Lulus is a California based women’s wear brand that promises to provide a bit of luxury without the price tag. This suggests that it is a shopping destination for getting high-end top quality products for relatively low prices. The big question is whether this is just some advert-speak or whether Lulus actually provides “affordable luxury”.
Also, if Lulus does provide the product (top quality and low-priced), what about its service; does it provide top service that we’ll expect of the ideal online store (such as easy ordering, fast delivery, easy returns, effective customer support service, etc)?
In the first place, is Lulus legit, or is it just another scam store out to rip off unsuspecting online shoppers?
Yes, Lulus is legit. It is not a scam because there has never been a complaint of customers not getting their products after payment. But do they send quality materials to customers? Continue reading…
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This Lulus review will examine Lulus in order to provide the information that will help you answer these questions and more.
Lulus’ origins can be traced to 1996 when Debra Cannon and Colleen Winter (a mother and daughter) opened the Vintage Boutique Lulu’s Fashion Lounge in Chico, California. However, Lulus started offering clothing exclusively online in 2008.
The founders say that their goal is to give fashion enthusiasts a bit of luxury without the price tag. Thus, you’ll find that Lulus hold high-end fashion products. This includes clothing, shoes, and accessories. Lulus is a typical example of a store that sells own-brand items, as 85% of products offered are Lulu’s line, with the remaining 15% coming from selected designers.
One cannot be too careful when buying things online, especially with the stories of people getting ripped off in some online platforms. So as not to be a victim, you’ll want to determine that any online platform that you plan to use is legit. So the big question here is whether Lulus is legit. The simple answer to that is “YES”.
Our first check of a legit online store is legality. This is because online platforms that are 100% legal are less likely to be scams. Thankfully, Lulus ticks this box. The website is owned and operated by Lulu’s Fashion Lounge LLC, which is a duly registered company in the US.
The company has raised several undisclosed amounts of funds from top financial institutions such as HIG Growth Partners, Abacus Finance Group, Monroe Capital, and more. Suffice it to say that a scam store will not bother with company registration and cannot raise funds from top investors.
Another check of a legit online store is visibility and industry-wide recognition. This is because the scam stores largely operate in the shadows. Thankfully, Lulus also ticks this box. Lulus is one of those online fashion stores that has leveraged social media to reach millions of customers, and it has over 1.3 million followers on Instagram. Suffice it to say that a scam store will not be trusted by so many industry followers and watchers.
Another check of a legit online store is the test of time. This is because the scam stores are usually short-lived. They are found out in a short time, and they always do not survive the exposure. Thankfully, Lulus ticks this box. Starting as a boutique in 1996, Lulu’s overall lifespan has exceeded 23 years; and as an online store, it has exceeded 11 years. Suffice it to say that a scam store cannot go on operating for over a decade.
However, the ultimate test of a legit online store is fitness for purpose. An online store is fit for purpose if it delivers real and functional products to customers who place orders in the platform. Thankfully, Lulus ticks this box. There’s no doubt that persons who place orders in Lulus receive delivery of real products, and these are largely functional.
That said, with Lulus operated by a 100% legal company, with it having industry-wide recognition, and with it having a rich operating record of fulfilling orders with high-quality products, there’s no doubt that it is a legit online store.
Yes, Lulus is safe. Legitimacy is not enough. While a legit store will not rip you off, if it isn’t safe the sensitive information (such as personal information and credit card details) that you share with it will leak out leaving you exposed to all the fraudsters out there. Thus, the ideal online store will not only be legit but will also be safe in ensuring the protection of users’ data.
In this regards, Lulus comes out well. Orders placed in the site are encrypted using SSL technology, which is the industry-standard authentication and encryption technology. With SSL implemented, information transmitted over the internet will remain unaltered and secure, and it is safe to say that Lulus is safe.
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Customers usually gravitate towards stores that offer a wide range of products. This is because such stores can be a one-stop stores, where customers can get their needs in one place. Such one-place buying affords convenience and cost savings.
The convenience comes from not having to look up multiple stores, and the cost savings come from not spreading purchases between different stores and qualifying for large order discounts, or from shipping only one order instead of paying to ship multiple orders from different stores.
Thankfully, Lulus does relatively well in this regard. Lulus provides fashion products for women, and its impressive collection includes clothing, footwear, and accessories. When shopping in Lulus, the product categories and items you’ll find in each category are:
Another important product consideration is inventory size. For example, it’s not enough that a store provides dresses, it’s important that the store holds a large number of dresses (different styles) so that you’re more likely to find something that appeals to your taste and budget.
Thankfully, Lulus ticks this box. For example, at the time of writing this review, we found that the dresses category held 3,160 different styles; and that in the Clothing category, there were 2,305 styles of Tops and 742 styles of bottoms. Suffice it to say that Lulus has the numbers to satisfy many a selection needs.
The ideal online store should be easy to use. Thankfully, Lulus ticks this box. The website is not only easy to navigate, but it is mobile optimized to give an optimal mobile shopping experience. Lulus has also developed apps.
Discovering items in Lulus is also straightforward. You can browse through the product categories in the menu; alternatively, you can enter product keywords into the search bar in the page, and it will bring up products related to your search enquiry.
Clicking on a product will take you to its description page. The page holds a detailed description of the item. It also holds different product images of the item. To help you with ordering the right size, you’ll find a size chart as well as the measurement of the model in the product images.
If you like the item, you can then select your size, and colour, and proceed to add it to your cart. You can click on the bag icon to go to your cart. There, you can view your order detail and proceed to checkout. There, you’ll submit shipping information, and select a payment method to pay for your order.
One of the good things about Lulus is that it supports “Guest checkout”. That is, you can checkout without creating a user account. This is good if you’ll not want your information stored by an online store. Also, if you do not want to place an order online, you can call customer care to place an order via telephone.
Many times, after placing an order, customers will change their minds and will want to modify or cancel their order. Thus, stores that allow order modification or cancellation come out as attractive. Unfortunately, Lulus does not shine in this regard.
That is, after placing an order in Lulus, you cannot modify it or cancel it. This is very unfortunate as there are many online stores that allow placed orders to be cancelled any time prior to shipment.
No one will want to overpay for any item. Thus, the ideal online store should feature items that are reasonably priced. In this regard, the main promise of Lulus is to provide affordable luxury in fashion products.
Thankfully, it lives up to this promise. For example, in the dresses category, there were dozens of styles for $10; many of the styles went for $30 – $65. In fact, of the over 3,000 dress styles listed, only 46 were over $150. To put this in perspective, you’ll be hard-pressed to find items under $50 in luxury fashion stores.
Thus, though Lulus have some floored prices, it is not by any means a low-cost shopping destination. But at the same time, it is not at all an expensive store.
Almost everyone likes free stuff or being able to get much for less. Thus, stores that offer promotions are very attractive. This is because promos allow customers to get items for free, or for less than the items’ going rates.
Thankfully, Lulus come out as a promotions-generous store. At the time of writing this review, there were many promotional offers. Some that caught the eye included:
You’ll also find a host of coupons that will give you different percentages of prices. As it is in virtually all online stores, promos are time-specific; they only run for a period of time. Thus, you’ll have to check regularly to know what promo is running at any time. Alternatively, you can register for email or text alerts. Such registrations are incentivized. Lulus will give you 15% off your first purchase when you sign up for its alerts.
However, Lulus does not accept coupons for international orders except the “WORLDWIDE” code which is used for international shipping.
When using eCommerce platforms, you’ll want to find convenient payment methods so that no matter where you are resident, paying for your order will not be a problem. Thankfully, Lulus ticks this box.
The payment methods available will depend on whether you are using the website or the app. When using the Lulus website, you can pay with Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, JCB, Diners Club International, PayPal, Lulus Gift Cards, as well as Lulus Online Credit. However, when using the app, you can pay with Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Apply Pay, Google Pay, and Lulus Online Credit.
Many times, shoppers want to get something but cannot cover the full cost at the moment. Thus, stores that offer some form of financing come out strong. Lulus does well in this regard, as it offers financing through Klarna.
With Klarna, your payment is divided into four equal instalments. The first is paid at checkout, and your credit card is charged every 2 weeks for the remaining 3 instalments. Thus, you’ll pay up in full in 6 weeks. It’s an interest-free financing plan. Thus all you’ll pay will equal the total cost of your order.
Also, using Klarna financing is relatively easy. When checking out, simply click Klarna as your payment method and enter your credit card information.
Your order will be held; while Klarna verifies your information and process your approval. This usually takes about 12 hours. If it’s approved, you’ll receive a confirmation email outlining your order, due dates, etc. However, if it is not approved, your order is cancelled, and you’ll be notified.
When making purchases in online stores, the item will have to be shipped from the store’s facility to your shipping address. Thus, shipping is always an important consideration. Among the things to consider are: whether the store ships merchandise to your location, how long it takes to receive the items, and how much it’ll cost.
Before investing any more time checking a store, you should have checked that it ships merchandise to your destination. In most stores, orders will not be processed if you are resident in a location that is not served. In this regard, online stores that ships merchandise to worldwide locations come out strong; this is because customers are more likely to have their location served.
That said, Lulus does relatively well in this regard. It ships to the US, Canada, and over 75 other countries across the globe. The reach covers every region of the world – Europe, North and South America, Oceania, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. All orders are shipped via USPS.
After placing an order, you’ll definitely want to receive delivery of the package as soon as possible. Thus, the ideal online store should feature fast delivery.
Delivery time typically consist of order processing time and shipping time. The former is how much time it takes after placing an order before the order ships, while the latter is how much time it takes after your order ships before it arrives at the shipping address.
For fast delivery, you’ll want both order processing and shipping to be relatively fast. Delivery Times (order processing and shipping times) differ for each country.
When shipping to the US, you’ll find a couple of shipping options. These include:
The above shipping times apply to the contiguous United States. When shipping to Alaska, Hawaii, and the US Territories, it takes 8 – 21 business days.
When shipping internationally, there are three shipping options – Economy, Standard and Express. For Orders going to Canada:
For all other international orders:
Interestingly, unlike many other online fashion stores, if you have entered an incorrect shipping address, Lulus allow you to change this. However, you’ll have to contact its customer care unit (via telephone) as soon as possible. A toll-free line is even provided for US and Canadian customers.
The total cost of an online purchase is the item’s price and its shipping cost. Thus, if the cost of shipping is too high, even an item that is acceptably priced can easily become too expensive to acquire. That said; the ideal online fashion store should have shipping costs that are as low as possible.
Lulus does relatively well in this regard. When shipping to locations in the US: Ground Shipping cost $5 but is free for orders over $50 (including shipping to P.O. Boxes), 3 Day shipping cost $9, 2nd Day Air shipping cost $18, while Overnight Shipping cost $25. Shipping to Alaska and Hawaii cost $7, while shipping to US Territories cost $13.
When shipping to Canada. Economy shipping cost $12 but is free for orders over $150, Standard shipping cost 418, while Express shipping cost $35. However, when shipping to other international countries, Economy shipping cost $15 but is free for orders over $150, Standard shipping cost $21, while Priority/ Express shipping cost $39.
It’s good that shipping to the US is relatively low. Also, free shipping is offered (albeit on only the relatively slow Ground Shipping option). It’s also good the free shipping offer comes with a relatively low $50 minimum order requirement. Thus, you’ll not have that subtle pressure to overspend in chase of free shipping.
However, when shipping internationally, you may find the shipping costs relatively steep. Thankfully, free shipping is also offered; but this comes at a relatively high minimum order requirement. Having to spend upward of $150 in order to get free shipping may pressure some to spend more than they’d hoped to.
One thing that plagues online purchases is that orders when received are not always totally satisfactory. As a result, customers will want a store that’ll allow them to return an item in their order that is not satisfactory (and get a replacement or a refund).
Thankfully, Lulus allow returns for refunds or exchange. That is, if you receive a Lulus item and are not 100% satisfied with it, you can return it and request a refund of payment. For product exchanges, you’ll have to return the first order, get refunded and place a fresh order. So technically, Lulus does not offer product exchange.
Usually, it is not every item that is listed by a retailer can be returned. That said, you’ll want return restrictions to be limited so that you’ll not have items in your hands that cannot be returned.
Lulus does very well in this regard because virtually everything bought from it are eligible for returns. The only things that cannot be returned are: items specifically marked as “Final Sales Items”, Gift Cards, as well as Jewelry and sunglasses under $25.
A group of items conspicuously missing from the return restrictions of Lulus is Swimwear and Lingerie. You’ll find these items among the “Return restrictions” of many online fashions stores, and this is usually for health/ hygiene reasons. Interestingly, Lulus does not put a generic no-no on returning swimwear and lingerie. You can return these items to Lulus as long as the hygienic strip is not broken.
That said, items that are eligible for returns must be in their original new condition if they are to be accepted when returned. That is, they must be unworn, unwashed, and all tags intact. Items must also be free of every sign of use, such as stains from makeup, deodorant, perfume, dander, or similar stains. When returning shoes, the shoes must be returned with their original shoe box and placed inside an additional box.
It is not enough that an online store allows returns; it is also important that the return process be easy. Lulus does relatively well in this regard.
To return a Lulus item, access your account by signing in. Hover over “Account” and choose “Initiate a Return” in the drop-down menu; then proceed to fill the form.
You can then proceed to package the item appropriately. You’ll have to include the original packing slip in the package (or a piece of paper with the order number written on it). If you are a US customer, Lulus provides Return Shipping Label. You can proceed to print the Shipping Label, and attach it to your package.
US customers will have to drop the return package off with the shipping carrier referenced on the return label, which is either USPS or Ups. International customers will have to ship the package to the return address: Lulus.com Returns, 2336 Park Ave, Chico, CA 95928, USA. International customers are advised to use an insured shipping service, as Lulus is not responsible for missing, damaged, or packages lost in transit.
However, you won’t have forever to decide on returning an order. Online stores only accept returned items received within a specified time period. That said, you’ll want an extended period so that your Returns will not be rejected for being late.
Lulus does excellently in this regards. It offers a 30 days and 45 days return window depending on whether you’re a domestic (US) customer or an international customer.
That is, for US customers, Lulus accepts returns postmarked within 30 days of the delivery date. While international customers (including Canadians), returns are accepted if postmarked within 45 days of the delivery date.
This is a relatively long delivery date, so you should not be pressed with time if you’ll want to return any item in your Lulus order.
Another important consideration is the cost of returning an item. Where such costs are too high, you may be forced to keep an unwanted item. Thus, the ideal online store should feature return costs that are as low as possible.
Cost of returns usually consists of restocking fees and return shipping fees. Thankfully, Lulus does not charge restocking fees. However, return shipping fees apply, as customers are responsible for the cost of shipping the return package to Lulus.
US customers can choose to use the Lulus Return Shipping Label. Those who do will have $7 deducted from their refund as a return fee. So the cost of return for US customers (using the Return Label) is $7. For others not using the Label (including all international returns), the cost of the return is whatever the carrier used charges.
However, US customers are able to get free returns. This is because free return shipping applies for domestic returns that are postmarked within 10 days of the delivery date. Thus, to get free returns, you’ll have to be a US customer, and you’ll have to work with a return window reduced by three times.
Another important “Returns” consideration is when and how you’ll be refunded if you return an item in your order.
In terms of “when you’ll be refunded”, you won’t want to be kept waiting for too long to get refunded. In this regards, Lulus promises that it won’t leave you hanging. It issues refunds immediately after the returned item is processed, and this typically takes 7 – 10 business days after the return package is received.
In terms of “how you’ll be refunded”, many customers simply want their money back. Lulus also does well in this regards, as it issues refunds to the original payment method. Thus, if you originally paid for your order through credit card, your card will be credited.
However, Lulus also supports “refunds via store credits” for all those that’ll want that option. However, it’s not news that shoppers will always take “refunds to original payment method” over “refunds via store credit”. This is because store credits restrict your use of the fund to the particular store.
That is, if you get a refund as Lulus’s store credits, you can only use the credits in Lulus; you’ll be unable to walk away and use the credits somewhere else. But where you get your money back (to your original payment method), you may decide to go to another store and use the funds there for future purchases.
However, Lulus incentivize its store credits, so there is reason to choose to be refunded via Lulus’ store credits. It gives a $5 bonus credit per order if you choose refunds via store credits. That is, if your order is worth $50, and you choose store credits refunds, Lulus will refund you $55 (which is your order amount + bonus credit).
When deciding on any online store it’s important to consider its customer support service, because in your journey in the store you may have questions or even issues. You’ll want the ideal online store to be able to answer the questions that you’ll have and resolve any issue that you may have.
That said, online platforms usually provide support using a combination of self-help resources and direct contact channels. Lulus does likewise.
For self-help, it has a lot of support articles that you’ll find in the “Help” section of the website. These treat subjects like shipping, return policy, tracking orders, and more. You’ll find that these articles answer many of the questions that you may have.
However, if you’ll want to contact the customer support team, Lulus provide a range of contact options, which includes postal mail, online contact form, email, telephone, and live chat.
To use postal mail, you can address your letters to Lulus.com, 195 Humboldt Ave, Chico, CA 95928, USA. However, we know the problems with getting feedback with postal mail. So you may want to use the electronic mail services; for this, you can either use the contact form (found in the “Contact Us” section of the site) or send an email directly from your inbox using the email address: love@lulus.com.
However, if you’ll want instant feedback, you may use the Live Chat feature or telephone service. You can access the live chat from the “Contact Us” section of the site, or by tapping the message button displayed on pages of the website. When using the chat feature, you’ll get replies within 1 minute. To call in, the telephone number to call is 1-866-918-5858. However, the instant feedback channels are not available round the clock. They are available between 5:00 am – 9:00 pm (PST).
The complaints section is an important part of our reviews. This is where we bring to you what real customers of the store being reviewed have to say about it. These real customers’ reviews usually give an invaluable insight into how well the store is. That is, too many complaints could be a red flag that the store is not worthwhile, while very few complaints could mean that the store is worthwhile.
That said, for this section, we checked the top independent online customers reviews platforms such as Trustpilot and Sitejabber. Interestingly, Lulus is highly rated on these platforms. For example, at the time of writing this review, in Trustpilot, Lulus had been reviewed by 3,148 customers and it scored 4.5 out of 5; and in Sitejabber, Lulus had been reviewed by 425 customers, and it scored 4.2 out of 5
The relative good ratings mean that you’ll find a lot of positive reviews of Lulus. For example, many reviews hailed the quality of items received, as well as the price point. However, that Lulus did not score a perfect 5/ 5 means that there are a few complaints. These included:
One of the complaints that some customers had about Lulus is that sometimes their clothes are ill-fitting. For example:
It should be said that sizing is always an issue in online fashion stores. Also, it must be added that while some Lulus customers did report sizing issues, the problem is not as prevalent as it is in many other online stores. This is because, for every sizing issue, there are many other reviews of customers expressing satisfaction with the sizing of their orders.
Also, Lulus shows exemplary conduct when its customers’ support service is contacted about sizing issues. There are many reviews of customers who reach out and were satisfied with the assistance given.
One complaint that reared its head now and then is that items got from Lulus sometimes are found not to meet certain quality expectations. For example:
It should be said here that for every complaint of receipt of the poor quality item, there are many reviews of receipt of items featuring excellent quality. Thus, “receipt of poor quality items” comes out as one of those blips; poor quality is definitely not a problem facing Lulus. In fact, Lulus takes pride in the quality of its items.
Also, it must be said that because of the commitment to always deliver top quality, Lulus does admirably to help if “receipt of poor quality items” is reported.
As Abby in Trustpilot puts it “Lulus is a great website. Their clothes are super cute. I think sometimes the clothes aren’t always the best fitting or quality, but they have really great customer service to help you out when situations like that arise”.
That said; you can be sure that you’ll get good quality items in Lulus. However, if that blip does occur, and your item does not meet certain quality expectations, Lulus is very likely to help with a satisfactory resolution.
Another complaint that we found had to do with returns. Specifically, some customers who wanted to found that they could not return their unwanted items. For example:
The reviews suggest that the customers who made this complaint of “not being able to make returns” had ordered items marked as Final Sales. As mentioned earlier under the “Returns” section, items marked as Final Sales are non-returnable.
It should be said that this is not peculiar to Lulus. Almost all online fashion stores in the industry mark some items as final sales, which cannot be returned for any reason. Thus, said if you’re buying any item from online stores (Lulus inclusive), if you want to be able to return it (if it’s found wanting), you should stay clear of “Final Sales Items”.
However, the Lulus’ spirit of “making it right” for their customers was also seen in this case. Lulus approved remedies (some returns for full refunds; and others store credits towards a future purchase) for many customers who had evidently bought Final Sales Items and complained of being denied return in Trustpilot.
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Lulus is a legitimate California based women’s wear eCommerce store. It started as a Vintage Boutique, but soon became an online-only store focused on providing affordable luxury. Thus, its goal is to provide high-quality fashions products at affordable price points.
Fortunately, Lulus comes out strong on many counts. It provides a wide range of products which includes clothing (dresses, tops, bottoms, outerwear, swimwear, etc), shoes, and accessories. It also holds a wide inventory of each product type, meaning no matter your style and budget preference, you’ll find gorgeous pieces.
Most importantly, it delivers on its “affordable luxury” promise. So you’ll find its items to be of high quality and to be reasonably priced. Plus Lulus offers different promos which you can use to further bring down prices.
Lulus also offer top services. The site is easy to navigate, so discovering items and placing orders is easy breezy. Also, you’ll be able to receive your order in 75+ countries; and free shipping is offered. For US customers, you’ll get free shipping on orders worth only $50.
If for some reason your order is unsatisfactory, you can return it to Lulus, and you’ll get refunded to your original payment method. The return process is relatively easy, and the return window is long (as you’ll have 30 or 45 days depending on your country) to make up your mind. If you’re resident in the US, you can even get free returns.
That said; Lulus comes out as a great online store providing affordable luxury as well as top services like free shipping and easy returns. Yes, there are very few (if any reasons) not to use Lulus.
Have you made ant purchase on Lulus? If yes, what was your experience, good or bad? Kindly use the create your own review section below to give us your Lulus review.
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I ordered a top from Lulu Autumn and still have not received it. We have now moved and they tell me to contact the USPS which I did. I don’t even have the correct tracking number which I told them. Have reached out to them once a week for the last two weeks about tracking number and now not even responding to my emails. I would never order from them again.
NO, LULUS IS NOT LEGIT