Onine Stores

RoseWe is an online fashion store that says it is the place you should go if you are looking for a new fresh look that nobody else has. According to its website, it has been helping the fashion-conscious look fabulous since 2009. RoseWe is exclusively an online store, which means it does not have brick and mortar retail stores.

It is headquartered in China; it is one of many China-based online fashion stores that are linked with the Chinese E-commerce company ShenZhen Global Egrow E-commerce Co. One characteristic of China-based stores is rock bottom prices, and RoseWe is no different.

RoseWe advertises as the ultimate one-stop shop for the modern yet economical fashionista. Its mission is to provide women all over the world with style without the hefty price. Its target audience is 18 – 35 fashion-conscious, pocket conscious women. RoseWe offers the latest (almost daily) in women’s fashion from the high streets; this includes apparel, footwear, accessories, handbags, swimwear, and more, all at prices you can afford.

RoseWe is a China-based online fashion shop that advertises that it provides style without the hefty price tag. It suggests that it is a destination where you’ll get the latest fashion styles without breaking the bank.

The question is whether RoseWe actually fulfils fast fashion needs and provides the latest styles in the fashion world; another is whether it does offer these without the hefty price tag. If RoseWe does offer the latest styles and at the sweetest prices, another question is whether the quality of the items is topnotch to make buying from RoseWe worthwhile. What about its service? Does RoseWe offer top service that we’ll expect of the go-to online store (such as fast delivery, easy returns, effective customer service, etc)? In the first place is RoseWe legit?

Yes, RoseWe is legit. It is not a scam because they will never take your money without shipping your items to your destination. And they will never steal your money or credit card details.

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

RoseWe review at a glance

• Website: www.rosewe.com
• An online women’s fashion retailer providing apparel, swimwear, accessories, handbags, footwear, etc
• Ships to many countries of the world
• Free shipping is offered to many locations
• Unwanted items can be returned to RoseWe within 30 days of the delivery date
• Customer support is available via email (service@rosewe.com), ticket, and live chat

Is RoseWe legit?

RoseWe is legitimate. With online fraudsters using scam stores to rip people off, you’ll want to determine that an online store is legit before proceeding to use it for any transaction. Determining that a store is legit is quite easy if you know what to look out for.

The first check of a legit online store is legality. This is because stores that are 100% legal are less likely to be a scam. RoseWe actually ticks the legality box as it is part of Shenzhen Global Egrow E-commerce Co. which is a 100% legal Chinese company.

Another check of a legit online store is the test of time. This is because scam stores are generally short-lived. It’s only a matter of time before they’re scamming is exposed; and with such exposure, they close up and disappear. Thankfully, RoseWe passes this test of time. It was one of the first online stores having opened its virtual doors in 2009. Suffice it to say that no scam stores can continue ripping off people for up to a decade.

Another check of a legit online store is industry-wide recognition. This is because scam stores operate in the shadows. RoseWe actually ticks this visibility box, because it is one store that is widely known for low pricing.

However, the ultimate check of a legit store is fitness for purpose. This is because scam stores do not deliver or deliver products that are not functional, but legit stores deliver real products that work as intended. RoseWe actually ticks this box. Though, there are many issues that we’ll want to see (especially those relating to quality, return, and refunds), the fact that many customers get their RoseWe orders, and find these to be satisfactory shows that the store is fit for purpose.

That said; the short answer to whether RoseWe is a legit store is YES. While the long answer is: RoseWe is a legit store as it is 100% legal, have a rich operating record, is internationally reputable, and it delivers (albeit occasionally) real functional products.

Is RoseWe safe?

RoseWe is safe. It is not enough that an online store is legit. While a legit store will not rip you off; if it is not safe, the sensitive information you share with it (such as credit card details) will leak out, and you’ll be exposed to fraudsters out there. Thus, the ideal online store needs to be safe in safeguarding customers’ data.

RoseWe ticks this box. In this regard, RoseWe says it uses reasonable security measures to prevent unauthorized access as well as to safeguard all customers’ data. While we’ll like the details of these security measures; we can take confidence from the fact that RoseWe has not suffered a data breach. It’s safe to say that RoseWe is safe.

Products

Product Range

You want a one-stop-shop that holds a wide range of products; this gives the convenience of getting all you want in one place instead of visiting different stores. Thus, the ideal online store, even if focusing on a niche, should provide a variety of products within the niche.

Thankfully, RoseWe does relatively well in this regard. It is an online store focusing on only women’s wear; and it holds the full gamut, from apparel to accessories, and footwear. When shopping in RoseWe, the product categories, you’ll find, as well as the different items in each category are as follows:

• Dresses – Maxi dresses, Sheath dresses, Casual Dresses, Long Sleeve Dresses, Print Dresses, Off the Shoulder dresses, Lace dresses, Chiffon dresses, etc. You can also shop by colour, or by trends.
• Swimwear – Tankinis, Swim dresses, Bikinis, Cover-Ups, One Piece Swimwear, High Waist Swimsuit. You can shop by colour, or by support (underwire and wire-free)
• Tops – Tees and T-Shirts, Blouses and Shirts, Sweaters and Cardigans
• Bottoms – Jumpsuit & Rompers, Pants
• Plus Size – Swimwear, Dresses, Tops, Jumpsuits
• Outerwear – Sweats and Hoodies, Coats
• Jewellery – Necklaces and Pendants, Bracelets and Bangles, Earrings, Rings, Anklets

One good thing about RoseWe is that not only does it have this wide range of products, but it also provides a large inventory of each product type. This means that it is able to provide different styles of a particular product to cater to different preferences. As a result, you’ll be very likely to find something that you like when shopping in RoseWe.

Product Quality

The legit online fashion store should offer products of high quality so that whatever product category you pick items from, you’ll find the quality wanting. RoseWe advertises that it incorporates a winning formula that includes the style, quality, value and service. With style accounted for with its vast selection; the next ingredient of the “winning formula” is quality. This would suggest that RoseWe offers products with high-quality features.

Granted, quality is subjective; but all customers agree that quality fashion products should feature high-quality materials, and be made well. Comfort is another issue with quality fashion products, and there is the issue of products being durable.

In this regard, products from RoseWe are, at best, so-so. We looked at the top independent customers’ review platforms(like Trustpilot.com, sitejabber.com, etc) to find out what actual customers are saying about RoseWe’s products. We found that RoseWe is only averagely rated. Negative reviews do not overwhelm the positive reviews to make them un-recommendable; at the same time, positive reviews do not overwhelm negative reviews to make them recommendable.

For example, at the time of writing this review, RoseWe had a rating of 5.4/ 10 (from 1,414 reviewers) on Trustpilot.com. It had a 3.3/ 10 rating (from 2,770 reviewers) on Sitejabber.com; and a 4.4/ 10 rating (from 111 reviewers) in resellerratings.com. Reviews range from comments like “extremely poor in quality” to “great quality”.

Pricing, and Related Policies

Pricing

Because money does not come easy, no one will want it to go easy. Thus, even when customers want to get the best of the latest, they’ll not be willing to pay over the tops. Thus, the ideal online store should feature prices that are reasonable. Thankfully, RoseWe does relatively well in this regard.

In fact, the founding purpose of RoseWe is to “provide style without the hefty price tag”. It does deliver on the promise. At the time of writing this review, in the dresses category, we found many gorgeous styles for around $20. Suffice it to say that in the averagely priced stores, gorgeous picks will be around $50, while the expensive stores will have them in three figures.

Know that some unhappy customers even use RoseWe prices as a reference when making comments. For example, Madisonam54 in Resellers Ratings says “Clothes are very poor quality. I really didn’t expect much. I mean, the price of the clothes should give you a clue”

Promotions

The search for value takes customers to promotional offers, as these offers allow them to get certain items for free or for less than the items’ full prices. Thankfully, RoseWe is an online store that is very generous with the promotions. At the time of writing this review, the landing page of its website announced many promotional offers.

For example, there was a Sale promo that promised 12% off 2 items and 20% off 4 items. There was a special offer that advertised the possibility of winning a free gift; and there were many price slashing offers, some knocking off as much as 655 from full prices.

Generally, promotions are time-specific, so you’ll have to check the website to know what promotion is running at any particular time. Alternatively, you can submit your email for newsletters and you’ll get alerts of special offers. Dropping your email will even get you 5% off your next purchase.

Payment Methods

The ideal online store should offer hassle-free service that should involve making a payment without stress. Thankfully, RoseWe ticks this box. You can pay for your order using PayPal and the popular Credit/ Debit cards such as Visa, Mastercard, American Express, etc.

It does not support alternative payment methods like checks (cheques), e-wallets, or COD (Cash On Delivery) payments. However, with credit cards and PayPal, you shouldn’t have any problem with paying for orders no matter where you are located.

Also, being a store that serves international customers, RoseWe supports a range of international currencies. When you review the website, you can select the currency you’ll want to view products in. This means that many international customers will not be bothered by currency conversions.

Using RoseWe

RoseWe is like many online stores out there that you have to register to use. That means it does not support guest orders, where you can order something from the website without registering as a member. However, registering is an easy process that simply entails submitting your email address.

Browsing listing is relatively easy as the site is easy and intuitive. You can search through the product categories, or you can use the search tool. When you find an item, clicking on it will open up its detailed description page; from there you can add it to your cart. You can then continue shopping or proceed to checkout.

One good thing with RoseWe is that it rewards loyal customers. As you use RoseWe, you’ll accumulate points (R points) which you can later use to discount products. The conversion rate is 100 R points = $1.00. There are various ways of earning these R points such as:

• Shopping – you’ll get R points equivalent to the commodity cost
• Review – you’ll get 10 R points if you write a review, and 20 R points if you upload a photo in your review
• Style Gallery – you’ll get 20 R points if you upload a photo in Style gallery that is approved
• Social media – you’ll get 30 R points if you share RoseWe products on social networks or forums

Shipping

Online purchases differ significantly from brick and mortar purchases in that you’ll not be getting the purchase immediately, as it has to be moved from the store’s fulfilment centre to your shipping address. Thus, shipping considerations like locations shipped to, delivery times, and shipping costs are important considerations in online shopping.

Shipping Destinations

Except for online store ships to your location, it’ll be difficult to receive delivery of an order. In this regard, you’ll want a store that ships to many worldwide locations so that your location is more likely to be covered. Thankfully, RoseWe ticks this box.

The online fashion store ships to over 200 countries worldwide, covering virtually every region of the world including Europe, the Americas, Oceania, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

Delivery Times

After placing an order, you’ll not want to wait forever to receive the delivery. So the ideal online store should have fast shipping times. Delivery times usually include order processing time and order shipment time. The former (processing time) is how long it takes after placing an order before the package is dispatched for shipment. In RoseWe, this generally takes 1 – 4 business days. However, for some items, processing may take 9 business days.

The latter (shipment time) is how long it takes after the package ships before it gets to the customer’s shipping address. In RoseWe, it is dependent on the particular country that the package is shipping to, and the shipping option selected.

When shipping to the US, three shipping options are available. These include Flat rate shipping which takes 9 – 12 business days; Standard shipping which takes 6 – 8 business days; and Expedited shipping which 3 – 5 business days. However, RoseWe does not deliver to military addresses (APO, FPO, DPO). When shipping to Canada; Flat Rate Shipping is 12 – 16 business days, while Standard Shipping and Expedited Shipping are as shipping to the US.

In every country served, Expedited Shipping is available which takes 3 – 5 business days; but some countries do not have the Standard Shipping option.

Shipping Cost

The total cost of acquiring any item online is made up of the item’s purchase cost and associated shipping costs. Thus, where shipping costs apply, you’ll want them to be as low as possible, else even when an item is reasonably priced, it could raise the total cost of the item to unreasonable limits.

The lowest possible cost is $0.00. Yes, there are many online stores that offer free shipping. Thankfully, RoseWe is one of them. Also, the minimum order requirement to get free shipping is one of the lowest we’ve seen. With an order of just over $15, you’ll get free shipping.

Thus, RoseWe does not give its customer the subtle pressure to overspend in order to get free shipping. However, RoseWe free shipping offer only applies to the Flat Rate Shipping option which is relatively the slowest of the options.

Where free shipping does not apply (when an order is less than $25, or when a relatively faster shipping option is desired), shipping costs apply. These costs vary, as they are calculated based on the weight of the order and the country that it is shipping to.

Return Policy

It is not news that sometimes customers are not satisfied with an online order when it is delivered. Thus, the ideal store should allow a customer to return an unwanted item to it for either a replacement item or a refund. Thankfully, RoseWe allows returns.

Return Process

If you are not pleased with your RoseWe order, the first thing is to contact RoseWe. To do this, log in and from the “My Order” page, and submit a ticket for return & refund. RoseWe will reply. If the reply is an approval of the return request, you’ll get a Return Address and RMA number in the ticket.

Then you can proceed to package the items appropriately and ship it back to RoseWe using any shipping company. Most importantly, you’ll have to send RoseWe (through the ticket) the return tracking number and shipping company.

Return Window

Returns cannot be made at any time. To be accepted, they’ll have to be made within a time window specified by the retailer. In this regard, you’ll want an extended time period so that your return package will not be rejected for getting back to the retailer late. RoseWe allows a return window of 30 days from receipt of items.

That is, you can return eligible items to RoseWe within 30 days from the delivery date. This is like the standard return window; and is enough time, so you shouldn’t be pressed with time when returning an item to RoseWe.

Eligible Returns and Conditions

In all stores, not all items are eligible for returns. However, you will not want too many restrictions on returns so that you can shop with the freedom of knowing that you can return what you are not satisfied with.

In this regard,  RoseWe does not allow the returns of Flash Sales products and jewellery. Generally, Stores put a restriction on returns of Sales items. However, there are some that’ll allow you to return these but with a reduced return window. Also, for hygiene reasons, stores put restrictions on some jewellery especially pierced jewellery; but the policy of RoseWe suggests that all jewellery is ineligible for returns, which is not very friendly.

Swimwear is another clothing piece that the stores have return restrictions on for hygiene reasons. Interestingly, the RoseWe policy does not say anything about the returns of these intimates. However, since approval has to be granted before any returns can be made; don’t be surprised if you find that your request to return your bikini or one-piece swimwear is not approved.

All items eligible for returns must be in their original new conditions to be accepted. That is, they must be unused, unworn, unwashed or unaltered. Any stain or smell (of deodorant, perfume, etc) will also lead to them being rejected.

Cost of Return

You don’t want to be stuck with an unwanted item because returning it is cost-prohibitive. Thus, you’ll want the return cost to be as low as possible. Unfortunately, RoseWe does not give a $0.00 return shipping cost. That is, no free shipping. The cost of return shipping is borne by the customer. As such, items shipped using COD services will be rejected

Return Processing

After returning an item to its retailer, you won’t want to wait forever to get back your money. Thus, the ideal legit online store should process returns and issue refunds as fast as possible. In this regard, it takes RoseWe 7 working days from receipt of the returned item to process them and apply for the refund.

After that, how long it takes for the refund to reflect in your balance depends on your original payment methods. Credit cards may take 10 – 20 days, but PayPal takes 1 – 3 working days. While the advertised return processing and refund time are relatively short; customers’ reviews suggest otherwise.

Customer Support

No matter how effectively a store operates, there are customers who will have questions and others who will have issues with their orders. Thus, the legit online store should have an effective customer support service for handling customers’ complaints/ questions.

The first step to getting answers in online stores is an FAQ page. Thankfully, RoseWe has one. It is nicely put together. Using a drop-down menu, you’ll choose a subject, and answers to different questions in that subject are opened. The various subjects treated are Return & Refund, Shipping Information, Payment Issue, Track my order, Modify my order, Account enquiry, Company/ website information, product enquiry, etc.

However, if the self-help articles are not adequate, you can get direct contact with RoseWe. For this, RoseWe supports a live chat feature and email service. The live chat can be accessed from the “Contact Us page of the RoseWe website. However, the live chat feature is only available Monday – Thursday and between working hours. For the email service, you can send RoseWe a support ticket from the “Contact Us” page of the website, or you may send a regular email using the address service@rosewe.com.

RoseWe does not support a telephone service; which is disappointing as there are many customers that will want to get on the phone and talk to someone.

RoseWe Complaints

Poor Quality

One complaint about RoseWe that dominate the space is that of poor quality. In the fashion industry, quality complaints are common with China-based stores and stores featuring low prices. RoseWe happens to be both (based in China and committed to low pricing); so we were not really surprised to find the quality complaints.

The quality complaints range from products being different from what is advertised in product images to products being made with poor quality materials, to products not being made well.

For example:

• Effie L Harrison on Trustpilot says “the clothes you see on this website do not look like the ones you get shipped to you”
• Nikki Delaney on Trustpilot says “When I opened the items, the quality was poor and there was no fit/ structure at all”
• Carla I on Sitejabber says “the fabric is cheap, lace is tattered.
• Josephine A on Site jabber says “I ordered a swimsuit and it is poorly made and the colour is supposed to be black but it looks like a dull dark grey in person.
• Jacqui D in Sitejabber says “ I ordered 3 dresses and 2 arrived which did not look like anything that was on the photos”
• Jayselle A in Trust Pilot says “what I received were three ill-fitting outfits made of poor quality fabric”

Wrong sizing

Another complaint that is significant enough to be mentioned has to do with sizing. Though there are size charts that are supposed to help customers pick the right size, the reviews from independent customers’ review platforms show that RoseWe products are largely not true to size.

For example:

• Faye C on Sitejabber says that “although a mid-length dress, it was to the floor”
• Carla I on Sitejabber says that “dress is way too big although I ordered the suggested size based on height and weight”

Late Delivery and No-delivery

Another problem that seemingly plagues Rose is that of late delivery. With items coming all the way from China, it’s expected that delivery times will belong. Having items delivered past already long delivery times can be very frustrating.

For example:

• Nikki Delaney in Trustpilot says that “after waiting months for my order to arrive and several emails later, I received my order in 3 separate deliveries weeks apart”.
• Starr D in Trustpilot says “I’m still waiting for an order I paid for”
• Dmac-10268 in Reseller Ratings says that “I ordered a swimsuit from RoseWe and it took 20 days to arrive even though I paid 11.95 for expedited shipping”.

The difficulty of Returns and Refunds

The hurt of receiving an item whose quality is unsatisfactory will be lessened if you’re able to return the item and be refunded. However, the reviews show that most often than not customers are unable to return an unwanted RoseWe item.  With some, RoseWe refuses to accept responsibility and bear return shipping costs for poor quality items. For those that RoseWe approved returns, some customers reported having to wait everlastingly to get refunded, while others reported that RoseWe will not give full refunds.

For example:

• Kelly in Trustpilot says that although the items were sent back in their new condition “I received a response on one item that said stained and then a response in the second item that said it was worn”
• Kathryn M says “Wish I had read these reviews! It’s money lost! They literally make it impossible to return items”
• Jill H on Sitejabber says “I returned the dress to address given, waited for refund, nothing. Sent 5 emails, nothing”

Sites Similar to RoseWe:

• NastyGal
• Boohoo
• Zulily
• Missguided

Pros

• Vast selection in each product category including apparel, footwear, accessories, handbags, swimwear, and more
• Offers very competitive prices
• Offers lots of promotions
• Ships to many worldwide locations
• Offers free shipping to many worldwide locations
• Free shipping comes with very low minimum purchase requirement of only $15
• Return window is 30 days from the delivery date
• Customer support is available via live chat, ticketing system, and email

Cons:

• Most often than not, delivery is late
• Quality of products may be poor
• Returning unwanted items and getting a refund is not easy
• Telephone support is not supported

Conclusion

RoseWe is a legit store that advertises as the ultimate one-stop shop for the modern yet economical fashionista, saying it provides women with style without the hefty price. RoseWe really comes out as having the styles. It provides a wide product range, and there’s a vast selection within each product range that you are very likely to find something that excites you no matter your style preference.

Also, RoseWe does come out as offering great prices for their elegance. Typical of China-based stores, you’ll find many products with rock bottom prices that look too good to be true.

RoseWe is a legit store; and despite having low prices, some top quality fashion latest can be found in the store. However, it is not news that quality issues hover around low price stores; and RoseWe does not appear to be immune.

The number of quality complaints on the independent customers’ review platforms is very significant. Thus, buying from RoseWe is really a risk that can go either way in terms of being pleased with the quality of the received item.

In terms of service, RoseWe is also so-so. The reviews show that delivery is most often than not late, as items come all the way from China. Also, though a relatively long 30 days (from delivery date) returns window is allowed, the reviews show that returns are difficult with RoseWe.

The store is not known for easily granting approval for returns; when approval is granted, return shipping to China may be cost-prohibitive; and when return packages are actually sent, RoseWe is not particularly known for granting fast refunds.

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Yandy.com is an online clothing retailer that was founded in 2005 by the brothers – Chad and Evan Horstman. The company started by selling only lingerie. The years that followed saw expansion into costumes, swimwear, sexy dresses and more.

Yandy goes with the tagline “own your sexy”. According to it, every woman has the right to own her sexy; and its mission is to “empower every woman to accept their sensuality in its physical, mental, emotional, and healthful facets”. How does it do this? It’s well known that lingerie plays a role in every woman’s personal story. So, Yandy commits to providing lingerie that ranges from basic intimates to ultra sexy.

Yandy claims to be the “#1 site for sexy apparel.” There are many online clothing retailers, but what sets Yandy apart from the rest?

Does Yandy have the variety and quality that will make it worthwhile to use the store for your online purchases? If it does have the product; what about its service? Does Yandy offer top service that we’ll expect of the ideal online store (such as fast delivery, easy returns, effective customer service, etc)?  In the first place, is Yandy legit, or is it just another scam online store?

Yes, Yandy is legit. It is not a scam because they will never steal your money or credit details. And you will get the items you ordered from the website without a problem.

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

Yandy review at a glance

• Website: yandy.com
• Is a US-based retailer of sexy women’s speciality apparel founded in 2005
• Its products include everyday intimates, lingerie, swimwear, sexy dresses, sexy costumes, and more
• Ships to all US States and internationally
• Free shipping is available for the US orders over $70
• Unwanted orders will be accepted if returned within 30 days of purchase
• Processing of returns is within 3 – 14 days of receipt of the return package
• Customer support is available via live chat, email (service@yandy.com), and telephone (1-800-883-0860)

Is Yandy legit?

With fraudsters parading the internet in different guises, except if you make sure to use a legit online store for your online purchases, you may be ripped off. However, determining the legit online store from the many scam stores is not calculus.

One of our first checks for the legit online store is legality. This is because 100% of legal stores are less likely to be scam stores that rip people off. Thankfully, Yandy ticks the legality box. Yandy.com is operated by Yandy LLC which is a 100% legal Company duly registered in the US. Suffice it to say that scam stores do not seek company certifications.

Another check for a legit online store is visibility and industry-wide recognition. This is because the scam stores operate in the shadows. Thankfully, Yandy ticks this visibility box.  For example, Yandy pieces have been featured in fashion shows such as the New York Fashion Week, Miami Swim Week, and the Scottsdale Fashion Week. Yandy was also the official swimsuit sponsor for the 2017 Miss USA Pageant, and in that capacity, it provided swimsuits for all the contestants. Suffice it to say that a scam store will not seek the exposure of fashion shows and corporate partnerships.

Another check for a legit online store is the test of time. This is because the scam stores are usually short-lived. Thankfully, Yandy passes this test of time. Being established in 2005 means that Yandy has been operating for over 14 years. Suffice it to say that scam stores cannot continue ripping people off for that long. Especially in this information age, it’s only a matter of time before any scamming activity is exposed; and such exposure is followed by the disappearance of the store.

Our last check for a legit online store is “fitness for purpose”. This is because, when you place an order, you’ll want the online store to deliver real products that will be functional. Thankfully, Yandy does deliver real products; and the evidence is that their products are largely functional and fit for purpose.

Being a 100% legal company, having industry-wide recognition, having a long operating record, and having almost always delivered real, functional products, there is no doubt that Yandy is a legit online lingerie store.

Is Yandy safe?

Yandy is safe. A legit store will not rip you off; but if it isn’t safe, the sensitive information you share with the store will leak out, and you’ll be at the mercy of other online fraudsters. Thus, you need the ideal store to be legit and safe.

In this regard, Yandy says that it “employs industry-leading technologies to store sensitive information and protect it while it transits over the internet”. One such security measure is the use of SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) technology on those pages that involve sensitive information such as credit card details. It should be said that SSL is the industry standard for creating a private connection between online sellers and buyers.

With SSL, data is transmitted in a private channel that cuts off unauthorized third parties; and it also uses bank-grade encryption so that even if the data is captured, it cannot be read. With the use of this technical security measure amongst others, it’s safe to say that Yandy is safe.

Product

Product Range

The ideal online will be one that has a wide product range. Even niche stores should offer a wide array of products within their niche. First, there is the convenience of getting all your related products in one place. Secondly, it offers cost savings, especially from large order discounts, and one order shipping instead of shipping multiple orders from different stores.

Yandy ticks the box in this regard. It is a sexy women’s lingerie store, and it offers the full gamut. As stated earlier, Yandy started exclusively with women’s lingerie but grew its product line to include swimwear, costumes, sexy dresses, and more. When shopping on Yandy.com, you’ll find two departments – Standard and Plus Size.

The product category you’ll find in the Standard department and some of the items you’ll find in each category are:

• Lingerie – Babydolls, Bedroom Costumes, Body shapers, Body stockings, Bodysuits, Bra and Panty Sets, Bridal Lingerie, Bustiers, Camisole Sets, Chemises, Corsets, Crotchless Lingerie, Garter Belt, Gowns, Pajamas and Sleepwear, Robes, Teddies, Ultra Sexy Lingerie, Vinyl & Latex Lingerie
• Bras – Bralettes, DD-F Cups, Demi Cup Bras, Lingerie Bras, Longline Bras, Open Cup Bras, Padded Bras, Plus Size Bra, Push-Up Bras, Sheer Bras, Shelf Bra, Sports Bra, Strapless Bra
• Hosiery – Garter Stockings, Knee High Stockings, Thigh High Stockings, Seamed Stockings, Striped Stockings, Pantyhose, Seamed Pantyhose, Sheer Pantyhose, Socks, Anklets
• Panties – Bikini, Boyshorts, Crotchless Panties, G Strings, Hipster, Thongs, Seamless Panties, Side Tie Panties
• Swimwear – Bikinis, Micro Bikinis, Mix & Match Swimsuits, One Piece Swimsuits, Plus Size Swimwear, Pool Gloats, Resort Swim, Swim Bottoms, Swim Tops, Swimwear Cover Ups
• Dresses – Club Dresses, Clothing, Cocktail Dresses, Jumpsuits, Maxi Dresses, Skirts, Summer Dresses, Tops, Seamless Dresses, Long Sleeve Dresses
• Dance wear – Dancewear Accessories, Dancewear Bodysuits, Dancewear Bottoms, Dancewear Tops, Dancewear Dresses, Dancewear Sets, Leggings, Glow In The Dark Clothing, Neon Outfits, Rave Clothing, Rave Costumes
• Activewear – Activewear Pants, Activewear Tops, Activewear Shorts, Athleisure, Shorts, Sports Bra
• Shoes – 6” Heels and Higher, Boots, Thigh High Boots, Knee High Boots, Booties, Costume Shoes, Evening Shoes, Fashion Shoes, Flats, Mary Janes, Platforms, Pumps, Sandals, Slides, Stripper Heels, Wedge
• Accessories – Costume Accessories, Costume Makeup, Costume Props, Eye Masks, False Eyelashes, Festival Accessories, Hair Accessories, Handcuffs, Jewelry, Leg Warmers, Light Up Accessories, Pasties, Rave Accessories, Sex Gift and Games, Whips, Wigs
• Costume – Plus Size Costume, Men’s Costume, Animal Costume, Bunny Costume, Cop Costume, Couple Costume, French Maid Costume, Ninja Costume, Nurse Costume, Pirate Costume, School Girl Costume, Witch Costume, and more

The product categories of the Plus Size department, and the items you’ll find in each category, are as follows:

• Plus Size Lingerie – Baby dolls, Bedroom Costumes, Body Shapers, Body Stocking, Bodysuits, Bridal Lingerie, Bustiers, Camisole Sets, Chemises, Corsets, Crotchless Lingerie, Exotic Lingerie, Fishnet Lingerie, Gartered Lingerie, Leather Lingerie, Open Cup Lingerie, Pajamas & Sleepwear, Robes, Teddies, Vinyl & Latex Lingerie, Waist Cinchers
• Plus Size Swimwear – Cover-ups, Mix and Match Swimsuits, One Piece Swimsuits, Sexy Bikinis, Tankinis, Two Piece Swimsuits
• Plus Size Bras –Bra Sets, Bralettes, Demi Cup Bras, Padded Bras, Sports Bras
• Plus Size Hosiery – Garter Stockings, Pantyhose, Thigh High Stockings
• Plus Size Panties – Bikini Panties, Boyshorts, G-Strings, High Waisted Panties, Hipster, Thongs
• Plus Size Dresses – Clubwear, Cocktail Dresses, Dancewear Sets
• Plus Size Costumes – Alice in Wonderland Costumes, Character Costumes, Fairytale Costumes, French Maid Costumes, Men Costumes, Movie & TV Costume, School Girl Costume, Sexy Animal Costumes, Sexy Cop Costumes, Sexy Nurse Costumes, Sexy Sports Costumes, Sexy Witch Costumes
• Plus Size Clothing – Active wear, Halter Tops, Rompers, Shorts, Skirts, Tops

It’s clear that Yandy caters to women of all ages, sizes, and shapes. You only need to be a woman and want to feel sexy. You’ll find that Yandy has one of the largest varieties of lingerie and sexy apparel. The vast collection of sexy apparel means that with Yandy you can be sexy in and outside the bedroom.

If you’ll want to gift someone a Yandy piece but don’t know what will excite the person, you don’t need to fret. You can simply purchase a Yandy Gift Card. The gift cards are available in the traditional plastic cards (which will be mailed to your house address) and in the electronic format (which are sent via e-mail).

Product Quality

Product quality is even more important than product range. You’ll want the legit online store to hold quality items so that whatever your order will not fail to meet the quality expectations.

Thankfully, Yandy does well in this regard. With products like Yandy offers, the elements of quality are functionality, comfort, and durability. The apparel should be made from good materials, and well made, and should not give way only after a few uses. You’ll also want the item to serve its purpose (make you feel sexy and all), and you should feel comfortable in them. The evidence shows that Yandy products tick these boxes.

What evidence? With any product, the voice of the customers is the voice of God. So the evidence is what actual customers who have bought from Yandy have to say about the quality of products. Yes, we didn’t even bother to check customers’ reviews on the Yandy website; because we know that self-published reviews are always biased. Rather, we looked at top independent customers’ review platforms such as trustpilot.com and sitejabber.com.

Yandy had an average rating (by 424 reviewers) of 7.7/ 10 on trustpilot.com; and an average rating (by 265 reviewers) of 3.1/ 5 on sitejabber.com. Many of the reviewers on both platforms lauded the quality of their orders.  Specifically, you’ll find comments like “very lovely lingerie”, “great quality”, “items are of very good quality material”, “fits perfectly and looks amazing”, “a very satisfied customer”, and more.

However, this is not to say that there are no negative reviews. You’ll find a few customers unsatisfied with their order. In fact, it’s virtually impossible not to find one. However, the few poor quality complaints are like drops in the ocean of positive reviews of quality. Thus, Yandy comes out as largely offering good quality products.

Pricing and Related Policies

Pricing

You won’t want to pay over the tops for any item. Thus, the ideal online store should have products that are reasonably priced.

In this regard, Yandy says it is the largest online retailer of affordable run-way inspired lingerie, etc. Thankfully, a look at the prices of products on offer shows that Yandy does not only talk the talk but also walks the walk. Whether it is Fishnet Lace Thigh High Stockings for $3.94, sexy dresses for a little over $5.00, or Teddies and Bodystockings for about $8.00, you’ll find “steals” in Yandy.

Yandy holds a humongous amount of products; but in each product section, you’ll find prices that are not by any means expensive. Many of the items come out as relatively low and affordable, while some others are so low they are “steals”. With many of these exotic sexy “steals” available, the Yandy statement holds true, which is “Buy now or cry later”.

However, don’t go drooling over these low prices, as some items in Yandy are a bit on the expensive side. For example, the sexy dresses ranged from the low $5.00 to the “a bit on the high” $79.95.

Yandy does not price match. That is, there is no no-lowest price commitment; where the retailer undertakes to give you its merchandise for a price $XYZ lower than it is offered if you can show that a similar product is priced $XYZ in some other store. Also, Yandy does not do a price adjustment. That is, if the price of an item in Yandy drops shortly after your purchase, Yandy will not credit you the price difference. With no price matching or price adjustment, while Yandy prices are in the okay range, the store does not come out as having a commitment to offering the best prices.

Promotions

Having relatively okay prices is good, but being able to pay less than the full price is even better. Promotions allow customers to get items for less than the items’ full prices; thus, stores with promotions are appealing.

Yandy does relatively well in this regard. Like every promotion generous online store, the landing page of the Yandy website announces many of its offers. For example, on getting to the page, we were welcomed with a prompt to register for the Yandy e-mail list to get 10% off our first purchase.

Another offer we found was: signup for text alerts by texting Yandy to 300300 and receive a code for knocking off 10% from your next purchase. As you browse the different categories, you’ll find various coupons, with some knocking down prices by as much as 80%. There was also a loyalty program which rewards customers for their purchases. For every $10 you spend in Yandy, you’ll earn 1 Yandy Dollar, which you can later use to discount your purchase.

Payment Methods

You’ll want a store that offers convenient payments. This starts with support for a range of convenient payment methods. Yandy ticks the box in this regard.

Yandy accepts payments made with PayPal, Amazon Pay, and credit cards like Visa, Master Card, American Express, and Discover Card. Yandy also accepts some pre-paid cards such as American Express Gift Cards. It does not accept COD (Cash on Delivery) payments, money orders, or Pay by Check. However, with the payment methods supported, you should not have any problem with conveniently paying for your order.

Shipping

Online purchases differ from traditional purchases because you’ll not be walking out of the store with your purchases. It’ll be moved, at a later time, from the store’s fulfilment centre to your destination. Thus, it’s important to consider whether the store ships to your destination, how long it’ll take it to deliver your order, and how much it will cost.

Shipping Destination

Yandy is a US-based store, and it does ship to all US locations, including the US territories and military addresses. However, international shipping is also available to many countries of the world. So persons outside the US can also order from Yandy to feel sexy.

Delivery Time

After placing an order, you won’t want to wait forever before it is delivered to you. Thus, the ideal legit online store should offer fast delivery.

All US orders received by 4:30 PM (Pacific Time) on the weekday (Monday to Friday) will ship on the same day. The exception is Shoes, which ships from the Yandy California warehouse 2 business days after the order is placed.

When shipping to the US, there are three shipping methods available. There is a Flat Rate Shipping which takes 2 – 5 business days; there is a UPS 2 Day Shipping which takes 2 business days, and there is a UPS Overnight Express which will deliver your order the next business day. However, only Flat Rate Shipping is available for orders going to Hawaii and Alaska.

When Shipping internationally, there are two shipping options. The first option is a Flat Rate Postal service that has no tracking available, and it takes 10 – 16 business days. The second option is Expedited Shipping; it takes 2 – 5 business days; and yes, it has tracking available.

Shipping Cost

You won’t want high shipping costs because they can easily make an item too expensive to purchase. Thus, the ideal online store should offer shipping costs that are as low as possible.

When shipping to the US, the Flat Rate Shipping cost $6.95 for all orders under $70 but is free for all orders over $70. The cost of the 2 Day Shipping and Overnight Express options are dependent on your shipping address, and you’ll be provided with the applicable cost prior to checkout.

When shipping internationally; the Flat Rate Postal option cost $9.95, while the Expedited shipping is also dependent on the particular country (and location within the country) that the item is shipping. You’ll be quoted the applicable cost prior to checkout. It should be noted that when shipping internationally, additional charges (such as import taxes, custom duties etc) may apply which will be borne by the buyer.

It’s disappointing that the free shipping offer is not available to other destinations except the US. That said; the minimum order requirement to get free shipping, which is $70, is relatively fine. This is because there are online apparel stores that require a customer to spend up to three figures to get free shipping.

Return

The worst kept secret is that, most often than not, online buyers are not satisfied with their online purchase when they receive delivery of the item(s). I bet you’ll not want to throw money on and hold on to an unwanted item. Thus, the ideal online legit store will allow returns – that is, buyers should be able to return an unwanted item and get either a replacement item or a refund.

Yandy says it wants you to own your sexy, and there’s no way you’ll be owning your sexy with merchandise that you are not satisfied with. Therefore, Yandy allows returns. However, when you return a Yandy item, you can only get a refund. Yandy does not offer product exchanges, where you can return an unwanted item and get another as a replacement. If you want a replacement item, you’ll have to first process a refund, and then place a fresh order for the new item.

Return Process

It’s frustrating enough to receive delivery of an item that is unsatisfactory. You don’t want to meet a frustrating return process when you try returning the item to its retailer. Thus, the ideal online store should offer a hassle-free return process. In this regard, Yandy says its return authorization process is easy as 1, 2, and 3.

The first thing to do is to contact Yandy for a return authorization. The next thing to do is to package the unwanted item appropriately including the Return Authorization paperwork.

The final step is to ship the return package to Yandy. A USPS pre-paid and pre-addressed return Label is included for US orders. If you’ll rather not use the Return Label or you are outside the US, you can ship the return package using any shipping method of your choice. In that case, the package should be addressed as follows: Yandy.com Attn: Returns, RA #______, 21615N 7th Ave Phoenix AZ, 85027.

It should be said that Yandy issues only issue one return authorization and one return label per order. Thus, you’ll want to properly check every item in your order to make sure that you are satisfied with the others; else you will be unable to return them after processing RA for one item in the other.

Return Window

Online stores only accept back items that are returned to them within a specified timeframe (usually from the delivery date). However, you’ll want an extended time frame so that your return package will not get to the retailer late and be rejected. Yandy does well in this regard.

It offers a 30 days return window. That is, you have 30 days from the date of purchase for any unwanted item in your order to be returned to Yandy. Many online stores offer the 30 days window which starts closing the day the item is delivered to you, and not the day you place the order. Yandy’s return window (30 days from the purchase date), seems to be the latter. Thus, if you are not satisfied with an item in your Yandy order, you’ll have to act fast.

Eligible Returns and Conditions

In every retail store, not every purchase is eligible for returns. Most fashion stores out there do not accept the return of lingerie. Understandably, it’s for hygiene reasons. However, for a specialty lingerie store like Yandy, there cannot be a blanket no-no on the return of lingerie.

In Yandy, items are final sales (that is, cannot be returned), if the hygiene seal is broken. Also, discounted/ Sales items fall under Final Sale and are not eligible for return. For items that are eligible for returns, these must be in their original condition. That is, they must be unworn, unwashed, unaltered, etc; and they must be returned in their original packaging. It should be noted that when returning shoes if the shoe box is missing or damaged, you’ll be charged $10.

Return Cost

You’ll not want costs to dissuade you from returning an unsatisfactory item. Thus, the ideal online cost will offer return costs that are as low as possible. The lowest possible cost is zero, which is “free returns”.

Unfortunately, Yandy does not offer free returns.  Customers bear the cost of returning a Yandy order. For US Customers that are provided prepaid Return Labels, $4.95 is deducted from the refund amount as the cost of the Label. However, if you want your refund as Store Credits instead of cash transfer, the $4.95 Return Label charge will be waived. Thus, US customers can get free returns.

It should be said that when you order shoes from Yandy and refuse to accept delivery of them, a 15% restocking fee is applied when they are returned to Yandy.

Return Processing and Refunds

After returning an unwanted product, you’ll not want to be waiting endlessly before you’ll be refunded. Thus, the ideal store should process returns and issue refunds fast. In this regard, Yandy states that processing of the returned item is done within 3 – 14 days after receipt of the return package. After that, refunds are issued, and how long it’ll take for it to reflect in your account will depend on your financial institution.

That said, the refund processing time range from relatively fast to slow. That is if your returns are processed in 3 days or so, that’s relatively fast; but if it is processed in the upper end (that is 14 days), then it’s quite slow.

Customer Support

People will always have questions, and they’ll need answers if they are to proceed with using the e-commerce site. Also, it is inevitable that some customers will have issues with their orders. Thus, the ideal online store will have an effective customer support service for addressing customers’ questions and issues. Yandy does relatively well in this regard.

Usually, the first place to get answers on online platforms is an FAQ page; and Yandy has a self-help FAQ page. The Yandy FAQs are divided into different categories to ease navigation; these include Shipping, Sizing, Club Yandy, Payment, Promotions and Discounts, Account, About Us, and Returns.

Though the FAQ covers a wide range of subjects, it was not as detailed as we’ll like. However, it should answer many of the questions you’ll have about Yandy.

For direct contact with Yandy, the online sexy lingerie store supports email, telephone, and live chat. You can send Yandy a mail by using the online contact form available on its website. Alternatively, you can send a regular e-mail using service@yandy.com. For the telephone service, the numbers to call include 1-800-883-0860 (toll-free) and 602-732-7350. The live chat feature can be accessed from its website. However, customer support is not available round the clock; the customer service hours are 9:00 am – 5:00 pm (PST).

Complaints

Easily go Out Of Stock

One complaint that stood out is that particular items easily go out of stock. We found that this applied more to certain discounted/ sales items. What this will mean is that for those items, the stock is usually low. Yandy even warns “Buy now or cry later”.

Late Refunds

Another more significant complaint is that of refunds. Yandy advertises that it processes returns within 3 – 14 days. Taking the worst scenario (14 days) and allowing a few days for the bank to do their thing, customers should get their refunds in about 20 days. However, in the customers’ reviews, we found a couple of customers have waited significantly longer to get their refunds.

Sites Similar to Yandy:

• Hollar
• StyleWe
• BangGood
• TopHatter

Pros:

• Has a vast collection of sexy apparel (ranging from basic intimates to ultra-sexy) for women of all sizes
• You’ll find many products priced relatively low
• Offers free shipping to only the US
• The minimum purchase requirement for free shipping is relatively low ($70+)
• Delivery is relatively fast
• Has a 30 day (from the purchase date) return window
• The quality of items is largely A-level
• Customer support is available via email, telephone, and live chat

Cons:

• Free shipping is not available for international orders
• Free returns are not offered (except for US customers who’ll take store credits instead of cash refunds)
• Product exchanges are not available
• 15% restocking fee applies to shoes that are refused
• Return processing and refunds may take longer than desired
• Only one return authorization and the return label are issued per order

Conclusion line

Yandy is a legitimate retailer of sexy women’s speciality apparel – everyday intimates, lingerie, swimwear, costumes, and more. It has one of the largest varieties of sexy apparel; you’ll find everything from basic intimates to ultra sexy. Yandy caters to women of all sizes and shapes. With its vast selection, it’s almost like Yandy is a synonym for Sexy. If you want to feel sexy, try Yandy.

Prices range from relatively okay to quite expensive. You’ll find some items listed at unbelievably low prices. However, there is no commitment to providing the lowest prices, as the store does not offer price matching or price adjustment. More importantly, items are of very good quality.

Yandy also offer top services. It ships internationally to many countries, free shipping is offered (albeit to the US), delivery is relatively fast, and shipping costs are relatively low. If you are unsatisfied with an item, you can return it within 30 days of purchase, and the process is relatively easy.

However, Yandy does not offer product exchanges. When you return an item, you’ll have to place a fresh order if you want another as a replacement, which means getting the right item will be relatively longer. Also, it appears that Yandy does not issue refunds as fast as customers will want.

StyleWe is a China-based cross border fashion store that offers women’s clothing and fashion accessories. It was established in 2014. StyleWe is an international online fashion store – but with a twist. It offers fashionable clothing designed by independent fashion designers. In its words: “StyleWe is not just an online shopping store but a community shared by both designers and customers”.

StyleWe explains the model thus: the independent designers come up with amazing designs, after which StyleWe uses its high-quality production and digital marketing capabilities to bring the designs to fruition and make them available to the customers.

According to it, the e-commerce store does not just feature fashionable clothing, but also its designers. Thus, fashion designers and fashion consumers can communicate, share ideas, and recognize each other. Customers get to share their fashion dreams, and designers get valuable insight into improving designs when launching new concepts. Thus, the StyleWe goal (according to its website) “is to empower designers so that they no longer feel hidden behind the brand”

In our fashion crazy world; people chase the latest fashion trends. This chase is not just for the good looks, but also as a way to highlight personality. Being that fashion keeps changing the face, this chase is never-ending.

Thus, fashion designers are always at work to fulfil the fashion wishes of various persons from various backgrounds. As such getting the best fashion designers is equal to getting high-quality fashion latest. This is where StyleWe comes in. StyleWe advertises as an online fashion shopping platform featuring independent fashion designers. It says that it is committed to providing shoppers with original, high quality, and exclusive fashion products from independent designers.

This raises many questions. For example, how does the designers’ inclusivity of StyleWe make it different from other fashion stores out there? Does StyleWe actually offer high-quality fashion latest? What about their services; does it offer quality services (such as easy ordering, fast delivery, easy returns, etc)? In the first place, is StyleWe legit or just another scam outfit?

Yes, StyleWe is legit. It is not a scam fashion store because they will never take your money without shipping the item you purchased. And all your financial details are well secured on the platform

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

StyleWe review at a glance

• It is a China-based online fashion store founded in 2014
• It uniquely offers a collaborative platform for fashion designers and fashion consumers
• It offers a range of fashionable women’s clothing and accessories
• Ships merchandise worldwide
• The return window is 30 days from the delivery date
• Free shipping is offered ($99+ minimum order requirement)
• Customer support is available via email (services@stylewe.com), telephone (+1 877 2777 209), and live chat

Products

When shopping, you’ll want to find a wide product range so that you can buy all you need in one place. This is convenient, as it saves you the time and effort of checking multiple stores. It also leads to cost savings (e.g. from large order discounts). Thus, the ideal online fashion store should offer a wide product range. StyleWe does relatively well in this regard.

StyleWe focuses on women’s clothing, so it cannot be used for clothing for others in the family such as men and kids. However, it provides the full gamut in its women’s niche. When shopping in StyleWe, the product categories (and some of the items you’ll find in each category) are as follows:

• Dresses – summer dresses, midi dresses, maxi dresses, mini dresses, plus size dresses, casual dresses, bodycon and sheath, vacation dresses, party dresses, prom dresses, wrap dresses, bridesmaid dresses,
• Tops – Blouses. Spring and summer tops, tunics, t-shirts, tanks and camis, plus size tops,
• Set and jumpsuits- work set, casual set, plus size set, casual jumpsuits, work jumpsuits, etc.
• Outerwear- coats, jackets, blazers, etc
• Bottoms – skirts, wide-leg pants, straight-leg pants, jeans, plus size bottoms,
• Knitwear – cardigans, sweaters, plus size knitwear, knit set.
• Swimwear – bikini sets, one-piece, swim cover-ups.
• Accessories – scarves, hats, and jewellery.
• Shoes – sandals, heels, pumps, slippers, flats, boots, wedges, oxfords, snicker, loafers

Using StyleWe

You can browse the website and view its range of products; but to make any purchase, you’ll have to register as a member. This can be off-putting if you’ll rather not submit registration information on every e-commerce platform that you use.

It should be said that some fashion stores cater to registration-averse customers by allowing guest orders – buying without registering as a member. Unfortunately, like many of the China-based cross-border stores, StyleWe does not welcome such “guests”.

However, registration is easy. You can register with your Facebook or Google+ account, or simply by submitting your email account. Placing an order is also relatively easy. You’ll have to go to the product categories to find something that you like. Alternatively, you can use the search tool on the website. Type in a description of what you want and products related to your search inquiry will be shown.

Clicking on an item will take you to its product description page, where you can view details of the item including its different product images. You can quickly add it to your cart. Clicking on the bag icon at the top of the page will take you to your cart. You can easily remove an item from it at any time, or proceed to checkout and make payment.

Once an order is placed, you will receive an email about the order information. Sometimes, customers will want to cancel an order immediately after placing one. Thankfully, StyleWe allows for order cancellation. At any time before it is dispatched for shipping, an order placed with StyleWe can be cancelled.

However, it is only when the order is cancelled within 24 hours of placing it that you’ll receive a full refund. For orders cancelled after 24 hours (but before the order ships), StyleWe will accept cancellation but will apply a 15% cancellation fee; meaning that your refund will only be 85% of the item’s purchase price. Once the order ships, you’ll be sent an email confirmation with the tracking number for the order. You can track your order through the website (You > My Order).

Another interesting thing about StyleWe is that there are different membership statuses. These are ordinary members, silver members, gold members and platinum members. You attain the statuses simply by making purchases on the website; every $1.00 in payment will earn you 10 points.

Everyone starts out as an ordinary member; and you’ll need: 3000+ points, 6,000+ points and 15,000+ points to be a silver member, gold member and platinum member respectively. The loftier your membership status, the more privileges you’ll enjoy in StyleWe.

For example, silver members get a 3% members discount, gold members get 5%, while platinum members get 10%. Also, silver, gold, and platinum members can access “ships in 24 hours” items and can get reimbursed for return shipping. As we’ll see in later sections of this review, ordinary members have a relatively longer order processing time and must bear return shipping costs.

Also, while all other members get “free Standard Shipping”, only platinum members can get “free Express Shipping”. Thus, with StyleWe, the more you shop, the better your buying experience will become.

Is StyleWe safe?

StyleWe is safe. Except a store is safe, sensitive information that you share with it (think: credit card details) will leak out to third parties, which will leave you exposed to fraudsters out there. Thus, the legit store should also be safe.

StyleWe ticks the box in this regard. All sensitive information supplied is encrypted via Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology. SSL encryption is bank-grade and the industry standard for private connections between two devices communicating over the internet. With the use of this technical security measure amongst others, it is safe to say that StyleWe is safe.

Pricing and Related Policies

Pricing

When it comes to costs, we’ll want to be able to pay the lowest possible when shopping. China-based fashion stores are known for their rock-bottom prices. Unfortunately, StyleWe differs from its Asian based cousins in this regard.

However, while you’ll not be seeing floored prices, items are not necessarily expensive either; most of their prices are in the middle range, or just beginning to knock on the expensive door. For example, at the time of writing this review, the dress section had many items costing $39 – $86.51.

In the same vein, the Tops section had items ranging between $27.31 and $82.11. To put this in perspective, you’ll be hard-pressed to find these items above $50 in the cheap stores; while the expensive stores always feature many of these items in the three figures.

That said; when buying from StyleWe, you’ll not be having the “price advantage” as it is with most low and affordable Chinese clothing stores.

Promotions

For best value, you’ll want fashion stores with lots of promotional offers because these allow customers to get items for free or for less than the items’ full prices. Thankfully, StyleWe runs a lot of promotions.

Like any promotion-generous fashion store, the landing page of the StyleWe website is plastered with these promotional offers. At the time of writing this review, there were different Flash Sales knocking off up to 60% from prices. Other specific offers include 20% off prices for downloading the StyleWe app; getting 10% off orders over $269; up to $30 discount coupons for new users, and others.

Many of the promotions change from time to time, so you’ll have to check the website from time to time to know what offer is on at any one time. Alternatively, you can submit your email in registration for the StyleWe newsletter, and you’ll be given regular alerts of exclusive deals.

Payment Methods

For easy payment, you’ll want a store that supports a range of convenient payment methods. StyleWe does. It uses PayPal to facilitate payments, which means that you can use credit cards and debit cards (Master Card, Visa, Maestro, Discover Card etc), PayPal Wallet, Bank Account, eCheck, and any other payment methods that PayPal supports.

Thus, with the supported options, you should be able to conveniently pay for your StyleWe order no matter where you are resident.  Also, because of the buyer protection that PayPal offers, it is usually the first choice of many online shoppers anyways.

Shipping

Because any online purchase has to be moved from the store’s warehouse to your shipping address, important shipping considerations include: whether the store ships to your location (shipping destinations), how long it’ll take the store to deliver your order (delivery time), and how much it’ll cost to receive your order (shipping costs).

Shipping Destinations

The ideal online store will be one that ships to many worldwide locations so that your location is more likely to be covered. Thankfully, StyleWe ticks this box. Just like many of the cross-border China-based stores, it ships merchandise to virtually every country in the world.

Delivery Time

After placing an order, you’ll not want to wait forever before you receive delivery of it. So the ideal online store will offer fast delivery.

Delivery time is determined by how long it’ll take after placing an order before the package is dispatched for shipping (order processing time), and how long it’ll take after the package is dispatched for it to get to the customer’s shipping address (shipping time). For fast delivery, both order processing time and shipping time will be relatively fast.

In this regard; StyleWe advertises that it has an order processing time of 3 – 5 business days. On the delivery page of its website, it even warns that depending on the product, order processing could take as much as 10 business days.

Needless to say, this is not the fast processing time that we’ll want. With every order taking at least 3 business days to process, it means StyleWe cannot offer super fast delivery options such as Same Day Delivery, Next Day Delivery or 2 Business Days Delivery.

In terms of shipping times, StyleWe offers two shipping options. There is a Standard Shipping, which takes 7 – 12 Business Days; and there is an Express Shipping, which takes 2 – 5 business days. These advertised shipping times are relatively fast for a China-based store.

Shipping Cost

Except free shipping is offered, the total expenditure on online purchase is made up of its purchase price and its shipping cost. This means that high shipping costs can easily make an item too expensive. Thus, the ideal online store should offer shipping costs that are as low as possible.

In this regard, StyleWe ticks the box. The actual amount you’ll pay as shipping cost varies depending on the country the order is shipping to. The Standard Shipping starts at $5.00, while the Express Shipping starts at $12.00. However, you’ll always find that the shipping cost is relatively okay no matter where you are shipping to.

Interestingly, StyleWe offers free shipping. All members can get free Standard shipping for all items over $99.00. It’s important to state that the qualifying amount for free shipping is relatively okay. Though, there are stores offering free shipping that quotes significantly lower minimum order requirements, $99+ to get free shipping is relatively fine.

Another important thing about StyleWe is that, for most of the countries that it ships to, customers do not need to pay import fees, duties, or VATs. Such fees only apply to a few countries, especially European Countries like Germany, Italy, the UK, Canada, etc.

Returns

It is not news that online shopping has always received the eyebrows. Since its blind purchase, there is the fear that what will be delivered will not be satisfactory. To allay those fears, the ideal online store should allow returns. Customers should be able to return any unwanted item and get a refund or a replacement item. Like any serious online store, StyleWe allows returns.

Return Window

However, you don’t have forever to return an unwanted item. Stores accept back only items that get to them within a time frame (usually from the date of delivery). Thus, so that your unwanted order will not get to the retailer late and be rejected, you’ll want an extended time frame.

StyleWe does very well in this regard. It offers a return window of 30 days from the delivery date. Any StyleWe order that you have to return will have to get back to its warehouse at most 30 days from the date it was delivered. The 30 days return window is the industry’s average and should be enough time to affect any returns.

Return Process

You’ll want an easy return process so that the frustrations of a difficult return process will not add to that of receiving an unwanted item.

In StyleWe, if you are not entirely satisfied with an item, you’ll need to submit a return request through the “My Order” page. After that you’ll have to send StyleWe an email (services@stylewe.com), where you’ll state the reason for wanting the return/ exchange; you’ll have to include photos and videos (where necessary) which clearly show the defect. The Customer Care team of StyleWe will get back to you within 24 hours with an approval email that’ll contain return instructions and return address. After which, you’ll have to package the unwanted item using its original packaging, then send it back to StyleWe. You can use any shipping carrier for your returns.

While the return process can be followed through, it is not near the best in terms of customer experience. Not least is the double contact required – return request via My Order page, and email contact. Having to get approval before making the return shipping is also fraught with issues – most often than not, the retailer will not see the “defect” that the buyer is claiming.

Eligible Return and Conditions

Just as it is with every online store, not every item purchased can be returned to the retailer. In this regard, you’ll want a store with not too many restrictions.

Swimwear and items designated as “final sales” are not eligible for returns. This is not different from what is offered in many online stores. But it isn’t the friendliest of policies anyways. For example, there are some fashion stores that accept returns on swimwear if the hygiene strip is unbroken. Also, all items to be returned must be in their original conditions – unworn, unwashed, unaltered, and undamaged.

Return Costs

Whenever costs are involved, you’ll want to pay nothing but the lowest possible. Some online stores can really frustrate with such things as restocking fees. Thankfully, StyleWe does not charge restocking fees.

However, returning a StyleWe item will still cost the buyer via return shipping. The buyer will have to bear the cost of shipping the item to StyleWe as well as any other related costs. This usually presents a problem because StyleWe return shipping address is in China, and it’s almost cost-prohibitive for most customers to ship an unwanted item back to China.

Refunds

You’ll not want to wait for too long after mailing the return package before the store will issue you a refund or send a replacement. Thus, you’ll want a store that processes returns and issue refunds fast.

In this regard, StyleWe advertises that processing of returns takes 3 – 5 business days after receiving the return package. If it does process returns in that time and swiftly issues refunds thereafter, it will be one of the fastest stores in terms of getting refunds. However, as we’ll find in the complaint section of this review, most often than not, refunds are not as fast as StyleWe advertises.

Customer Support

You’ll want a store with an effective customer support service. There’ll be questions you’ll need answers to before you commit to an online store, and you may have issues with orders after making online purchases. So you’ll want to find a store that effectively answers your questions and resolves any issue that may arise.

In this regard, StyleWe supports a range of contact channels.

First, there is an FAQ page accessible from the “Help Center” link on the landing page of the StyleWe website. The page contains a lot of self-help articles that’ll answer many of the questions you may have. For easy navigation, the articles are grouped by subjects such as Accounts, Ordering & Payment, Size Chart, Shipping & Handling, Coupons & Discounts, Return & Exchange, and Customer Support.

There is the “My Order” page which you can use to make contact about items in your order that you’ll want to return. There is also an email service, where you can drop inquiries/ queries using services@stylewe.com. For instant feedback, StyleWe supports telephone service and live chat service. The telephone number for calls is +1(877)2777 209, while the live chat can be accessed from the StyleWe website.

However, telephone and live chat services are not available round the clock. You can reach out only between the hours of 9 am – 6 pm (EST) on weekdays, and between 9 am – 5 pm on weekends.

Complaints

Late Delivery

StyleWe items are processed and shipped from China, and the long order processing time does not help, so it’ll take time to receive your order. Many StyleWe reviews reveal this.

From the many late delivery reviews about the company, it seems that many StyleWe orders are delivered later than the already long delivery time that the company quotes. Thus, you really should not be in haste when buying from StyleWe.

Quality Issues

One of the biggest complaints you’ll find about StyleWe is quality. In the popular independent customers’ review platforms (including Trust Pilot, Site Jabber, Complaint Board, etc), you’ll find many quality complaints. These include: the actual items delivered not matching the product images viewed; the actual items made from of poor quality materials, being horribly made, etc.

However, it must be said that while the quality complaints are actually significantly high; statistically, there are more customers satisfied with the quality of their orders. For example; StyleWe is rated: 3.2/ 5 in Sitejabber.com (2,394 reviewers), and 6.4/10 in Trustpilot.com (by 779 reviewers).

Difficulty getting Refunds

One complaint about StyleWe that is popular on the customer’s review platforms is that getting a refund is not easy-breezy. Many customers on these platforms even say that getting a refund from StyleWe is impossible. You’ll easily find customers who complain that StyleWe did not agree to a full refund; you’ll find those who have returned an item to StyleWe but have not been refunded; you’ll find many who had to force the hand of StyleWe by calling their card company to dispute the charge; and more. Given the sheer volume of this complaint on the web, it’s safe to say that getting refunds from StyleWe may be a long walk.

When this issue with refunds combines with quality problems, it’s easy for a store to be labelled a scam. This is why you’ll find that StyleWe is called a scam by customers in many forums.

Poor Customer Service

Another complaint about StyleWe is that its customer service is bothered on non-existent. In independent online customer review platforms, you’ll find many reviews of customers who submit support tickets/ emails only to have to wait and wait before getting a response.

There are complaints of having to submit support requests multiple times before finally getting a response from StyleWe. One reviewer even wrote that it was only when a PayPal dispute was initiated that StyleWe responded.

We understand that no matter how effectively a store operates, there’ll be the occasional negative review. However, in the case of StyleWe, there were just too many complaints of poor customer service (such as no response, late response, ineffective response, etc.). Thus, poor customer service came out as a real problem plaguing the store.

Sites Like StyleWe:

• BangGood
• TopHatter
• Rosewholesale
• Wayfair
• NakedWines

Pros

• Host a range of independent fashion designers from around the world
• Offers a wide range of women’s products that include dresses, tops, bottoms, shoes and accessories
• Ships merchandise to worldwide countries
• It offers free Standard shipping (with a $99+ minimum order requirement which is relatively low)
• Has a generous 30 days (from delivery date) return policy
• It has a loyalty program that rewards long-term customers with special privileges that include members discounts, free Express shipping, free return shipping, and more.
• Supports a range of channels for contacting Customer Care (which include email, telephone, and live chat)

Cons

• Does not process guest orders – you must register to make purchases
• Only women’s items are provided
• Relatively long order processing time
• High return shipping cost

Conclusion

StyleWe is a legitimate site online shopping store with so many features. Its selling point is that it allows you to know the actual small-time designers that are behind the items it sells.

Specializing in women’s fashion, it offers a wide range of women’s fashion trends. It ships to many countries; it offers free shipping with relatively low minimum order requirements; and where free shipping is not applicable, shipping costs are relatively low.

However, it’s not all smooth sailing with StyleWe. Reviews show that quality is often a problem, delivery takes longer than desirable, the return process is not as easy as customers will want and getting refunded even more problematic.

Technology has made it easy for people to stay in their homes, buy things they want, and have those things delivered to them in their homes or offices. They do this through e-commerce websites and any other form of online marketing and selling platforms, where people meet customers and sell items to them. One of the online marketplaces that you may want to check out is DHgate.

In this DHgate review, you are going to find out about an online marketplace that sells items cheaply to business owners. This company has been operating for years as a place to buy things wholesale. However, you are going to find out if DHgate is a scam or a legit online store when you are through reading this DHgate review.

So, stay with us throughout this DHgate review so you can find out more about this online marketplace and what it has to offer. Well, let’s take this tour together.

What Is DHgate?

DHgate is an online marketplace that allows buyers and sellers to meet for business transactions. The marketplace specializes in wholesale deals, so it sells mainly to business owners that want to buy stocks in large quantities for their stores and business outlets. This means you may not enjoy the marketplace if you’re not buying in bulk. However, private shoppers continue to flock to the site to buy products they want to use for personal purposes. So you too can go there to shop whenever you want to.

DHgate was founded by Diane Wang in 2004. It is a Chinese company and its HQ is still in China. However, the marketplace has become global because it sells to shoppers in different parts of the world. This is why you can buy items from the store even though it is not located close to you.

How Does DHgate Work?

As you must have already known, DHgate is an online marketplace that is designed to sell things wholesale. However, some non-business owners come there to buy items for personal use and not to resell. So, even though DHgate is originally made for B2B transactions, it is also open for B2C transactions.

As a marketplace, DHgate is not the owner of the items you are going to buy there. What the company does is that it provides a platform, where people that want to sell products can display what they have while those that want to buy those items come there to pick up what they need.

As a result, when you place an order on DHgate, it is the seller that will process it and then ship the item to you. This is also the reason you should go through the terms and conditions attached to every item you wish to buy from DHgate.

At the time of writing this DHgate review, every purchase you make at the store will be shipped to you by the seller. You don’t have to visit the store to pick up what you paid for because you are going to pay shipping costs while checking out. But you have to know now that some sellers offer free shipping for all or some of their products.

Another thing you may need to know about DHgate is that it has a mobile app. At the time of writing this DHgate review, the store’s app is compatible with Android and iOS operating systems. This means you can use your iPhone, iPad, tablet, or Android smartphone to buy things at DHgate through its mobile app and website.

Subscription and Subscription Plans at DHgate

At the time of writing this DHgate review, you must not be a subscriber to buy an item at the store. You can show up as a guest shopper or as a subscriber anytime you want to shop there. But note that shoppers that opened accounts with the site do not pay subscription fees. That is, DHgate, at the time of writing this DHgate review, does not have a paid subscription plan.

Things You Can Buy at DHgate

Of course, as a marketplace that is open to different kinds of business owners, DHgate has thousands of items in its collections. Nevertheless, it categorizes them according to their nature and uses.

In this section of the DHgate review, you are going to find out some of the items available at the store. We will group them according to their categories to make it easier for you to find them when you visit the site. So, let’s see what DHgate has in stock currently.

Cell Phones, Cell Phone Accessories, and Renewable Energy

If you’re looking for where to buy new and refurbished cell phones, cell phone cases, screen protectors, cables, earphones of different types, cell phone chargers, batteries, and other parts of a cell phone, you should check out DHgate. You can also buy wearable technology, such as smart watches, smart wristbands, activity trackers, and smart straps at the marketplace.

Electronic and Cameras

If you click on this category, you will find different kinds of e-cigarette kits, atomizers, and other components of e-cigarettes. You can also buy smart electronics, digital cameras, headphones, speakers, microphones, MP3 and MP4 players, telescopes and binoculars, TVs, and projectors under this category.

Sports and Outdoors

This is the category, where you can find and purchase sports shoes, sports apparel, sports equipment, and gear for outdoor activities. As the name can tell you, the marketplace hosts sellers of items for different kinds of sports and outdoor activities.

Health and Beauty

If you’re looking for makeup, skincare products, nail art, body arts and tattoos, sex products, and beauty machines for salons, this is the section you should visit.

Shoes and Accessories

This section only hosts shoes, shoe parts, and shoe accessories. Here, you can buy shoes for men, women, sports, and special purposes (such as rain boots, safety shoes, wrestling shoes, and shoes for increasing heights).

Home, Garden, and Lighting

This section is where you can find items for your home, kitchen, dining, and bar. You can buy lights and lighting, pet supplies, party and festive supplies, and home textiles and decors from this section too.

Toys, Gifts, Baby, and Kids

As you can tell from the name, this is the place you should visit if you want to buy clothing for babies and kids, plush toys, stuffed animals, shoes for babies and kids, games, diapers, diaper bags, hair accessories, and every other thing you can think of buying for your children and baby.

Other Categories Apparel

At the time of writing this DHgate review, you can buy men’s clothing, women’s clothing, costumes, women’s underwear, and DIY clothing at this marketplace. If you want to buy any of these items, you should visit this section of DHgate’s website.

Jewelry and Watches

You can buy bracelets, necklaces, bangles, pins, broaches, wedding jewelry, beads, and watches at DHgate. These items were available under this category at the time of writing this DHGate review.

Weddings and Formal Events

As the name suggests, this is the section of the site that displays and sells dresses for special occasions, weddings, bridesmaids, and the mother of the bride. At the time of writing this DHgate review, you can buy groom’s wear, kid’s formal wear, wedding party supplies, and wedding accessories under this section of the online marketplace.

Hair and Styling

If you visit this section of the DHgate website, you will find hair extensions, wigs, hair closure, hair care products, tools for styling hair, and hair accessories.

Automobiles & Motorcycles

Well, at the time of writing this DHgate review, you can’t buy cars at the marketplace but you can buy scooters and ATV motorcycles. You can also buy auto electronics, auto, and motorcycle parts, tools for vehicles, car and motorcycle accessories, and car cleaning products.

Computers and Games

You can buy tablets (new and refurbished), laptops, keyboards, printers, and other computer accessories and supplies at DHgate. You can also buy game players and accessories at the marketplace.

Bags and Fashion Accessories

This is the section you should visit if you want to buy belts, bags, sunglasses, hats, caps, scarves, keychains, ties, and every other kind of fashion accessory you can think of.

Business and Industrial

This section is where business owners and industrialists visit to search for and buy their office and workshop equipment and supplies.

Other Categories

At the time of writing this DHgate review, you can buy different kinds of items from this section. The items currently available include office and school supplies (such as writing materials, filing products, bags, pencil cases, pencils, and different kinds of pens), packing and shipping (they include packing bags, packing bottles, packing tape, and packing boxes), video surveillance (including CCTV camera, lens, DVR, and systems as well as baby monitors), intercom and access control (such as doorbells, video door phones, mini cameras, and access control cards), tactical gear, guitars and accessories, household appliances (such as vacuum cleaners, humidifiers, hair dryer, hair clipper, and electronic toothbrush).

How to Place an Order at DHgate

Placing an order at DHgate is very simple. It requires the same processes you take while placing orders in other online stores. But here are a few things you should bear in mind while purchasing an item at DHgate.

• At the time of writing this DHgate review, you don’t need to own a user account with the marketplace before you can shop on the site.
• It is not all products that are shipped globally. That is, you may see an item you’ll love to have but the seller may not add your region to where he will wish to deliver the item. So, you should always find out if an item will be shipped to your location before paying for it.
• The order page of every product contains the following information, which you should always use to its best:
  • The description of items and how to use them.
  • Several photos of products show how they are used in real life. This will enable you to discover the size and other physical attributes of an item.
  • Product reviews from previous buyers.
  • The return and refund policy that guides a product.
  • The available shipping options.

Payment Methods Accepted at DHgate

One of the reasons DHgate is doing great is that it accepts a lot of payment methods. At the time of writing this DHgate review, you can pay for items at the store through credit cards, debit cards, bank transfers, and payment transfers.

You may wish to know that it is not all credit or debit cards that will be accepted at the store. At the time of writing this DHgate review, you can only pay with Visa, MasterCard, Discover, Diners Club, Maestro, MasterCash, American Express, Union Pay, and Bancontact if you’re opting for a credit or debit card.

If you want to use the payment transfer option, you can pay with your Skrill account, Apple Pay account, and so many other e-wallet and e-voucher payment methods.

You may also wish to know that DHgate sets prices of items in shoppers’ local currencies. That is, if you want to shop at the site, the prices of the items will be displayed in your local currency. And when you want to pay for your purchases, you will also do that in your local currency. This means you will not have to worry about finding foreign exchange for your purchases when you shop at DHgate.

Shipping Methods

At the time of writing this DHgate review, you can choose different shipping options the seller will use to deliver your purchases to you. The sellers offer both standard and expedited shipping methods.

Of course, after shopping, you will find the shipping methods the seller uses when you’re checking out. You can then select the best method from the available options.

You may need to know that each seller may use different shipping options on DHgate. This means you should buy things from sellers that use your preferred shipping methods.

Another thing worth mentioning here is that some sellers offer free shipping for all the products while some do when shoppers buy items worth a specified value. These are things you should look out for while shopping at DHgate.

Returns and Refund Policy at DHgate

As you already know, DHgate is only a marketplace that provides a platform for buyers and sellers to meet and carry out transactions. As a result, the items you will find on the site belong to independent business owners. So, in a situation you want to request a refund, you will first contact the seller and not the marketplace customer service. You can only reach out to DHgate if you need to raise a dispute ticket when the seller fails to respond to your message.

Another thing you should note here is that if you want to request a refund, you’re supposed to start the process within 7 days of receiving the concerned item. If you miss this 7-day window, your request will no longer be honored.

Customer Support

At the time of writing this DHgate review, you can contact a seller at the marketplace through live chat or email. You will find the buttons for contacting sellers on the order page or the detail page of a product. If you send an email and received no response, you can go for the live chat option.

Note that you can’t contact DHgate’s customer service team unless you want to escalate a dispute. But to do that,  you must first reach out to the concerned seller and only raise a dispute ticket if you feel the seller is deliberately ignoring you.

Another good thing about DHgate is that it has a Frequently Asked Questions page that is very vast. You will always find the information you need about the brand on that page. However, if you need to contact the support team, you will find the button for that on your dashboard. Alternatively, you should contact the concerned seller.

Is DHgate Legit?

One major thing, which this DHgate review has revealed is that DHgate is not a scam. One of the things that can tell you how true the claim is, is that the company is registered and regulated by the Chinese government. If DHgate was doing any illegal business or scamming its customers, it would have been closed down by now. But, as you do, the company is expanding to other parts of the world, thereby telling you that you have nothing to worry about because DHgate is legit.

Related Post: https://www.topreviewssite.com/back-market-review/

Let’s Wrap It Up

If you are still contemplating whether it’s safe to place an order at DHgate, the answer is yes. As you can see from this DHgate review, you are going to buy so many things you can use at home, office, and garden from the marketplace. Since DHgate is legit, you can be assured that you will have value for your money when you shop there. However, even though DHgate is not a scam, you have to choose your supplier wisely. Start by reading reviews on any product you want to buy to be sure it is genuine. And, remember to buy in small quantities when making your first purchase.

Answear is an online fashion store that was founded in 2011. The store is run by Wearco Sp. z o.o.  which is a popular Polish Company that operates in the Electronic Shopping and Mail order Houses industry.

In the 8 years since its founding Answear has only grown from strength to strength. In 2014, Answear expanded into Eastern Europe by opening the stores Answear.cz and Answear.sk. 2015 saw more expansions with the opening of Answear.ua, and Answear.ro. Currently, Answear stands as a reputable destination to shop trending and classic fashion styles as a European shopper. The store hold a variety of fashion products ranging from clothing to footwear and to accessories, for men, women, and children.

The offer products from over 300 brands which include popular names as well as less popular names; so you’re sure to find something that appeals to you. It isn’t that we are just singing Answear’s praises. The store is a multi-award winning store. Over 40 awards and certificates have been received in just over 8 years of its existence, and this in several categories such as: product quality, service quality, safety of platform, innovation, and more.

Specifically awards include:  Retail marketing awards (2011), Webstar Page of the year (2011), Company of the year (2011) in the Internet Standard Plebiscite, Fashion Website of the year (2012), Star Quality of service (2015), E-commerce innovations awards (2017), E-Commerce Poland awards 2018 (best campaign category) by the Economic Chamber of e-commerce Poland.

Answear advertises as a destination where you’ll find your own answers if you’re looking for the latest trends or classics in women’s, men’s, and children’s fashion.

The big question is whether that is just an advert blurb or whether Answear will really make a good destination if you want to get fashion trends or classic styles. If they do have the product, do they also provide the service that we’ll expect of an ideal and modern online fashion retailer (such as an easy ordering process, fast delivery, easy returns, effective customer service, etc)? In the first place, is Answear product genuine?

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

Answear is a legitimate fashion store online. It is not a scam because you will get any item you purchased from the store without a problem. And the store does not steal its customers’ money or use their credit card details illegally.

Answear review at a glance

• The website is www.answear.com
• Answear was founded in 2011 and is operated by the Polish Company Wearco Sp. z o.o.
• It is an online fashion store offering women, men, and kids fashion products (clothing, footwear, and accessories)
• Provides products from over 300 brands
• Ships merchandise to locations in the European Union,
• Offers free shipping
• Returns are accepted if made within 30 days of the delivery date, and refunds are issued via the original payment method
• Accepted means of payment include credit/ debit cards, bank transfers, PayPal and COD payment
• Customer support is available via telephone (0 801801569, and 12 3122727), email (sklep@answear.com), and post

Is Answear legit?

Answear is also safe. And also legitas of witing this review. You also want to make sure that the online store you’ll use for your purchases is safe. A safe store is one that is able to safeguard the sensitive information that you’ll share with it. In using an online store, you’ll share your personal information as well as credit card details. You should mind that this data is well protected because its leak will leave you exposed to other cyber fraudsters.

Answear says that they use a range of IT and organizational security measures to minimize the risk of data leakage, destruction, and disintegration; such IT measures include firewall system, anti-virus and anti-spam systems, internal access procedures, data processing and emergency recovery, and multi- level backup system.

For example, Answear use the secure protocol and encryption (HTTPS/ SSL); and in addition to that the online store is secured with a Web Application Firewall (WAF) and security systems against DDoS attacks.

If this details does not inspire the confidence it should; then know that Answear has been recognized and rewarded for being a safe e-commerce platform. For example, the “Safe Esklep 2013 competition” that Answear won is a safe E-shop competition to promote the use of good business practices in e-commerce by online stores. That said; it’s safe to say that Answear is a safe online fashion store.

Special Features

Personal Shopper

You want to get fashion pieces but don’t know what to get. Don’t worry; Answear still stands as the fashion destination for you.

Answear launched the “Personal Shopper” program in 2015. It is a Style Advisor where customer gets free consultation with a professional stylist who’ll advise on what to choose from the wide assortment in the store.

Answear Club

The “Answear Club” is a loyalty program. Answear advertises that this loyalty program is like no other because, “it gives real benefits”.

As an Answear Club member, for each purchase you make from the online store, you will get 10% credited to your Club account. The funds accumulate, and you can use it at anytime to write off up to 50% from your next purchase. This means that as an Answear Club member, you can get to pay only half price for your purchase.

Detailed Buyers’ Resources

Online purchases are characterized by blind purchase where you do not get to physically examine the items before you buy them. However, even while buying “blindly”, sellers provide some resources that’ll help you with your buy decisions. The typical ones are product descriptions and product images.

The more detailed these resources are, the more you’re aided in your decision. Interestingly, Answear provide very detailed product descriptions and images. For the product descriptions, Answear does not spare the details; you’ll find everything including the material composition, dimensions, and even manufacturer’s code.

For the images, you’ll find different images from different angles/ views (front, back, side); you’ll also find on-model images so you’ll know how the clothing piece will look like on a real person; and you’ll also find zoomed-in images of certain details of the clothing such as buttons, zippers, labels, finishes, etc.

Granted, almost all fashion retailers provide product images and descriptions to aid buyers; however, Answear’s provision is miles ahead.  Another resource that you’ll find in most items of Answear is a video material. Not all fashion shops use video technology, but it is very important because it shows the item from all possible angles in slow motion.

If a picture is a worth a thousand words, then a video is worth a thousand pictures. With video technology, it’ll almost be as if the item is right before your eyes, taking away most of the blindness from the purchase. 

Products

Product Range

The ideal fashion retailer should offer a wide product range. This does not mean that the store should be a hold-it-all, but even when focusing on a niche, the store would provide a variety of products within that niche.

A wide product range affords you the convenience of buying all your related fashion items in one place; there is also the advantage of cost savings from bulk purchase discounts, or shipping one order instead of paying to ship different orders from multiple stores.

Answear does well in this regards by offering fashion products (clothing, shoes, and accessories) for everyone in the family – women, men, and children. In Answear, you can shop from three products categories – She, He, and Children. The particular products you’ll find in each category are:

She

• Clothing – Underwear, Blouses and Shirts, Sweatshirts, Jeans, Overalls, Jackets and Coats, Pantyhose and Socks, Snowboarding, Pants and Leggings, Skirts, Swimsuits, Dresses and Tunics, Sweaters, Shorts, Tops
• Footwear – Ballerina, Espadrilles, Wellingtons, Slippers, Slippers and Sandals, Boots and Booties, Moccasins and Shoes, Outdoor, Shoecare, Sports and Lifestyle, Studs
• Accessories – Jewelry, Caps and Hats, Gadgets and accessories, Books and Albums, Glasses, Umbrellas, Stripes, Backpacks, Wallets, Gloves, Scarves, Bags and Suitcases, Handbags

He

• Clothing – Underwear, Sweatshirts, Jeans, Shirts, Jackets and Coats, Suits, Socks, Snowboarding, Trousers, Sweaters, Shorts
• Footwear – High Boots, Espadrilles, Slippers, Slippers and Sandals, Moccasins and Shoes, Outdoor, Shoecare, Sports and Lifestyle
• Accessories – Jewelry, Caps and Hats, Gadgets and Accessories, Ties and Flies, Books and Albums, Glasses, Stripes, Backpacks, Wallet, Gloves, Scarves, Bags and Suitcases

Child

• Girl
• Clothing – Blouses and Shirts, Sweatshirts, Jeans, Overalls, Sets and Tracksuits, Jackets and Coats, Infant clothing, Pantyhose and Socks, Snowboarding, Pants and Leggings, Skirts, Swimsuits, Dresses and Tunics, Sweaters, Shorts, Tops
• Footwear – Ballerina, Boots, Espadrilles, Wellingtons, Slippers, Sandals, Moccasins and Shoes, Sports and Lifestyles, Sneakers
• Accessories –Jewelry, Caps and Hats, Gadgets and accessories, Glasses, Backpacks, Gloves, Scarves, and Handbags
• Boy
• Clothing – Underwear, Sweatshirts, Jeans, Sets and Tracksuits, Shirts, Jackets and Coats, Suits, Infant Clothing, Pantyhose and Socks, Snowboarding, Trousers, Sweaters, Shorts
• Footwear – Espadrilles, Wellingtons, Slippers, Sandals, Moccasins and Shoes, Sports and Lifestyle, Sneakers, Winter shoes
• Accessories – Caps and Hats, Gadgets and Accessories, Ties and Flies, Glasses, Umbrellas, Stripes, Backpacks, Gloves, Scarves

Inventory Size

Apart from a store that provides a wide product range, you’ll also want to have a large inventory of each product. For example, when shopping for a Dress, you’ll prefer to be able to choose from a large selection, than having to look through only two or three dresses. This is because with a large inventory size, you’re more likely to find what will match your taste as well as your budget.

Answear does relatively well in this regards because they offer hundreds of items in each product section. No matter what product type you are shopping, and no matter the category (she, he, or child), you’ll find a large inventory that’ll satisfy all your selection needs.

Answear is able to offer a sizeable inventory because they draw products from a host of brands. These includes Armani Exchange, Calvin Klein, Camper, Columbia (Sportswear Company), Native, Pinko, Pollini, Tommy Hilfiger, Versace, Lacoste, Diesel, Steve Madden, US Polo, Scotch & Soda, Marc O’Polo, Trussardi, Michael Kors, Timberland, Fossil, Ralph Lauren, Armani, and more.

Payment Method

You’ll want an e-commerce platform that offers an easy buying process. One contributor to this is having a wide range of payment methods; because you won’t want a situation where you want to pay for your order but none of the payment options supported by the store is available to you.

When shopping online, you can make payments using credit or debits cards such as Visa, Mastercard, Diners Club, Discover, POLCARD, JCB and Maestro. You can also pay with electronic and regular bank transfer; for the e-transfers, you’ll find list of available banks when placing an order. Answear also accepts PayPal payments as well as Cash on Delivery (in certain Pick up outlets)

Most payments are with credit cards and are processed in a few minutes, but the traditional bank transfer may take 2 – 3 days to be verified.

Shipping

Shipping is an important consideration when considering online stores to make your purchases. You’ll want to consider whether the store ships to your territory, how long the store takes to deliver, as well as how much their delivery service takes.

Shipping Destinations

It’s a no-brainer that you shouldn’t use a store that does not ship to your location; simply put it will be difficult to receive delivery of the package. In this regards, you’ll want a store that ships to many worldwide locations so that your location will more likely be covered.

Answear does not ship to worldwide locations, but they do more than many other online stores that focus on only their domestic markets. Apart from its domestic market (which is Poland) Answear ships to most regions in the European Union. These locations are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Malta, Spain Netherlands, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Germany, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Hungary, and the United Kingdom.

If you are from the United States, or any other part of the world outside Europe, you’ll want to look at another online store for your fashion purchase.

Shipping Times

After placing an order, except you’ll be willing to wait forever to receive delivery of your package, you’ll want to consider the delivery times of the store. Delivery times are generally influenced by order processing time and order shipment time.

Order processing time is how long it takes after placing your order before the package leaves the fulfillment center of the store; and shipment time is how long it takes the package, after leaving the fulfillment center of the store, to be moved to where you’ll take possession of it. Typically, the ideal store offering fast delivery will feature quick order processing and shipment times.

Answear does well in both counts. For the former, Answear is one of the fastest online fashion retailers out there when it comes to processing orders and dispatching them for shipment. Orders placed (and paid for) before 16:00 Mondays – Fridays are usually processed and dispatched on the same day, while orders placed in the weekends or during holidays will be processed on the first working day following the day on which the order was placed.

In terms of movement of orders from their fulfillment center to the shipping address, Answear also have some of the quickest times in the industry. Though these times are determined by the particular delivery service selected, they are generally fast.

As is typical of the fashion retailers, you’ll have a choice of delivery options when shipping within the domestic market (Poland). This include: Same day X-press deliveries (where orders placed Monday – Friday before 12:00 are delivered on the same day between 18:00 to 20:00); Next Day delivery (DPD Courier); and 48 hours delivery (Poczta Polska Courier delivers orders 2 working days after placement).

There are also a number of In-store Pick-Up services offered by Answear, where you’ll advise that your order be shipped to an outlet in the program, and you’ll go there to pick it up. For most pick up outlets in Krakow, you order will be ready for by 18:00 if placed before 16:00  (Mondays – Fridays); while for the other outlets, the package will be ready for pick up within 48 – 72 hours after placing the order.

When shipping orders internationally (within the European Union), shipping times varies depending on the country the order is travelling to. It takes 2 – 5 business days if the order is shipping to: Lithuania, Latvia, or Germany. It takes 3 – 6 business days if the order is shipping to Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, France, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. It takes 4 – 7 business days if the order is shipping to Bulgaria, Finland, Spain, Ireland, Portugal, Slovenia, and Italy.

Croatian orders take 6 – 9 business days. Since online stores have been created for the markets in Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary you’ll find that there are a range of delivery options for orders shipping to these locations.

Shipping Costs

Shipping costs are also important considerations because when too high the total cost of acquiring an item can be perceived to be too high even when the item itself is perceived as reasonably priced. Thus, the ideal online fashion store will have shipping costs that are as low as possible.

The lowest possible cost is zero (that is free shipping), and Answear offers that. Shipping to some of the pickup locations (DPD Pick Up, Pick Up points at Krakow, and Showrooms) is free regardless of the value of the order. Answear also offer free shipping for delivery to door; but that comes with a minimum order requirement.

When shipping within Poland, whether you’re using DPD Courier, X-Press Courier, and Poczta Polska Courier, you’ll have to spend up to PLN 150 for your orders to qualify for free shipping; for orders below PLN 150, shipping will cost you PLN 9. When shipping internationally (within the European Union), you can also get free shipping, but the minimum order requirement is a high PLN 500; for all orders under PLN 500, shipping will cost PLN 39.9. The only exception is when shipping to Greece, Malta, or Cyprus which cost as much as PLN 79.90.

It’s a good thing that Answear offer free shipping, because free service is always appealing; but that is not the only good thing to take away from here. It’s also good that free shipping is offered to all locations that Answear ships to. This is unlike most online fashion stores that offer free shipping to only their domestic markets.

Returns

You’ll want to consider the return policy of the online store you plan to use. This is because when an online order is delivered to you, the item may turn out wrong, damaged, the wrong fit, or more. That said, you may not be totally satisfied with what’s delivered to you, and instead of being stuck with an unwanted item, you’ll want to be able to return it to the store for a replacement or a refund.

Given that virtually all online fashion retailers accept returns, it’s really no surprise that Answear does. However, it’s good to comb the fine prints of their return policy to find out if there’ll be any surprises within.

Return Process

You won’t want to be forced to keep a product you’ll rather return to the retailer because the process of returning the process is too cumbersome. Thus, you’ll want a store that offers a simple return process.

Answear is able to offer exactly that. You only have to fill the return form, properly package the unwanted item, and ship it to Answear’s fulfillment center using the address: WearCo Sp.Z o.o, ul. Halacinskiego 2, 32 – 050 Skawina, Poland.

Though, the return process is relatively easy, the easiest process will have been the provision of Returns labels that you may simply stick to the outside of the return package and mail to the store. Such labels are usually pre-addressed, and will not need you to write the return address on the package.

They are also usually pre-paid, and you’ll not need to think about paying for return shipping at the point of mailing the return package.

Return Window

Fashion stores that accept returned items will only accepts items that gets to them within a time period; thus, you’ll want an extended period for that. The returned window of Answear is 30 days, which means that if you are not totally satisfied with any Answear order, you should return it to the store within 30 days of the delivery date.

This is relatively okay because 30 days is like the industry average for return windows; you’ll be hard pressed to find many stores that’ll offer more than the 30 days that Answear offers.

Refunds

After returning an item to Answear, you won’t want to be kept waiting for too long to receive your refund. Thus, you’ll want a store that processes and issues refunds quickly. Answear says that “the deadline for payment reimbursement is 5 to 14 days”.

This will mean that you’ll receive your refund from Answear at most 14 days from the date the store receives the return package. If Answear lives up to that, it’ll make them one of the fastest stores when it comes to refunds processing because you’ll easily find stores that take up to a month to make refunds.

Answear issues refunds via the original payment method. However, if you paid for your order with the COD (Cash on Delivery) option, you’ll have to provide an account number that your refund will be credited to. It’s a good thing that Answear make refunds as cash transfers through the payment method, because this means that you can go to another store for your purchase. This is better than stores who issue refunds only as store credits and tie you to using the funds for purchases in the particular store.

Customer Service

Make no mistake; one thing that is inevitable is that there’ll be customers who’ll have certain issues with their orders. If you know that it’s important to prepare for rainy days, then you’ll know that you shouldn’t wait until you have issues with your order before you make sure that the online store you want to use helps customer. In the very least, you may have questions about the store and its services, and you’ll want a store that provides the necessary answers.

The first place to get answers is the FAQ section of the Answear’s website. You’ll find that the section answers some questions especially those relating to shipping, returns, accepted payment methods, the loyalty program, and more

To directly contact the customer service, Answear supports a telephone service, an email service and post. To use the postal service, the address for correspondence is: ul. At Zjazd 11, 30 – 527 Krakow. Given that feedback will be very slow, you might want to use the email service via the e-mail address: sklep@answear.com. You may also send Answear a mail using the contact form that can be accessed on their website.

However, you’ll still have to wait for a little while to get response to your submissions. If you’ll rather not wait for support response, you may use the instant feedback telephone service. The phone lines to call are: (0) 801 801 569, and (12) 312 27 27.

It’s a very good thing that Answear support a range of customer support channels as that gives you options when you need to contact the service. However, the customer service is not available round the clock. The service is live only between 8:00 and 20:00 on business days (Mondays – Fridays). Another small matter is that the telephone lines are not toll free lines, so fees will apply when you use the phone service to get help.

With that, you’ll find that there are many reasons to look at Answear for the online purchase of your fashion needs.

Pros:

• Offers a wide product range which includes clothing, footwear and accessories for women, men, and children
• Supports a wide range of payment methods (credit and debit cards, bank transfers, PayPal, and COD payments)
• Offers a rewarding loyalty program which allows customers to save 10% for subsequent purchases
• Free shipping is offered, and to all locations that Answear ships to
• Delivery is relatively fast because of the fast order processing time and shipping time
• Answear offers a generous return window of 30 days (from the delivery date)
• Refund processing is relatively fast (5 – 14 days)
• There is a range of options provided for contacting the customer support department

Cons:

• Shipping destinations are limited to only countries in the European Union
• The customer support service is not available 24/ 7
• Return labels are not provided for use in making returns

Conclusion

Answear is a Polish online fashion store. They advertise “as having the answers” to all questions about fashion trends, classic styles and fashion opportunities that you may have. True to that, they provide excellent fashion pieces for men, women and children.

ALSO READ: Rotita Reviews: Legit or Scam?

Apart from having the product, these multiple award-winning companies also provide the service. They have an easy buying process backed by support for a range of payment methods; they ship to many locations especially in the European Union, and not only is delivery fast, but free shipping is offered to every location; there is also an easy return process with a wide 30 days return window; there is a program that rewards loyal customers; and if you have to contact customer support, there are many contact channels provided.

Planet Blue is an American fashion retailing brand that was founded in 1995; this means they’ve been in the fashion retailing business for over 24 years. Planet Blue does not hide its American roots, they advertised proudly as being Malibu born and raised in California.

The store was founded by Ling-Su Chinn who remains the company’s chief creative officer, ensuring that as the company expands across the world; they remain celebrated as the go-to destination for bohemian and vintage-inspired styles. From its one store in Malibu, Planet Blue now operates about 13 stores across the United States.

Planet Blue is largely a women’s clothing shop, but their Santa Monica shop in California also holds men’s wear. They hold all clothing types but they are better known for their Bohemian wear and vintage-inspired styles. They advertise as having styles for the beach and the street and everywhere in between.

They offer products from a range of brands which includes All Things Fabulous, Blue Life, Endless Summer, James Smith, Kai, Levi’s, Minnie Rose, Nation Ltd, One Teaspoon, Sage the Label, Tai Jewelry, Valet, and more.

The online shop can be found at www.shopplanetblue.com. The site can be used by anyone who is 13 years of age and older.

Planet Blue is an American fashion retailing brand that advertises as “spreading good vibes since 1995”. If you were wondering what a fashion retailer has to do with vibes; they explain that they provide an assortment of styles that goes from the beach to the street and anywhere in between.

Planet Blue is a legit fashion store. It is not a scan because you are going to get any item you purchased.

So whether you want to soak up the rays by day or layer in the fun when the sun goes down, they’ll supply you with the perfect clothing.

Does Planet Blue actually provide the perfect fashion pieces that’ll put you in the right wave? Do they provide the other services that make a great fashion store (such as competitive pricing, fast delivery, easy returns, responsive customer service, etc)? In the first place, is Planet Blue legit?

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

Planet Blue review at a glance

• Website is www.shopplanetblue.com
• It’s a California-based fashion retailer founded in 1995
• They largely offer women clothing, specializing in Bohemian clothing and vintage inspired styles
• Accepted payment methods are PayPal and credit/debit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover)
• They ship to 35 countries across the world
• They offer a returns window of 30 days; and they issue refunds to original payment method
• Customer support is available via email (orders@shopplanetblue.com) and telephone service (877-674-6772)

Is Planet Blue Safe and Legit?

Planet Blue is also safe and legitimate. You also want an online fashion store that is safe. A safe store is one that safeguards the information that you share with it. What information, you may ask. When you register with an online fashion store, you’ll share your personal information which includes your contact details and mailing address. And when you place any other, you’ll share your payment instrument information (credit card details). You don’t want this information captured by cyber fraudsters, thus, you’ll want a safe store.

Planet Blue says that they are completely committed to protecting your privacy and that they utilize every available technology to ensure that your confidential information remains secure. True to this, they use 256-bit SSL (Secure Socket Layer) technology to protect customers’ data. SSL creates a secure link between devices and web servers communicating over the internet, keeping transmitted data private.

Also, the data is encrypted ensuring that even if it is captured, it cannot be read. That Planet Blue uses the 256-bit encryption standard shows its commitment to customers’ data. While many stores use the 128-bit encryption, Planet Blue goes for the strongest encryption standard – AES 256-bit.

Thus, there is no doubt that Planet Blue is safe. You can shop there without worrying too much about your sensitive data leaking to unauthorized third parties. For more similar stores, visit here.

Product

Product Range

The ideal online fashion store will have a good range of products. It does need to be a hold-it-all store; but even in its chosen niche, it should offer a variety of product types. For example, you wouldn’t want to purchase your top in one store and go to another store for a matching bottom. Apart from the convenience that getting your items in one place affords, there could also be cost savings, resulting from large order purchases, or savings from shipping only one order instead of shipping multiple orders from different stores.

Planet Blue ticks the box in this regard. The brand provides women’s clothing, and you’ll find an assortment of fashion products and styles that can go from beach to street and anywhere in between. When checking the website, the different product categories that you’ll find include:

Clothing – You can shop the following items in this category

• Dresses – Mini Dresses, Maxi Dresses, Cocktail Dresses, Long Sleeve Dresses, White Dresses
• Tops – Crop Tops, Blouses, Graphic Tees, Basic Tees, Bodysuits, Tank Tops
• Rompers & Jumpsuits – Rompers, Jumpsuits, Overalls
• Matching Sets
• Intimates & Pyjamas – Sleepwears
• Sweaters & Cardigans – Sweaters, Cardigans, Ponchos & Capes, Cashmere
• Outerwear – Jackets, Kimonos
• Jeans & Pants – Relaxed Fit, Leggings, Skinny Jeans, Bell Bottoms, Distressed Jeans
• Shorts & Skirts – Maxi Skirts, Mini Skirts, Short Shorts, Jean Shorts
• Swimwear – One Piece Swimsuits, Bikini Tops, Bikini Bottoms
• Activewear

Accessories – The fashion accessories you’ll get here include: Necklaces, Bracelets, Hair Accessories & Hats, Belts, Rings, Shoes, Scarves, Home, Sunglasses, Earrings, Handbags

Inventory Size

Offering a wide product range is important, but so is having a big inventory of each product type. A large inventory will give you choices, and you’ll be more likely to find an item that appeals to your taste and pocket. This accounts for why large supermarkets will see more patronage than small stalls.

Going through Planet Blue, we found that in terms of inventory size, they do well in the clothing category but poorly in the accessories category. For example, at the time of writing, they had about 90 different styles in the dress section; the Tops section had over 185 styles, and the trousers & Jeans section had over 98 different styles. Other clothing sections held a sizeable inventory. Thus, all your selection needs will be served when shopping for clothing in Planet Blue.

However, the accessories were poorly represented. For example, in the shoe section, there were only three Slides. There were no boots, booties, slippers, heels, sneakers, trainers, loafers, etc; just the three off-duty James Smith Slides. Bags were at least represented by three designers (Valet, Cleobella, Tiger Lily, and Rock Paper Scissors), but only seven (7) bags were available. There were also only 11 belts, 8 sunglasses, and three items in the home section which includes lotion.

That said; it’s safe to say that Planet Blue is relatively well-stocked in the clothing category but lacks such bragging rights in the accessories section.

Prices, and Promotions

Prices

Price is what jumps out at you in every purchase. You’ll not want to pay over the tops for any item, so the ideal online fashion store will have items that are reasonably priced.

The best way to look at the prices of items in a store is to compare them with the prices offered by the competition. When that is done, Planet Blue does not come across as a fashion destination for cheap and affordable pieces. The cheap fashion stores floor their prices, and you’ll find many of their items in two digits, especially in the low Tens ($10 – $50). However, it’s easier to squeeze water from a rock than to find items in Planet Blue in that price range.

For example, at the time of writing, of the about 90 different styles of dresses, only one (a Sage The Label Fiona Dress) was priced below $100, and it was a high $98. Every other dress was in the $150 – $300 range. Tops were also priced high with almost none coming under $50 except a crop tank priced at $39 and two Tees ($44 and $46 respectively). You’ll find other Tees and Tanks between $65 and $100; and you’ll need to be having around $150 for the Camis, Wrap Tops, and Blouses.

The bottoms were no different; of about 98 different pairs of trousers & Jeans, not more than 10 were priced below $100, and they were all as close to $100 as possible ($92 – $99). You’ll need about $100 to $240 for every other pair of jeans or trousers, be it skinny, flare, wide leg, Yoga pants, sweat pants etc.

However, it doesn’t mean that Planet Blue is overly expensive either, as many of the expensive stores have prices in the high hundreds, and in four figures. With products priced in the low hundreds ($100 – $400), Planet Blue is a store that is not cheap but also not expensive; rather, they’re just a bit over-priced.

Promotions

Customers want to get the best value possible. So even when the prices of items are floored, customers still look out for cost savings opportunities and talk less of when items are a bit overpriced. Thus, you’ll want the ideal fashion store to offer a lot of cost savings opportunities. Promotions offer such because they allow customers to get products for free or for less than the item’s full prices.

We didn’t see a lot of cost-saving opportunities in this blue planet of a fashion retailer. Their website was lacking those elements that show a fashion store that’s generous with promotions, such as price slashing offers, discount coupons etc. There was also no sign of a large order (bulk purchase) discount or a student discount. It is safe to say that if you want huge savings opportunities, you won’t be getting them in Planet Blue.

However, we found that Planet Blue sometimes run promotions. For example, in one of their promotions that ended just before our review rewarded, customers were entered into a contest to win different prizes that included a $200 Planet Blue online gift card, a Nightcap Clothing Dress, a T3 Micro SinglePass Curl & Cura Dryer, Kai Fragrance’s Rose Eau De Perfume & Rose Body Butter, and Sprayed By Jade Tanning Lotion. All they had to do was follow any of @shopplanetblue, @nightcapclothing, @t3micro, @kaifragrance, @shopgemtye, & @sprayedbyjade and tag one friend.

They do have sales items with prices that are clearly marked down. This is where you’ll be doing any savings when shopping in Planet Blue. However, buying sales items comes with a caveat – no returns.   

Payment and Related Policies

Payment Methods

Making payment for your order should be without hassle. For this, you’ll want a store that supports a range of payment methods so that no matter where you are resident one of the supported methods will be available to you for use in conveniently paying for your order.

In this regard, Planet Blue accepts payment with the following methods: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover and PayPal. Generally, online fashion stores do not break the roof with alternative payment methods; thus it’s really not surprising that Planet Blue supports only these limited options. However, since credit/ debit cards and PayPal are global options, you shouldn’t have an issue with payment no matter where you are resident.

Related Policies

There are different price and payment-related policies that we find in most fashion stores. One of such is Price Readjustment, where the store will reimburse you the difference if an item you purchase in the store is marked down soon afterwards.

The reason is so customers will not regret having bought the item sooner. Another policy is Price Matching, where the store undertakes to sell you an item for a lower price lower than it is listed if a similar item is being sold at another store for a lower price. The reason is to give customers the best value possible. Some stores also offer financing plans, where you can buy now and pay later in different instalments.

However, our blue planet of a fashion store does not offer any of these oft-seen policies.

Shipping

Shipping is considered by many shoppers as the most important consideration (after price) in online shopping. Since you won’t be walking out of the online shop with the purchased item(s); it’s important to consider the various factors affecting how you will receive the items. The most important considerations are shipping destinations, shipping cost and shipping times.

Shipping Destination

Though online shops serve more regions than shops with pure brick and mortar operations, it’s still difficult to find an online shop that serves every location in the world. Thus, when considering purchasing from an online shop, the first check should be whether the shop ships to your location because if the shop doesn’t, it will be difficult to receive delivery of your order.

Therefore, the ideal online fashion store will ship to as many worldwide locations as possible so that where you are located is more likely to be covered.

Unfortunately, Planet Blue does not get excellent marks in this regard because they ship to relatively few countries. The countries are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Belize, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.

Except if you are resident in the US or in any of the 35 listed international countries, you may want to look at another store for your fashion purchase. This means that in the whole of South America only persons from Brazil can use Planet Blue, while everyone in Africa cannot use the online shop. This is disappointing as we’ve come to see online fashion shops shipping to upward of 100 countries, with many of these stores even reaching the 200 mark.

Shipping Costs and Shipping Times

The shipping cost adds to the purchase price in calculating the total expenditure on an item. Thus, even when an item is acceptably priced, a high shipping cost can make the total expenditure unacceptable. This is one reason why many customers abandon their shopping cart at checkout after shipping costs have been added to reveal the would-be total spend. Thus, the ideal online fashion shop will have shipping costs that are as low as possible.

In the same vein, you don’t want to wait forever before receiving delivery of your order; thus, you’ll want a store with fast delivery.

For US domestic orders, there are different delivery options, and the shipping costs and times depend on the chosen option. Standard delivery is available via USPS or UPS. The USPS option cost $5.99 and takes 2 – 8 business days; while the UPS option cost $7.99 days and takes 1 – 6 business days. There is a 2nd day delivery (by Air); it cost $19.99, and as its name suggests, it’ll take two business days to receive your package.

There is a Next Day delivery (by Air); and as its name suggests, you’ll receive the package the next business day following order placement, and it cost $27.99. Lastly, there is a $19.99 priced Same Day delivery option (albeit for only customers in Los Angeles). However, to receive the Same-Day order, it has to be placed before 11 am of the day.

However, these delivery times and costs apply to continental US states alone. For Orders going to Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico, only the USPS and UPS Standard delivery options are available; the former cost $10.95, and the latter cost $12.95, but both have an expected delivery time of 6 – 9 days.

For international shipments, Planet Blue charges a flat rate of $40. The delivery times will depend on the particular country that the package is travelling to. For details of delivery times to particular countries, you’ll have to contact customer care.

The lowest possible shipping cost is zero (that is free shipping). Unfortunately, Planet Blue does not offer free shipping. However, at the time of writing this review, they were actually offering free shipping as a promo, and it applied to only domestic US orders. It should also be said that the shipping costs are so-so. The domestic shipping rates are fine except for the Next Day delivery, which is relatively high.

However, the international shipping cost comes out as too high. Usually, shipping cost increases with the distance of the country to the distribution centre; but with a flat rate, countries closer to the distribution centre will be paying high. Thus, the international shipping cost of Planet Blue is high for most countries when compared with the shipping costs of many other stores.

For the delivery times, it should be noted that for the standard delivery options, the delivery times quoted are only transit time and not inclusive of order processing time. Thus, when you are using any of the standard delivery options, you’ll have to allow some time for processing of the order which is up to 1 – 2 business days. After the order is processed, it is dispatched to the carrier, and the advertised shipping time starts counting.

It should be said that 1 – 2 days processing time is relatively fine as there are many stores that take longer (sometimes up to a week). The relatively short order processing time of Planet Blue means that they will quickly dispatch your order, which translates to relatively fast deliveries.

Returns

Online purchase is characterized by blind purchase; that is, not physically assessing the item being completed in the transaction. Thus, there’s a possibility that you will not be totally satisfied with the item when it is delivered. Most fashion products are also sized products, and with sized items, there is the possibility that the wrong size is ordered. Whatever the case, you’ll want to be able to return an item that you are not totally satisfied with. Thus, the ideal online fashion store will accept returns.

Returns Window

All online fashion stores that we know of accept returns, so what will have been surprising is that Planet Blue does accept not returns; as it turned out, they do accept returns. An important consideration of any returns policy is the returns window, which is how much time you have from the date of receiving the item to get the item back to the store.

Planet Blue allows a returns window of 30 days. This is one of the widest returns windows you’ll get in the industry, and it means that you’ll not have to race against the calendar when deciding on returning any item in your order.

Items that can be returned

All items that are delivered to you damaged may be returned to Planet Blue. However, you’ll have to contact the Customer Care Team within 24 hours of receiving the order. You may also return any item that you are not satisfied with, but the returned item must meet the following conditions:

• It must be unworn, unwashed, and free of any alterations
• Items must be free of makeup stains, perfume, smoke or heavy body odour
• All original Planet Blue and vendor tags must still be attached to the garment(s)
• Swimwear and Intimates must still have hygienic strip intact (for hygiene reasons)

Returned items will be inspected, and only items meeting the above-mentioned conditions (and returned within the 30 days window) will be accepted for a refund or exchange.

It should also be said that Planet Blue does not accept returns of sales items, because they treat any item purchased at a sale price as a final purchase. This is one aspect of a returns policy that we do not like because it puts customers between a rock and a hard place.

On one hand, they can buy full-price items (usually expensive) if they want to be able to return any item in the order that they are not pleased with; and on the other hand, they can buy sales items (usually heavily discounted) but be unable to return any of the items in the order that they are not pleased with. The chance of not being satisfied with an item is real, and if you’ll not want to be stuck with an item that you don’t like, that sales items are not returnable means you’ll have to pay top dollar to get your items at full price. 

There are many stores that solve this conundrum by accepting returns of sales items, but with a reduced returns window (usually half of the normal window). That is, if their returns window is 30 days, they’ll accept sales items if returned within 15 days.

Returns Process

You will not want a situation where you’ll like to return an item but perceive the returns process as cumbersome. While the store will retain the payment for the item you’ll not want to use the store again leading to a loss of future sales. Thus, stores try to make their returns process as smooth and easy as possible.

You may return items to Planet Blue in-store or through the mail. Where some online stores require that items bought online can only be returned online (that is, by post), in Planet Blue some online purchases qualify for in-store returns. You’ll simply need to take the item to any of their store along with the original invoice receipt.

For the online returns, you’ll need a returns authorization slip and a returns label (optional). These documents can be obtained in three ways:

• Clicking on the “Start My Return” link in the order shipment email; selecting the item(s) you’ll like to return and following the prompts
• Clicking on the “My Account” link on the Planet Blue website; selecting the item(s) you’ll like to return and following the prompts
• Emailing Planet Blue at orders@shopplanetblue.com to request them

You’ll print the documents; then complete and enclose the returns authorization slip in the returns package. You’ll have to affix the returns label (which is prepaid and pre-addressed) to the front of the returns package and drop it off at the post office. If you’ll rather not use the returns label, you may post the returns package using the format:

Planet Blue Returns Department

Order # ________

1653 12th Street

Santa Monica, CA 90404

On the whole, the returns process of Planet Blue is straightforward and hassle-free. The provision of a prepaid and pre-addressed returns label makes for easy returns and will mean you’ll not have to think of costs at the time of mailing your returns package.

However, the returns process is not the most simplified because of the process of obtaining the returns label and the returns authorization slip. The most simplified process will be a print-free process. Some stores offer that by enclosing the returns label in the order package that is delivered to you. With such stores, you don’t even need to contact customer care to make a return; you only need to attach the enclosed label and mail the returns package.

Cost of Returns

You also do not want to return an item to be cost-prohibitive. Thus you’ll want free returns, where the fashion store bears the cost of returns shipping. Unfortunately, Planet Blue does not offer free returns, except where the returns are for a damaged or wrong item delivered. For all other returns, the customer bears the cost of returns.

The returns label of Planet Blue cost $7.99, and if you choose to use it, the fee will be deducted from your refund. This is a relatively okay return shipping. It is also fine that that is all there is to pay when to make your returns because Planet Blue does not charge extra fees like stocking fees.

Refund

Planet Blue takes two weeks to process returns and issue refunds. This is not the swift returns/ refund processing that we’ll want. Though there are stores that take longer to process and issue refunds, we’ll like to see Planet Blue improving on its processing time.

This is especially so because after Planet Blue issues the refund, your bank may require additional days to process and post the transaction to your account. Thus, you may have a total waiting time of three weeks before having the money in your account. The total waiting time for a refund can be significantly reduced with a reduced refund processing time.

Also, Planet Blue issues all refunds through the original payment method. That is, when you return an item, you’ll be refunded as cash in your account. It is only when a refund to the original payment method is not possible that Planet Blue will issue the refund as store credits.

There are stores that issue all refunds as store credits which tie you to spending that money in the particular store. However, with refunds as cash in your account, you may decide to go to another store entirely for your purchase.

However, only the cost of the item will be refunded; the original shipping cost will not be refunded.

Exchanges

Exchanges are returning an item and getting another one in its place instead of getting a refund. You’ll want a store that allows exchanges because the time of waiting to get refunded before placing another order is significantly longer than if you simply return the item and get another in its place.

Not too many stores allow exchanges; but thankfully, Planet Blue does. However, only even exchanges are allowed; that is, exchanges for similar items but only for a different size or colour. Also, exchanges are only possible for domestic US orders.

Customer Support

The role of customer support in any business cannot be overemphasized. Customers will always have questions that they need to be answered or issues that need to be resolved; thus, the ideal online fashion store will have an effective support centre for addressing customers’ questions or complaints.

In most online platforms, the first step to getting answers to questions is an FAQ section usually found in the “Help” section of their website. FAQs do hold answers to many of the questions that customers have asked in the past; customers usually seek these self-help articles for many of their inquiries. Unfortunately, there was no FAQ to be found on the website of Planet Blue. They do have a “Customer Care” section but it does not hold any link to an FAQ page. There is a “Help” link in the “Customer Care section, and our first thinking was that that would take us to something like an FAQ.

However, it merely opened a page with information on shipping, returns & exchanges, and orders & payment. Granted that page is very informative, but we’ll like to see a traditional FAQ section with short answers to questions, and probably links to these pages for more information.

To directly contact a support agent; Planet Blue provides email service and a telephone support service. We like to see more direct contact support options, such as live chat.  You can send the store a mail directly from your email address using orders@shopplanetblue.com. The store will get back to you within 48 hours.

If you’ll rather have instant feedback, you can use the telephone service by calling 877-674-6772. The phone line is active between 9 am – 5 pm (PST) on Mondays to Thursdays, and between 9 am – 4 pm (PST) on Fridays. It’s somewhat disappointing that the support service is not available round the clock. It is our opinion that a global platform should endeavour to provide round-the-clock support because the uptime in a time zone is the downtime in another time zone.

Pros:

• They have a relatively short order processing time (within 1 – 2 business days)
• They offer a generous 30 days returns window
• They offer a wide range of product
• They have a large inventory of every fashion product in their clothing category

Cons:

• They have only a few items in their accessories category
• Their items are a bit over-priced
• You will not find huge cost-saving opportunities (such as price slashing promotions)
• Outside their domestic market (the United States), Planet Blue ships to only 35 international countries
• Relatively high shipping cost for most international regions
• They do not accept returns of sales items
• Relatively long returns/ refunds processing time
• Customer support service is not available round the clock, and there is no support for live chat

Conclusion

Planet Blue is a legitimate US fashion retailer that lives up to its reputation of providing an assortment of styles. They come out as the go-to destination for Bohemian clothing and vintage-inspired styles. They draw fashion pieces from a variety of brands, and so they have a large clothing inventory that ensures that you’ll find something that appeals to your taste and pocket.

You don’t have to worry about whether Planet Blue is legit or safe. There being a registered company with over 24 years’ track record of fulfilling orders rest the legit concerns; while their use of SSL technology with bank-grade AES 256 encryption rests the safety concerns.

Also, they offer an easy payment process, relatively fast delivery, and easy returns. And when you run out of gas, there is responsive customer service to serve you. However, there are a few knacks on the road that are hereunder listed as cons.

Have you ordered an item from Planet Blue before? What were you experiencing? Kindly use the review form below to give your Planet Blue review.

Ashley Stewart is a fashion brand for plus size women. The company is based in Secaucus (New Jersey, US); and was founded in 1991 when founder Joseph Sitt discovered that the fashion retailing business did not cater to plus-sized career women.

The company has continued ever since to serve fashion products for this niche (sizes 10 – 36). Thus, Ashley Stewart is a fashion store for big, bold and beautiful women. As long as you have the curves, Ashley Stewart has the styles. You’ll find every clothing style and fashion product in the store; from party dresses to casual wear, and from swimwear to intimates.

Unlike some stores that maintain only online operations, Ashley Stewart operates scores of physical retail stores. Their corporate office is located at 150 Meadowlands Parkway, Suite 403 Secaucus, NJ 07094, USA; and the company operates some other 88 retail stores all across the US.

The ownership of Ashley Stewart has changed hands a couple of times, and the company has gone through the highs and lows of the retail business. In their highs, they recorded annual sales as high as $400 million; and in their lows, financial difficulties forced them to even file for bankruptcy (2010 and 2014). However, Ashley Stewart stands today as a go-to destination for plus-sized fashion styles.

Ashley Stewart is a legitimate fashion store. It is not a scam because you will receive an item you ordered from the store. They will never take your money without sending you your products.

But does Ashley Stewart offer quality products?

In a fashion world where there is scant attention to the big and beautiful, it’s good to find a clothing brand entirely focused on this niche. However, the question that needs to be asked is whether Ashley Stewart provides high-end quality fashion styles. If they have the product, what about their service; do they provide competitive pricing, fast delivery, easy returns, and the other services that we’ll expect of an ideal fashion store? In the first place is Ashley Stewart product genuine?

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

Ashley Stewart review at a glance

• The website is www.ashleystewart.com
• The brand is a US-based online fashion retailer established in 1991
• They provide a variety of plus size clothing types, styles and fashion accessories
• They ship to the US, Canada and some other 190 international countries
• Returns are allowed if made within 30 days of the delivery date
• Free shipping is offered for domestic orders above $125
• Accepted payment methods include credit and debit cards, PayPal, and Ashley Stewart card
• Customer support is available via email and telephone

Is Ashley Stewart a Legit or Scam?

Ashley Stewart is legit. It is not a scam fashion store. We have personally witness buyers who actually got what they ordered for. Bt that does not mean there are no negative experiences from other customers. There are many scam stores in the internet, so one cannot be too careful when shopping online.

Enter a store that is anything but legit, and you’ll only find out that you’ve been ripped off when the items that you pay for and orders are not delivered. You can determine whether a store is legit or a scam by considering some factors.

The first is legality. The online store is operated by Ashley Stewart Inc. which is a duly registered company in the US. Thus, Ashley Stewart is 100% legal. Suffice it to say that scam stores do not seek company registrations.

Another check is physical presence. Most often than not, scam stores operate only virtually with no traceable physicality. That is why they don’t deliver because they have no factory, warehouse, showroom/ stores, or no merchandise. On the other hand, Ashley Stewart has a robust physical presence. Apart from their corporate office in Secaucus, USA, they operate some 89 stores across the US.

The brand is also famous for their fashion tours and events which brings together some of the hitters in the fashion industry. Suffice it to say that a scam store will not have the physical presence and visibility that Ashley Stewart has. Also, Ashley Stewart is a store that has been recognized by a lot of industry watchers. For example, activities in Ashley Stewart have been featured in Inc. Magazine.

The work of James Rhee with Ashley Stewart fetched him the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the year in 2016, and was also recognized by the National Retail Federation’s Foundation. Suffice it to say that no scam store will gain such recognitions.

By far the most important check of legitimacy is fulfilling orders. Simply put, scam stores do not fulfill orders. On the other hand, the scores of retail stores and their fulfillment center hold millions of units of merchandise which gives the Ashley Stewart the capacity to fulfill orders. Also, Ashley Stewart has been fulfilling orders for almost 28 years. Suffice it to say that scam stores that do not fulfill orders do not continue for decades.

For being 100% legal, having a robust physical presence, earning the endorsement of industry watchers, and having the capacity and a track record of fulfilling orders, there’s no doubt that Ashley Stewart is legit.

Is Ashley Stewart safe?

Ashley Stewart is safe to use. The ideal store need to also be safe so that the information you share with it is protected and prevented from leaking to cyber fraudsters. You don’t want your personal information or your credit card details falling into the wrong hands, so a safe store is a no-brainer.

In this regard, Ashley Stewart ticks the box. The store uses the industry-standard SSL (Secure Socket Layer) technology. SSL is bank-grade and is among the best security measures available today for secure commerce transactions. It creates a secure connection between your device and the servers of the store so that data that is transmitted between both is private. The data (which include your personal data and payment card details) is also encrypted so that it cannot be read as the information travels over the Internet.

To demonstrate the commitment of Ashley Stewart to security of customers’ data, the website is a registered member of VeriSign, which is a leading provider of Internet trust services (authentication, validation and payment).

Ashley Stewart also has a “Safe Shopping Guarantee” which promises that you will not pay if unauthorized charges are made to your card as a result of shopping on their website. Though, it’s not really clear how that works; it’s safe to say that Ashley Stewart is safe.

Product

Product Range

The ideal online fashion shop should be a one-stop-shop where you can get a variety of fashion products. This does not mean that the ideal shop should be a hold-it-all. Stores can focus on a niche and still provide a variety of products in that niche. That is what Ashley Stewart has done.

Their niche is Plus Size Women’s clothing and accessories. That said, they have all the different clothing and accessories that’ll wow your curves and have you rocking your style. The different categories and the products you’ll find in each product category include:

Clothing

• Dresses – You can shop for dresses in the style of by occasion. This includes Linen Dresses, Jumpsuits and Maxis, Party Dresses, Work Dresses, Casual Dresses, Wrap Dresses, Two Piece Dresses
• Tops – Linen Tops, Knits and Tees, Graphic Tees, Tunics, /shirts and Blouses, Sweaters, Tanks and Camis, Statement Sleeves, Duster Peplum Tops and more
• Jeans – Skirts, Shorts and Capris, Ankle Jeans, Destructed Skinny Jeans, Statement Jeans, Hi Rise Jeans, and more
• Bottoms – Linen Bottoms, Skirts, Shorts and Capris, Wide Leg Pants, Straight-Leg Trousers, Skinny Pants, Leggings,
• Jackets and Coats – Linen Jackets, Trench Coats, Fashion Jackets, Denim Jackets, Blazers, and more
• Swim – One Piece Swimsuit, Swim Tops and Bottoms, Cover-Ups
• Athleisure – Femme Leisure, Active Tops, Active Bottoms

Intimates

• Bras – Butterfly Bra, Balconette, Bralette, Convertible Bra, Soft Cup Bra, Full Coverage Bra, Posture Bra, T-Shirt Bra
• Panties – Bikini Panty, Boyleg, Brief, Hipster
• Lingerie and Shapewear – shapewear, Intimate Sets
• Hoisery and Socks

Shoes

Flats, Heels, Sandals, and more

Accessories and Beauty Products

Sunglasses, Hats, Belts, Jewelry, Handbags, Gifts and Travel, fragrances etc

Inventory Size

If you’re to buy a specific fashion item (say a T-shirt bra), you’ll want to find that the store has many T-Shirt Bras that you can choose from instead of the store holding only a few T-Shirt Bras. With a large pool to choose from, you’re more likely to find what will appeal to you and match your budget. That said, while having a wide product range is important, having a large inventory of each product type is also important.

The performance of Ashley Stewart in this regard is not particularly impressive. At the time of writing this review, the store held only moderate stock in whole product sections, which means that there’ll be fewer numbers of particular product types.

There were 192 items found in the Tops section, so there were few numbers for particular types. For example, there were 73 Shirts and Blouses, only 9 Tanks and Camis, and only 4 Tunics. It was the same for Bottoms; at the time Ashley Stewart held 68 Bottoms, consisting of 23 Skirts, 9 Skinny Pants, 8 Shorts and Capris, 11 Straight Leg Trousers, and so on. Also, the full Jeans section had only 65 items, while the full Jackets and Coats section had only 35 items.

Their Intimates category held even less stock. There were only 26 products in the whole Panties section, with fewer still Panties Styles; and there were only 24 products found in the Bras section, and for particular Bra styles, you’ll find some having as few as 3 items.

We’ve reviewed online fashion stores that have many hundreds and even thousands of particular product types; and in comparison with such stores, the stock of Ashley Stewart is relatively small.

Product Quality

Having a range of products and having a sizeable inventory of each product type are important considerations when looking at the products in an online store, but even more important is product quality. This is so that you’ll not have to face quality issues when you order any item from the store.

Good quality items will include items made from quality materials, items that are well made, and items that are durable. You’ll definitely find a lot of items in the store matching these descriptors. However, it should be said that just as always you’ll find some reviews reporting cases where customers were not satisfied with the quality of their Ashley Stewart orders. However, these complaints are few and far in between to constitute a theme. Thus, it’s safe to say that Ashley Stewart is not plagued with quality issues.

Prices and Related Policies

Prices

The prices of items in a store are some of the first things you’ll check when making your buy decision. No one will be willing to pay what is perceived as unreasonable for items, so the ideal store should offer prices that are perceived as reasonable.

In this regard, Ashley Stewart does okay. The store is not considered cheap, but it isn’t expensive either; their prices are just a little on the high side but affordable.

For example, at the time of writing, Ashley and Stewart’s Tops were priced between $16.50 and $64 with over 90% coming in under $50. Skirts were priced at $39.50 – $44.50, and you’ll find most of their Jeans between $39.50 and $59.50. Given that these items easily go into three figures in some stores, it’s safe to say that Ashley Stewart prices, though not the finest, are relatively fine.

Promotions

I don’t know that shopper who’ll want to pay full price for items when it’s possible to pay less than the full price. In fact, shoppers seek out opportunities to pay less and less for items. Promotions offer such cost-saving opportunities; as such, shoppers are attracted to stores that offer regular promotions.

Ashley Stewart does well in this regard by coming out as a store that is generous with promotions. As we got to the landing page of the Ashley Stewart website, we were greeted with a promotion that promised “50% off new arrivals”. Later down on the page, we found the Diva Dollars promo which rewards customers with $25 for every $50 spent in the store. Also, if you open and use the Ashley Stewart credit card, you’ll be rewarded with 20% off your first purchase. For those who’ll like to shop in the retail stores of Ashley Stewart, there was a March in-store only promo that promises 35% off full prices of dresses.

The promotions usually runs for only specified time periods, so you’ll have to keep checking the website from  time to time to know what promotion is running at any particular time.  Alternatively, you may sign up for Ashley Stewart news by submitting your email, and you’ll get alerts of promotional offers, including new arrivals. You even get rewarded for signing up for the newsletter; you’ll get 15% off your next purchase. Moving to the sales page, you’ll find a lot of items with up to 40%, 50% and 75% off full price. You’ll even find steal deals – items costing only $9.98.

However, Ashley Stewart does not offer price adjustments. Some stores will issue you the balance if an item you bought from the store is almost immediately listed at a lower price. Ashley Stewart does not also offer price matching. This was not surprising as price matching is offered by stores committed to offering the best price; thus, they’ll offer to give you an item in the store at a lower price than it is listed, if you can find a similar item elsewhere going for that lower price.

Ordering and Payment Method

You want a store with a hassle-free buying process. There’s no point having a headache when spending your hard-earned money. In this regard, the online store should have an intuitive website where getting items into cart and paying for the order at checkout is a smooth ride.

Ashley Stewart ticks both boxes. The buying process is pretty straightforward. After browsing through the product pages or using the search tool to find a particular product; getting items into the shopping cart is done by simply indicating the size, colour and quantity desired, and clicking “Add to Bag”.

There is an “MY BAG” icon on the upper right corner of the screen that you may click at any time to take you to checkout. At checkout, you’ll simply enter your information to complete payment and the checkout process.

For the payment part, you’ll want the store to support a range of payment methods so that no matter where you are resident, you’ll not have a hard time finding a method that you can use to conveniently pay for your order. In this regard, Ashley Stewart accepts payment with Visa, Master Card, Discover Card, American Express, Debit/ Check cards, Ashley Stewart Credit cards, and PayPal. With these options, paying for Ashley Stewart orders will not be a problem.

Shipping

In online purchases, orders placed will be moved from the fulfilment centres of the store to wherever you select that you’ll take possession of them. Thus, shipping is an essential part of online purchases. The most important shipping considerations are shipping destinations. Shipping times, and shipping costs.

Shipping Destinations

If an online store does not ship to where you are resident, it will be difficult to receive delivery of any order placed with the store (if at all the order placement will go through). Thus, you’ll want to first make sure that the store ships to your location. In this regard, the ideal online store will be one that ships to many worldwide locations so that where you are resident is more likely to be covered.

Ashley Steward ticks the box in this regard. In fact, you’ll be hard-pressed to find an online store with better coverage. The store ships to several locations all over the world; this includes 48 countries in Europe, 43 countries in Asia, 43 countries in Latin and South America, and 56 countries in the Middle East and Africa.

With this vast coverage that extends to 190 countries, many persons from all over the globe can place orders in Ashley Stewart and they can expect to get their package delivered to their door. This is unlike many stores that serve only their domestic markets or a few other territories.

Shipping Times

One of the biggest complaints shoppers make about online stores is delays in delivery. This means that online shoppers generally do not like having to wait for too long to receive the delivery of their orders. Thus the ideal online store should offer fast delivery.

There are two factors that affect a store’s delivery time, which is order processing time and package shipment time. After placing an order, the store will process it and dispatch it; it is only after it is dispatched that the carrier moves it to where you’ll receive it. If the order processing time is relatively long, it’ll take long before your package even begins its journey to you, and you’ll receive it late. Also, if the order processing time is fast, and the order is quickly dispatched to the carrier but the carrier moves slowly, you’ll also receive the package late.

Ashley Stewart has one of the quickest order processing times in the business. Provided that the order is approved, all orders placed before 2 pm EST (Mondays – Fridays) will be processed within one business day. It is orders placed after 2 pm, on a weekend or on a holiday that is processed within 2 business days.

For the transit times, there are different options available depending on where your order is shipping to. For domestic US orders shipping to the 48 mainland States, there are 4 shipping options depending on speed. These include Economy delivery which takes 5 – 9 business days; Standard delivery which takes 4 – 8 business days; Priority delivery which takes 3 – 4 business days; and Express delivery which is within 3 business days.

For orders shipping to Alaska and Hawaii, Economy delivery does not apply. The Standard delivery is typically within 6 – 10 business days; the Priority delivery is within 5 – 8 business days, and the Express Delivery is within 5 business days. For orders shipping to military addresses (APO/ FPO/ DPO) and other US Territories (Guam, Puerto Rico, USVI, etc), only standard delivery is available, and it takes 5 – 9 business days.

However, it should be noted that no matter where your order is shipping to within the US, during the Flash Sales, there’ll be huge sales volume to fulfil and delivery may require additional 2 – 3 days for all delivery options.

For international orders shipping outside the US, there are not many delivery options. Many such orders will ship through Standard delivery, and it can take between 3 – 21 business days depending on the country.

Once your order ships, you’ll get an e-mail notifying you. The email will also carry a tracking number if the order is shipping within the US. However, international orders cannot be tracked. If you’re a customer who’ll want to follow your orders all the way till it gets to your door, you’ll be disappointed that Ashley Stewart does not have tracking capabilities for international orders. You may have to look at other online fashion stores that allow you to track your orders (whether domestic or international orders), and there are a good number of them.

Shipping Cost

It is clear that customers also do not want to pay too much to ship their orders. Studies have shown that high shipping costs are one of the main reasons customers abandon their shopping carts at checkout. That the item is taken to checkout means it is perceived as reasonably priced; but after shipping costs are applied at checkout and the total amount it will take to acquire the item is revealed, sometimes the cart is abandoned and the order is not completed. That said, the ideal online fashion store should offer shipping costs that are as low as possible.

The rates of Ashley Stewart are as follows. For orders travelling to the 48 mainland US states, Economy delivery is $8.95, Standard delivery is $11.95, Priority delivery is $14.95, and Express delivery is $24.95. For orders going to Hawaii and Alaska, Standard delivery is $14.95, Priority delivery is $20.95, and Express delivery is $29.95. Standard delivery for orders going to military addresses and the US Territories cost $14.95.

For international orders, exact shipping charges are not provided. You’ll have to proceed to checkout to find what shipping options are available to your particular country, and their cost. Sometimes, there’ll be additional fees such as taxes, duty, etc billed by your local customs, and you’ll have to pay these upon receipt of your package.

However, it should be noted that the advertised shipping rates are only for packages of 50 lbs and under and with dimensions (length and girth) of less than 130 inches. Where the package exceeds these specifications (that is heavier than 50 lbs or measures more than 130 inches in length or girth), the shipping cost will be calculated separately based on the package weight, size and the delivery location.

If you’ve seen reviews of many other online fashion stores, you’ll find that the shipping costs of Ashley Stewart are relatively high. For Economy Shipping and Standard shipping, the rates of Ashley Stewart is higher than that of many other US-based online fashion retailers. It also does not help that Ashley Stewart does not offer free shipping.

At the time of writing, there was free shipping, but it was being offered as a promo. Given that promos run for only a specified period of time; it will mean that their free shipping is not perpetual. Also, the offer applies to only orders over $125.

Granted, many online stores set these minimum purchase requirements for their free shipping offers; but many have a lower threshold. We’ve seen free shipping offers for orders over $50 or $100. Thus, the $125+ qualifying amount for Ashley Stewart is relatively high. This means that buyers will have to push a little higher in their spending just to qualify for free shipping.

It also does not help that the free shipping offer only applies to domestic US orders. For US buyers, this is good news, but for any other buyer, it won’t be pleasant, especially as there are online fashion stores (having plus items) that offer free shipping to all locations that they serve.

Returns

We cannot recommend an online fashion store that does not accept returns. First, online purchase is characterized by blind purchase where the buyer does not get to physically assess the item before completing the transaction, and there is the possibility that when delivered the item might not have the same appeal as it did when being seen in the product images provided.

That is, on seeing the item, it might not meet certain expectations the buyer had of it and will want to return it to the store. Also, fashion pieces are largely sized products, and there is the possibility that the wrong size is ordered.

Thankfully, Ashley Stewart allows returns. What follows here is a detailed look at the returns policy, because sometimes it’s not enough that a store simply allows returns. 

Return Process

Where a return process is cumbersome you may decide not to face it, and you’ll be forced to hold on to items that you’ll rather return. Thus, you’ll want a return process that’s a breeze.

Ashley Stewart returns can be done in-store or online. In-store returns simply entail walking into any Ashley Stewart retail store closest to you with the item you’ll want to return and its receipt. In most fashion stores, only items bought in-store can be returned in-store, while all items bought online must be returned online (by post).

However, Ashley Stewart comes good in that where items bought in-store must be returned in-store, there are many items bought online that can also be returned to their retail stores.

However, it should be noted that not all products bought online can be returned to the store. We’ve found customer reviews where customers expressed dissatisfaction at not being able to return online purchases to the store.

The product description of Ashley Stewart is termed Style Notes, and it’s at the end of it that you’ll find if an item is “web exclusive”; and where an item is web exclusive, it can be returned only online. Some buyers have claimed that citing the “web exclusive” at the bottom of the page makes it easy to be missed. Well, maybe they did miss it; but we don’t think it should be missed if one actually goes through the product description (Styles Notes).  

For the online returns, after packaging the items to be returned, you’ll have to mail them to Ashley Stewart’s distribution centre at: Ashley Stewart Warehouse, 300 Nixon Lane Edison, NJ 08837 USA. To make such returns easy, Ashley Stewart put the necessary returns instructions at the back of the order form which goes with every shipment. They also include returns labels in domestic orders that can be used for easy returns.

Returnable Items

For return items to be accepted they must be in their new and unused condition in original packaging and with all tags attached. Any item that shows signs of wear, use, wash, that is damaged, or that has been altered will not be accepted. Also, the invoice number and billing name must appear in the return form that accompanies your return package.

It should be noted that clearance items are final sales and they will not be accepted when returned. It should be said that this is one area that has frustrated a lot of Ashley Stewart’s customers. As documented, the store runs a lot of tantalizing promos; you’ll not want to pay full price when you can apply a promo offer and get it for even less than the full price.

The catch is that most of those items so gotten become final sales, and cannot be returned. So if it happens that you’re not totally satisfied with what the item delivered, you’ll be stuck with it.

For this reason, we like stores with low full prices and not stores with slightly steep prices that then use promos to bring their prices low. Ashley Stewart falls in the latter category, and because you’ll only get low prices in the store after applying promotional offers, you’ll find that the store has a lot of disgruntled customers who’re forced to keep items that they’ll rather return.

Granted in many of the fashion stores, discounted/ sales items are final sales and cannot be returned; but there are some stores where sales items can be returned, albeit with a reduced return window, and there are other stores where you’ll get store credits when you return sales items.

Return Window

Returns are accepted only if made within a period of time. Therefore, you’ll want an extended time so that your returned item will not get to the store late and be rejected. Ashley Stewart does okay in this regard. They accept all returns made within 30 days of the delivery date. This is on par with many other stores in the online fashion retailing business. In fact, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a store that offers a wider window.

Cost of Return

You also do not want to return an item only to be put off by the high cost of doing so. Thus, you’ll want cost of returns to be as low as possible. The cost of returns is mainly the cost of shipping back the returned item to the store (return shipping); however, there are stores that also charge you a fee for restocking the item.

As a rule, we’ll like the former (return shipping cost) to be as low as possible, with free returns being the winner any day; and for the latter (restocking fee), we don’t like stores that charge it. Ashley Stewart does not appear to charge a restocking fee, but you’ll have to bear the cost of return shipping.

For domestic returns where returns labels is provided, the cost of the pre-paid label is $8.00, and it will be deducted from your refund. Since the rates of return labels are usually discounted, you’ll find that making international returns to Ashley Stewart can be pretty expensive.

Refund and Refund Processing

From the customer’s perspective, a return of an item to the store is not successful until a refund or replacement item has been received. Also, no one will want to wait forever to receive a refund; thus the ideal fashion store should process returns and issue refunds quickly.

Ashley Stewart takes 10 – 14 business days to process returns after receiving the returned item in their fulfilment center; after which they’ll issue the refund via your original payment method, and it’ll reflect in your statement in one or two billing cycles.

This means you may have to wait three full weeks or a full month before you’ll receive your Ashley Stewart refund. This is a relatively long waiting time, and we’ll like to see this time reduce by the store reducing the refund processing time. However, we like that Ashley Stewart issues refunds as cash to the original payment method, and not as store credits; that way the customer may decide to go to another store for his/ her purchases.

Customer Service

Customers will always have one or more questions about a store, its offerings and operation; and sometimes, customers will have issues with their orders. Thus, the ideal online store will provide for answering customers’ questions and resolving customers’ issues.

The first check is the channels that the store provides for getting assistance. The first stop to getting help in Ashley Stewart is an FAQ page on their website. You’ll find that the page answers a lot of questions relating to creating an account, shipping and tracking, ordering and returns, payment information, and more.

If you still need to contact a customer support rep of the store, Ashley Stewart provides email service and telephone service. You may send them an e-mail by filling out a “Contact US” form that can be accessed on their website. The company replies to submissions in a few hours.

However, if you’ll want instant feedback, you may use the telephone service. The phone number to call (844-327-4539) is toll-free in the US, but international customers may have to pay international call charges.

The support service is not available 24/ 7; the customer service hours of operations are 9 am – 9 pm EST (Monday – Friday), and 10 am – 4 pm EST on Saturdays. We like that a support service is available 24/ 7, especially for an online store serving a global market because the downtime of the service corresponds to the uptime of customers in the other part of the zone. Thus, it was disappointing that Stewart customer service is not available round the clock, and is even comatose the whole of Sundays.

ALSO READ: Rotita Reviews: Legit or Scam?

It must also be said that the most scathing reviews of Ashley Stewart have been about her customer support service. In the online reviews found on the independent review platforms, it’s almost like a theme that Ashley Stewart customer service is anything but helpful.

Pros:

• Ashley Steward ships to about 190 countries in different locations around the world
• They offer a lot of cost-saving promotions
• Order processing is relatively fast
• Returns are allowed if made within 30 days of delivery date
• Return labels are provided for domestic returns (and priced relatively low at $8.00)
• Many items bought online can be returned to store
• Customer service is available via email and telephone

Cons:

• Few items in some products sections
• No tracking capabilities for international orders
• Ashley Stewart does not offer price matching or price adjustment
• No returns of clearance sales whether for refunds or for exchange
• Refunds processing take up to 14 business days which is relatively long
• Customer support is not available round the clock

Conclusion

Ashley Stewart is a legitimate and iconic brand for plus-sized women’s clothing and fashion accessories. You’ll find a range of clothing types and styles to rock your curves; including dresses, tops, bottoms, and intimates, as well as beauty products. However, you may find only a few items to choose from in some product sections.

In terms of service, the prices of Ashley Stewart are not the best but still affordable, and there are lots of cost-saving promotions. Ashley Stewart provides an easy ordering process backed by a range of payment methods; orders are processed quickly, they ship around the world, and shipping times are relatively fast.

The return process is easy; though the absence of return labels for international returns may make returning such orders a bit expensive. Another ugly spot of the return policy is that clearance sales cannot be returned.

Since prices are not the best and promotions are very generous, it’s easy to see why customers will go for such discounted items and get caught in not being able to return such items.

We also didn’t like that customer support service is not 24/ 7, or that there were too many complaints that the supposed help given by the customer support department is largely unhelpful. 

Bibloo is a Prague based online fashion retailer offering women’s wear, men’s wear, and kids’ wear. The fashion store was founded by Petr Liesner who still serves as its CEO. The fashion store is owned and operated by Digital People A.S., and was started in 2015.

Bibloo provides fashion products (Clothing, shoes, and accessories) for everyone in the family (women, men and kids). Bibloo sells products from over 130 designer brands which includes notable names like Adidas, Calvin Klein, CR7, Converse, Diesel, Lacoste, Levi’s, New Balance, Nike, Polo Ralp Lauren, Puma, Reebok, Tommy Hilfiger, True Religion, Versace, and Wrangler.

Given that there are many fashion stores in the market, choosing a store to make your fashion purchases can be confusing. You’ll want a store that has the product (high quality, well-made pieces that’ll be durable) and the service (easy buying process, fast delivery, easy returns, effective customer service, etc).

Bibloo is a legit fashion store online. It is not a scam because your money or credit card details will not be stolen. And you will receive your products without a problem.

Does Bibloo have a quality product and service? In the first place, is Bibloo material genuine?

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

Bibloo review at a glance

• Website is www.bibloo.com
• Bibloo was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in the Czech Republic
• Bibloo is a fashion online store that provides clothing and accessories for women, men, and kids
• Ships to 19 countries, which are all in Europe
• They offer free shipping to all locations
• They offer fast delivery
• Returns are accepted if the contract is cancelled within 30 days of the delivery date, and the returned items are sent back to the store within 14 days of cancelling the contract
• Payments accepted include PayPal, bank transfer and credit/ debit cards
• Customer support is available via post, email (info@bibloo.com), and telephone (+44 20 3807 3535)

Is Bibloo legit?

Of course, Bibloo is not a scam but a legit online fashion store. There’s really no choice but to use only legit platforms for your online purchases. This is because one stands to lose his/ her hard-earned money (or worse) by using any but a legit platform. However, because the scam stores are styled as legit stores, telling legit from scam is not always straightforward.

However, there are some things to look out for in determining the legitimacy of an online store; these include legality, whether orders are fulfilled, and whether delivered products are fit for purpose.

In terms of legality, Bibloo ticks all the right boxes. The online store is operated by Digital People which is a company duly registered at the Commercial Register of the Municipal Court in Prague (Section B, File 12855, with VAT: CZ28197071).

Bibloo has registered headquarters at Seifertova 823/9, 130 00 Prague 3, The Czech Republic. In the very least, this shows that Bibloo is a 100% legal company. From experience, we’ve found that if there’s one constant about scam sites/ platforms, it’s the lack of legal identification. Scam sites, especially those using the shop front, do not seek and get legal recognition via company registrations. Thus, Bibloo’s legality is one strong voice in establishing that the online fashion shop is legit.

In terms of order fulfilment, there’s no doubt that Bibloo delivers. The company is relatively young in the market having started only in 2015. However, the about 4 years’ existence of the company is a testament to their fulfilling orders. Suffice it to say that online stores that do not fulfil orders are usually short-lived, because they’ll be called out, and with such exposure, they’ll close shop and disappear.

Yet another determinant of a store’s legitimacy is whether delivered products are fit for purpose. This is because, it won’t matter to you that a store is legal, or delivers if what is delivered is useless to you. Thus, quality comes to bear in this regard. In this regard, Bibloo sells factory first quality of many top brands. Also, the customers’ reviews of Bibloo reveal that, most often than not, products meet expectations.

That said, being a 100% legal company with a track record of delivering products that are fit for purpose, there’s no doubt that Bibloo is legit.

Is Bibloo safe?

Bibloo is also a safe fashion store. If you are looking for a safer place to purchase items online. The essence of using a legit store is so as not to be ripped off. However, even if a store is legit in being legal and delivering functional products, if it is not also safe, using it will expose the customer to other cyber fraudsters; and the end result will be the same as using a scam store, which is being ripped off.

Safety in this regard is protecting the sensitive information that a customer shares with the store, and preventing the information from getting into the wrong hands. This information will include personal information submitted during sign up, credit card details submitted during checkout, and more.

Bibloo like all online stores says the security of customers’ data is a priority, and that the store pays proper attention to the protection of such data. Though the details are not provided, Bibloo says its website and other systems are fitted with technical and organizational measures against the loss and destruction of customers’ data, or its unauthorized access, modification and dissemination.

We like having the details of the security measures employed by online store in order to be assured that they are indeed (or relatively) fail-proof.

However, we can take confidence from the fact that Bibloo has not suffered a data breach. Thus, it’s safe to say that Bibloo is safe.

Product Range

The ideal fashion store should be a one-stop-shop where you can get a range of fashion products. There are many advantages to this. This includes saving you the time and effort of checking other online stores, and the cost savings that come from bulk order purchases, or shipping one order from one store instead of shipping multiple orders from different stores.

In terms of product range, Bibloo ticks the box. The online fashion store is a store for the family, as they hold women’s wear, men’s wear and kids’ wear. This is evident as you enter the e-store; it is divided into three categories – women, men, and kids. The women and men category has the product sections: clothing, shoes, bags, and accessories; while the kids’ category is further sub categorized into Girls and Boys, with each sub-category having three product sections (clothing shoes and accessories).

Thus if you want a lovely dress for your little girl, you’ll go: Kids > Girls > Clothing > Dresses. The different items you’ll find in each product section of the different categories are as follows:

Women

• Clothing – T-Shirts and Tops, Blouses and Shirts, Dresses and Skirts, Sweatshirts and Sweaters, Jackets, Coats and Vests, Jeans, Trousers and Leggings, Shorts, Swimsuit, Lingerie
• Shoes – Sneakers, Ankle Boots, Oxfords, Tall Boots, Snow Boots, Rain Boots, Pumps, Slip On, Moccasins, Ballet Pumps
• Bags – Handbags, Clutches, Bags, Backpacks, Crossbody Bags
• Accessories – Socks, Beanie and Hats, Shawls and Scarves, Gloves, Wallets, Watches, Belts, Sunglasses, Bracelets, Necklaces

Men

• Clothing – T-Shirts and Tops, Shirts, Sweatshirts and Sweaters, Jackets, Coats and Vests, Jeans, Trousers and Joggings, Shorts, Swimsuit, Lingerie (Boxers)
• Shoes – Sneakers, Ankle Boots, Oxfords, Slip On, Espadrille, Crocs, Lace-Ups, Flip-Flops and Sandals, House Shoes
• Bags – Bags, Backpacks, Crossbody Bags
• Accessories – Socks, Beanie and Hats, Shawls and Scarves, Gloves, Wallets, Watches, Belts, Ties and Bow Ties, Sunglasses, Bracelets

Kids

• Girls Clothing – Bra, Swimsuit, Lingerie, T-Shirts and Tops, Skirts, Shorts, Dresses, Cotton Tights and Socks, Sweatshirts and Sweaters, Trousers and Leggings
• Girls Shoes – Sneakers, Ankle Boots, Snow Boots, Rain Boots, Slip On, Ballet Pumps, Espadrille, Crocs, Flip-Flops and Sandals
• Girls Accessories – Beanies and Hats, Key chains, Hair accessories
• Boys Clothing – Leggings, Swimsuit, T-Shirts and Tops, Lingerie, Jackets and Suits, Cotton Tights and Socks, Sweatshirts and Sweaters, Shorts, Shirts, Trousers and Joggings
• Boys Shoes – Sneakers, Ankle Boots, Snow Boots, Rain Boots, Slip On, Crocs, Flip-Flops and Sandals
• Boys Accessories – Socks, Beanies and Hats

Inventory Size

Another thing we look at in our reviews of fashion stores is the size of their inventory; and not just the overall inventory size, but the size of each product type. This is because whatever you want to purchase, be it a part dress or casual footwear, you’ll rather not have only a few items to choose from. Having a sizeable inventory of each product type will increase the possibility of finding something that matches your taste and budget.

In this regard, Bibloo does not fully tick the box. This is because a,t the time of writing this review, we found that the store provided hundreds of styles of each product type to satisfy selection needs, but that was only in the women category, while the men and kids categories were understocked.

For example, while the women’s category had over 350 blouses and shirts, the men’s category had only about 12 shirts; while the women’s category held over 250 trousers and leggings, the men’s category held only 5 trousers and joggings; and the women’s category held over 350 jackets coats and vests, the men category had about 120 of the clothing type.

Bibloo does not offer a humongous inventory. It’s even good because too large an inventory size and searching for a product can become overwhelming, as one could be lost between choices. However, the hundreds of each product type, especially in the women’s store, is sizeable enough to ensure that your selection needs are served. For the men’s and kids’ categories, the store can do well to increase its stock.

Prices, Promotions and Payment Methods

Prices

One of the first things to consider is the prices of items in a store. This is clear that no one will be willing to pay what is perceived as unreasonable for any fashion piece. Thus, the ideal online fashion store should offer low and affordable pricing.

The best way to gauge the pricing of a store is to compare it with the competition. We’ve found that the really low priced stores have many items below the half-century mark; while in the high priced stores prices almost start at three figures and dance into the high hundreds.

Thus, Bibloo came out as a store that is not downright cheap but relatively affordable. For example, at the time of writing, we found a good number of women’s blouses and shirts that were priced at less than €50.00. Though the vast majority of blouse styles were above €50.00, only a few danced into three figures. Also, most women’s jackets, coats and vests were in the €100 – €200 range, but we still found a few styles below €100.

Women’s shorts were listed at €14.99 – €66.39; and many of the trousers went from about €50 to just above €100. It was no different in the men or kids categories. For example, only one Jack & Jones men’s trousers was under €50, and men’s shirts started at around €40.

We can go on and on, and only one conclusion can be reached – Bibloo is not flat-out cheap and affordable, but also not flat-out expensive.

Promotions

Promotions allow customers to get products free of charge or for less than the products’ full price. As a result, customers are also on the hunt for promotional offers; and the ideal online fashion stores will offer a lot of these cost-saving offers.

Bibloo does offer some promotions. However, they’re not the huge cash saving offers we’ve come to expect. For example, at the time of this writing, the website was advertising a 10% discount applies to most shirts. We didn’t find any other promotion, but a small search revealed that Bibloo run packets of them from time to time.  

You’ll have to keep checking the website to know what promotion is running at any particular time. Alternatively, you may sign up for their newsletter, and you’ll be constantly alerted to promotional offers.

Payment Methods

You want a store where the buying process is hassle-free. First, there should be a range of payment methods supported so that you’ll not have a problem with finding one that you can use to pay for your order. Secondly, the supported options should be convenient to use.

Bibloo accepts payment PayPal and bank transfers; they also accept a plethora of cards through the PayU gateway which includes Visa and Master cards. With these options, as long as you’re in the served countries, paying for your orders will not be a problem.

If you’ve checked reviews of other stores, you’ll find that many online fashion stores do not support bank transfers and PayPal. Thus, Bibloo does better relatively in terms of the range of payment methods, though support for the web wallets is still missed.

Shipping

Bibloo is based in Prague in the Czech Republic. That is where they have their fulfilment centre and the merchandise you’ll be ordering. You simply won’t be walking out with what you purchase when you place an order; rather the order will be processed and the package sent to you. So you’ll need to consider how the package will get to you – shipping. Some of the most important shipping elements to consider are shipping destinations, shipping times, and shipping cost.

Shipping Destinations

Except for an online store ships to the territory where you are resident, it will be difficult to receive delivery of orders placed in the store. Thus, you’ll want an online store to ship to many worldwide locations so that where you are resident is more likely to be covered.

Bibloo does not particularly do well in this regard because the store ships to only a few countries. The countries they ship to are Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

This means that if you are not located in the European continent, you might as well look at another online store for the purchase of your fashion items. With only about 19 European countries served, Bibloo’s coverage is a far cry from online fashion stores that serve over 100+ worldwide territories.

Shipping Times

After submitting your order, you definitely will not want to wait forever to receive the delivery of your package. Thus, you’ll want stores that offer fast delivery.

In this regard, Bibloo offers two delivery options – a Standard delivery and an Express delivery. Standard delivery takes 3 – 8 working days depending on the country the package is shipping to. It takes 3 working days to deliver orders to Belgium, Denmark, and Luxembourg; it takes 4 working days to deliver to France, Latvia, Lithuania, and Switzerland; it takes 5 working days to deliver to Estonia, Ireland, Italy, Lichtenstein, and the United Kingdom; it takes 6 working days to deliver to Cyprus and Greece; it takes 7 working days to deliver to Finland, Norway, and Sweden; and it takes 8 working days to deliver to Portugal and Spain.

The Express Delivery option will deliver the package the next working day following order placement as long as the order is placed before 3:00 PM. The only exception is Cyprus, which takes 2 working days for express delivery. Having Next Day delivery available for 98% of served locations scores points for Bibloo because, in many other fashion stores, Next Day delivery is only available for domestic orders, or at best a few other locations.

Usually advertised delivery times are package transit times, that is the time it takes the carrier to move the item (after it has been dispatched to them by the store) to where you’ll take delivery of it. That means the time it takes the store to process and dispatch orders to the carrier can also affect your waiting time for the package.

One good thing about Bibloo is that they have a very short order processing time. The store reports that their items are almost always in stock, so orders are processed immediately. This is in sharp contrast to some other stores that can take up to 3 or more days for order processing.

The relatively fast order processing means that orders are processed and dispatched quickly; that adds to the relatively short transit times, and Bibloo is able to offer fast delivery. A look at the customer’s review in independent online review platforms also attests to this. Customers were largely satisfied with the delivery times of the store

Shipping Cost

A common sight in shopping sites is that customers go through browsing listings and selecting an item into carts only to abandon the cart at checkout after delivery costs have been applied to give the total spend. This shows that when shipping costs are high, the total spend on items that were perceived as acceptably priced may become unacceptable. Thus, the ideal store will have shipping costs that are as low as possible.

In this regard, the shipping costs depend on the delivery option chosen and the country your order is shipping to. For Express Shipping, Bibloo charges a flat rate of €17.00 no matter where the order is shipping to (as long as it is one of the 19 countries served).

For the Standard Shipping, the cost varies depending on the country. For orders shipping to Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom; Bibloo charges €8.00 if the order is under €80, but will ship it free if it’s over €80. The cost is €8.00 for Estonian Orders under €100, and free for orders over €100.

For orders shipping to Lichtenstein and Sweden, Standard shipping is €10.00 if the orders are under €100, and free for orders over €100. For Finland, Portugal and Spain, Standard Shipping is €12.00 for orders under €120.00, and free for orders over €120.00. For Cyprus, it is €13.00 for orders under €120.00, and free for orders over €120.00; and for Norway, it is €15.00 for orders under €150.00, and free for orders over €150.00.

The lowest possible shipping cost will be “zero” cost, which is free shipping. Thankfully, Bibloo offers that. Another good thing is that, unlike some stores that offer free shipping to only domestic orders, Bibloo offers free shipping to all the locations they ship to.

So as long as you are resident in a location that the store serves, you can get your package shipped to you free of charge. As is often seen with fashion retailers, there are minimum order requirements to get free shipping. Where such apply, you’ll want the qualifying order amount to be low so that you’ll not break the bank just to get free shipping.

Also, for most countries, the free shipping qualifying amount (€80+ orders) is relatively low. Granted, this is not the lowest you’ll find if you consider the whole fashion retailing business; you’ll see some stores granting free shipping to orders of $50+.

However, if you consider Europe facing fashion stores alone, this is easily the lowest free shipping qualifying amount you’ll find. This means that when shopping from Bibloo you’ll not have to break the bank or spend over the top in chase of free shipping.

Free Shipping aside, it’s also good that Bibloo charges flat rates. That is, where free shipping does not apply, the amount you pay for shipping will not increase with an increase in your size or weight. Unlike stores where you pay more in shipping for buying more; in Bibloo, as long as your buys are in one order, you’ll pay the same fees to ship a single unit.

Lastly, the shipping rates themselves are relatively fine. €8 – €15 in standard shipping cost and €17 in Express shipping cost to locations in Europe is fine by almost every standard.

Returns

When making online purchases, you’ll be relying on product descriptions and images to make your buy decision. No matter how adequate those resources are, there’s the possibility that the product delivered to you will not meet certain expectations you had of it.

Given that most fashion products are sized items, there’s the possibility that the item ordered is too small or too big and does not fit. Since you’ll not want to be stuck with an unwanted item; the ideal store should allow returns of items that customers are not totally satisfied with.

Like almost all online fashion stores, Bibloo allows returns. However, it’s important to comb the fine print of their return policy, to determine if it’s customer-friendly.

Return Process

You won’t want to be put off by a cumbersome return process; so you’ll want the return process to be as smooth as possible.

If you receive an item you’ll want to send back to the store, the first thing to do is to cancel the contract. Cancelling the contract is simply informing Bibloo of your decision to exercise your right to cancel (not necessarily the reasons for cancelling), and every cancellation should be done by a clear statement via post or email.

After informing Bibloo of your desire to cancel the contract, you can then package the item appropriately and mail it to:

Bibloo

Ringhofferova 115/1

155 2 Prague 5, Czech Republic

A copy of the receipt should be enclosed with the return package; and for fast processing of the returns, you may also choose to print, fill and enclose a “return form”, which can be accessed on their website.

Usually, we give high scores to fashion stores that provide “return labels”, because the pre-addressed and prepaid nature of the labels ease the return process.

However, though not offering return labels, the return process of Bibloo is relatively easy as well. You only need to send an email expressly stating you are cancelling, and then you mail back the return package. There is no need to explain yourself or your reasons for returning an item, or for waiting to get authorizations.

Return Window

One of the first considerations in a return policy is the return window, which is how much time you have to return an item back to the store. Stores allow a period, usually counted from when you receive delivery of the item, for you to return any item in your order; and they’ll accept and issue refunds for only items returned within the allowed period. Thus, you’ll want an extended period.

Bibloo does well in this regard. They provide that if you choose to return any item in your order, you have 30 days (from the day of receiving delivery of the order) to cancel the contract. Afterwards, you’ll have 14 days from the date of submitting your cancellation request to return the item to the store. The industry average return window is 28 – 30 days; but with the policy of Bibloo, the return window can extend to as many as 44 days (30 + 14 days).

Cost of Returns

For the same reasons you’ll want an easy return process, you’ll also want an inexpensive return process; which is, you won’t want to return an item only to be put off by the high cost of doing so.

As always we’ll like the lowest possible cost (which is zero or free returns). Unfortunately, Bibloo does not offer free returns. Some stores that do not offer free returns provide prepaid returns labels.

However, Bibloo also does not provide return labels. You’ll have to send your return package to them using any carrier, and you’ll bear all associated costs.

Apart from the ease that returns labels offer (which is, deferring the payment of return shipping till when you’re being refunded), the labels also help to check and regularize return shipping costs. Where labels are provided, the store signs an agreement with the carrier, who will factor in the total return volume expected; and the rates offered are usually discounted. That is why, where return labels are provided and made optional; most often than not, using the label is cheaper than not using it.

Thus, you’ll find that it’ll be relatively expensive to return an item to Bibloo; and this is especially so for international returns. Therefore, it was not surprising that when we checked online reviews of Bibloo on independent platforms, one complaint that kept jumping out was the “high cost of returning Bibloo items”.

Refunds and Refunds Processing

After the returned item gets to the store, they’ll process it and issue your refund. That said, you don’t want a store that takes forever for this, especially when you’ll want to use the funds. Bibloo says that they take 14 days for this. This is relatively in the “okay” region, as there are some stores that take significantly more than that to process returns and issue refunds.

Also, Bibloo issues refunds via the original payment method. This is good because it means that you’ll have your refund as cash in your account, and you may choose to go to another store for your purchase. It should be said that some stores will only give store credits for returns, and that will restrict you from using the funds in the particular store.

Another good thing about the return policy of Bibloo is that the store refunds the original shipping costs when you return an item to them. It should be said that most stores will only refund the cost of the item. But Bibloo refunds all it took to get the item in the first place, both it’s cost and what was paid for its shipping.

Customer Support

Any serious online platform must make provision for contacting them. A wise man said some years back that “everything that will go wrong, will”, and the course of things has shown that the wise man was on point. For example, no matter how plainly things are laid out, there’ll be persons who’ll still have questions; and no matter how effectively an online shop is run, there’ll be customers who’ll still have issues with their orders.

Thus, the ideal store will feature an effective customer support department that customers can contact to get the needed assistance.

Thus, the first consideration here is the number of channels that the store provides for assisting customers. As you’ll find in many stores, the first place to get assistance in Bibloo is an FAQ page on their website. The FAQ holds some of the questions that customers have asked in the past. Though, not very extensive, the page does justice to the questions that are addressed.

For direct contact, Bibloo provides a post-service, an email service, and a telephone service. You can send the company a letter using the postal address: Bibloo, Ringhofferova 115/1, Prague 5, 155 21. Because of the slow nature of feedback when using posts; a better option to contact the support department is by email.

You can send Bibloo an email using the email address: info@bibloo.com. Feedback is given within hours; however, for instant feedback, the telephone service can be called upon. You can contact Bibloo using the number: +44 20 3807 3535. 

You should know that the support service of Bibloo is only available on the working days. More so, it is not available round the clock; it is only active between 8 AM and 5 PM. We like 24/ 7 support services for worldwide platforms so that no matter your uptime (by virtue of your time zone), you’ll always get a support rep anytime you reach out to the support service.

However, Bibloo is only in Europe facing at the moment, and may not have the problem of the downtime of customers corresponding to the uptime of the support service. However, we’ll still like to see the active time of the support service window increased.

Pros:

• The store holds first quality products of many A list designer brands
• All goods in the e-store are in stock, and ready for immediate dispatch
• Free shipping is offered, and it applies to all locations
• They offer 30 days to cancel a contract followed by 14 days of returning an item to the store, which combines to give an extended return window
• When an item is returned, the store refunds not just the purchase price but also its original shipping cost
• A range of payment options is provided, and the payment process is hassle-free

Cons:

• Ships to only 19 European countries
• Customers bear all costs of returning a Bibloo item, which is relatively high, especially for international orders
• The stock of men and kids’ items is relatively low
• Customer support is not available 24/ 7

Conclusion

Bibloo is a Prague based online retailer offering fashion products for women, men and kids. Though founded only in 2015, Bibloo has developed into a robust brand, and ships merchandise to countries all over Europe.

You’ll find styles from different designer brands. The women’s category features a sizeable inventory so finding an item you like is more likely than not; but for the kid’s and men’s stores, you may come up stuck because of their relatively lower inventory size.

ALSO READ: Fashion Nova Review – Is Legit, Safe, or Scam?

Also, all items are in stock, so processing and dispatching orders is fast; fast order processing adds to relatively fast transit times, and Bibloo is able to offer fast delivery. Also, free delivery is available for all locations; and Next Day delivery is available for 98% of locations.

To guarantee customer satisfaction, returns are allowed; but you’ll have to cancel the contract within 30 days and return the item within 14 days following contract cancellation. This allows for an extended return window. Though return labels are not provided, the return process is relatively easy. The one big dent is that customers bear the cost of returns, which can get very high. However, to soothe the high cost of returns, when you are refunded, you’ll also get a refund of the item’s original shipping cost.

Have you made an order from Bibloo before? What was your experience? Kindly use the review section below to give us your Bibloo review.