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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Houzz Review at a glance

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

Is Houzz legit?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Is House safe?

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

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

Services/ Products

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Using Houzz

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pricing and Related Policies

Pricing

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

Promotions

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

Payment Methods

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

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

Shipping

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

Shipping Destinations:

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

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

Delivery Times

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

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

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

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

Shipping Cost

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

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

Returns

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

Eligible Returns

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

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

Return Window

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

Return Process

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

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

Cost of Returns

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

Customer Support Service

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

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

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

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

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

Houzz Complaints

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

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

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

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

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

Conclusion

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

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

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

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

You may also like JJ’s House Review, DealDash review and Dollar Shave Club Review

Pros

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

Cons

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DealDash review at a glance

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

How it works

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

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

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

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

Is DealDash legit?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Is DealDash safe?

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

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

Products

Product Variety

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

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

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

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

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

Product Quality

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

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

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

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

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

Special Features

Get Bids Back

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

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

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

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

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

No Jumper Limit

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

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

Automatic Bids

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Highest Bidder Reward

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

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

Winning Limits

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

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

Pricing and Related Policies

Pricing

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

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

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

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

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

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

Payment Methods

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

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

Shipping

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

Shipping Destination:

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

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

Delivery Times

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

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

Shipping Cost

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

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

Returns

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

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

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

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

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

Customer Service

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

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

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

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

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

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Pros

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

Cons

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

Conclusion

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dollar Shave Club review at a glance

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

How it works

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

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

Is Dollar Shave Club legit?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Is Dollar Shave Club safe?

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

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

Products

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

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

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

Special Features

Starter Set

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

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

Restock Box

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

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

Handle/ Blades compatibility

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

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

Club Pro Help

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

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

Pricing and Related Policies

Pricing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Promotions

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

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

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

Using Dollar Shave Club

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shipping

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

Shipping Destinations

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

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

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

Delivery Times

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

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

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

Shipping cost

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

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

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

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

Returns and Refunds

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

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

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

Customer Support

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

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

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

Complaints

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

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

Not Cancelling the Starter Set

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

For example

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

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

Poor Quality Blades

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

For example;

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

Conclusion

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

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

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

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

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

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Pros

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

Cons

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

JJ’s House review at a glance

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

What is JJ’s House – About

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

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

Is JJ’s House legit?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Is JJ’s House safe?

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

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

Products

Product Range

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

The product categories that JJ’s House holds are:

JJ’s House Wedding Party:

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

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

JJ’s House Clothing:

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

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

Product Quality

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

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

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

Buying Experience

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Special Features

How-To-Measure Feature

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

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

Short Product Video

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

Fabric Swatches

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

Pricing

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

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

Promotions

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

Payment Methods

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

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

Shipping

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

Shipping considerations

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

Delivery Times

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

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

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

Shipping Costs

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

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

Returns

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

Eligible Returns

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

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

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

Return Process

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

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

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

Exchange Policy

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

Cost of Returns

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

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

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

Refund Processing and Refund

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

Customer Support Service

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

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

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

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

JJ’s House Complaints

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

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

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

Not Fulfilling some Orders

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

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

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

Poor Quality

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

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

Issues with Refunds

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

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

Specific review included:

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

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

Sites Similar to JJ’s House:

• Mirraw
• Bonanza
• eCRATER

Pros

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

Cons

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

Conclusion

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

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

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

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

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

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

Continue reading this Cafepress review!

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

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

Cafepress review at a glance

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

What is Cafepress? – About

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

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

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

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

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

Is Cafepress legit?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Is Cafepress safe?

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

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

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

Products

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cafepress – for Sellers

Listing items for sale

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

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

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

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

Pricing and Earning Potential

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Receiving Payment

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

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

Selling Pros

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

Selling Cons

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

Cafepress – for Buyers

Ordering

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shipping

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

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

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

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

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

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

Return and Exchanges

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

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

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

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

Buying Pros

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

Buying cons

• Shipping costs are relatively high

Customer Support

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

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

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

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

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

Complaints

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

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

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

Late Delivery

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

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

Poor Sizing

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

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

Issues with returns

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

For example:

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

Sites Similar to Cafepress:

• Mirraw
• Bonanza
• eCRATER

Conclusion

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bonanza review at a glance

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

Is Bonanza legit?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Is Bonanza safe?

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

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

Products

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

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

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

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

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

Bonanza – for selling

Using Bonanza

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pricing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Payment and methods

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

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

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

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

Advertising Program

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

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

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

Selling Pros

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

Selling cons

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

Bonanza – for buying

Placing an Order

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pricing

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

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

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

Shipping

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

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

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

Returns

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

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

Buyer Protection

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Buying Pros

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

Buying Cons

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

Customer Support Service

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

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

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

Contacting Bonanza will be to report a Seller. You can do this by sending them an email from the “Contact” link of the website. You’ll have to be logged in to send a message; so only members can communicate directly with Bonanza. However, as mentioned before, the only “help” you’ll get from bonanza is removing a Seller.

Bonanza Complaints

True, there is no platform that is immune to complaints. But the complaints should not override an ideal platform. Thus, the volume and frequency of complaints can help you to gauge how well a platform is. In this section, we examine the top customers’ review platforms such as Trustpilot, Sitejabber, etc. These reviews are simply what real persons who have used bonanza as sellers and buyers have to say about it. Sadly, Bonanza has mixed ratings in these platforms.

In Trustpilot, bonanza is rated 3.0/ 5 by 932 reviewers; in Sitejabber it is rated 2.5/ 5 by 773 reviewers; but in resellerratings, it is rated 1/ 10 by 33 reviewers.

Sellers’ Complaints

One complaint common to many Sellers that wrote reviews is not making sales. For example, Gary Pearson in Trustpilot says “Nobody buys anything ever” The review continued “I sell a diversified selection of antiques, motor oil cans, signs, phones, vintage toys, prints, etc. Nothing for the last 6 month, nothing at all, not even a question by these people who buy on this site. If there are any out there I sure don’t hear from them. I have over 1,300 feedback on eBay and hundreds on my wife’s account and I cannot even sell one thing on here; totally frustrating and waste of my time listing things”

Another complaint by Sellers is not being able to find their own listed items. Yet some sellers complained about having their account shut down for no reason and without communication. For example: A.M. in sitejabber says “filing a lawsuit against Bonanza”. The review added that “…after 5 years of working hard to provide the best customer service, bonanza ambushed me out of nowhere and closed my account. This was my life. This was everything to me, and they shut me out and spit me out like I was nothing …If you try to be a seller on bonanza, make sure you pay the insanely high titan and platinum membership fees…”

Bonanza review products after the listing before the products will go live. Though Bonanza advertises that this may take 4 – 6 hours, the reviews suggest that it may take 2 days. This may be why some Sellers cannot find their products after listing. Sure, it’s not an ideal situation; and Bonanza can do well to reduce its listing review time.

For Sellers complaining of not making sales in the platform; this is to be expected when the platform has membership subscriptions. After all, the draw of the membership subscription and its paid advert program is to drive traffic to your listings for more sales. However, it’s frustrating having to use a marketplace for free and having to compete for the same customer pool with subscribers.

Buyers’ Complaints

One prominent complaint among buyers is that the platform is a scam (more appropriately, that they were scammed in the platform)

For example:

• Edward P in Sitejabber says “Platform for scammers. They will steal your money”. The review continued “I ordered a shirt for my son and never received it. Bonanza deleted the seller’s account after I filed a complaint and they instructed me to take the issue up with PayPal rather than taking responsibility for its sellers. Absolute scam”
• Dave Vickery in Trustpilot says “Bad Experience with Bonanza – Avoid” The review continued “I made a small purchase with one seller on this site. That seller did not deliver and since then I’ve been bounced between the seller and the support team trying to get my money back”
• Alex Singh in Trustpilot says “this is the worst site to order from; never got my order or mu refund. So please people stay off this site; don’t order from here, they’ll take your money and never send you the product”

As mentioned earlier, as a marketplace, there are some dirty sellers in Bonanza. However, the operation model of bonanza doesn’t help the situation. First, there is no serious screening of Sellers done, and it allows Seller to receive payment for purchase directly.

Thus there is virtually no buyer protection. While Bonanza’s remedy is to delete the seller’s account; that does not help the scam customer to get the item or the refund. And as one reviewer says, it definitely hurt that Bonanza does not take any responsibility other than “take the matter up with your payment processor”

Sites Similar to Bonanza:

• Amazon
• eCRATER

Conclusion

Bonanza advertises as an online marketplace where you can buy and sell everything but the ordinary. It does support a vast array of product types. Thus, as a Seller, there’s virtually nothing you cannot list for sale; and as a buyer, there’s virtually nothing you can’t buy using the platform. Products include fashion products, home & garden products, collectables & arts, jewellery, and more.

As a Seller, you’ll find the platform to be relatively easy to use. You’ll have to set up a booth, and this has the advantage of showing your other products to customers who come to your booth for a particular item. Also, the platform can be used free of charge. That is, it’s free to set up your booth and free to list items for sale; you’ll only pay when your item sells.

Also what you pay when you sell is relatively low (mostly 3.5% of Final Order Value). However, there are paid services. For example, there’re membership subscriptions; which have the benefit of giving your items more visibility to drive sales. There are also advertising programs which you can subscribe to drive more traffic to your items for higher sales.

As a Buyer, ordering from the platform is relatively easy; and you should also have no problem with making payment. Apart from finding vast product types, a draw of bonanza is that prices are competitive. Bonanza is a legit marketplace, but like every marketplace, not every seller in the platform is legit.

Thus, while you’ll not have a problem with some Sellers, you may find yourself being scammed by the bad eggs. Sadly, bonanza itself does not have buyer protection. Your only defence (at getting back your money) will be to file a dispute with your payment processor. Thus, when buying from Bonanza, be careful to discern the legit sellers from the scam; and if there are issues, be quick to file a dispute.

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

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

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

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

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

In the first place, is eCRATER legit?

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

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

eCRATER review at a glance

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

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

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

Is eCRATER legit?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Is eCRATER safe?

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

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

Products

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

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

eCRATER for Sellers

Store-builder function vs marketplace function

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

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

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

Setting up to sell

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shipping

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

Pricing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Selling Pros

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

Selling Cons

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

eCRATER for Buyers

Buying using eCRATER

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shipping

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Returns

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Buying Pros

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

Buying Cons

• Does not offer a buyer protection

Complaints

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

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

Buyers Complaints

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

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

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

Sites Similar to eCRATER

• Amazon
• AliExpress

Customer Support

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

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

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

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

Conclusion

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FitBit review at a glance

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

Is Fitbit legit?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Is Fitbit safe?

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

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

Products

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

Fitbit fitness trackers

1). Fitbit Charge 3

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

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

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

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

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

Pros:

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

Con

• No built-in GPS

2). Fitbit Inspire

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

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

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

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

Pro

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

Cons

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

3). Fitbit Inspire HR

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

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

Pros

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

Con

• No built-in GPS

4. Fitbit Alta HR

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

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

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

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

Pro

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

Con

• No connected GPS

5. Fitbit Flex 2

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

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

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

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

Pro

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

Con

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

6. Fitbit Ace 2

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

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

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

Pros

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

Cons

• Limited in functionality

7. Fitbit Zip

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

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

Pros

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

Cons

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

Fitbit Smartwatches

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

1. Fitbit Ionic

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pros

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

Cons

• Very limited in apps

2. Fitbit Versa

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

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

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

Pros

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

Cons

• No built-in GPS
• Very limited in apps

3. Fitbit Versa Lite

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

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

Pro

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

Con

• No built-in GPS
• No onboard music storage

Return Policy

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

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

Customer Support

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

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

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

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

Fitbit Complaints

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

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

Not Durable

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

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

Connection Issues

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

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

Poor Customer Support

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

For example, in tristpilot.com:

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

Sites Similar to Fitbit:

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

Pros

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

Cons:

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

Summary

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hollar review at a glance

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

What is Hollar?

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

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

Is Hollar legit?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Is Hollar Safe?

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

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

Products

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

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

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

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

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

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

Using Hollar

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

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

Pricing and Related Policies

Pricing

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

Price Match Guarantee

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

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

Promotions

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

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

Payment Methods

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

Shipping

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

Shipping Destination

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

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

Delivery Times

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

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

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

Shipping Cost

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

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

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

Returns

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

Return Window

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

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

Return Process

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

Customer Support Service

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

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

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

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

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

Complaints

Purchase Restrictions

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

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

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

Damage in Transit

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

Sites Similar to Hollar:

• StyleWe
• BangGood
• TopHatter
• Rosewholesale
• Gearbest

Pros

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

Cons

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

Summary

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

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

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