantly lower than what non-members will have to pay. Also, your Naked Wines account is like a savings account; the money in it remains yours to be used to buy wines from the company at any time.

This means that Naked Wines gives good prices for good quality wines. The business approach of the company eliminates the middlemen (like wholesalers and supermarkets) and the markups of these guys, which means that unnecessary costs are not passed on to the customers.

Also, the winemakers who were funded with your contributions know that they owe you a debt, so there’ll be no corporate business rip-off. The one bump is that Naked Wines sell only wines from their select group of winemakers, so popular titles (labels) in the market cannot be found on the website.

However, it is not the innovative business model that does it for Naked Wines. Customers will not go back if the wines are anything but great. Thankfully, Naked Wines lives up to its promise of providing great wines. You’ll find a customers’ rating on every wine to help you with your selection when buying.