Is It a Legit Website?

Online shopping has become more and more prominent. If you’re an avid shopper, you know that purchasing items at a low or discounted price is always a coveted thing. If you’re looking to save while still being able to shop hard, you may be interested to know about the retailer called LightInTheBox.

If this online store hasn’t reached your radar yet, it’s an up-and-coming retailer that many people have been buzzing about recently. The online retailer offers incredible discounts on all kinds of products, may it be apparel or electronics. However, you may have read Light In The Box reviews online stating that the company is a scam. So in this article, we’re going to dive deep into the different aspects of LightInTheBox to help you make an informed decision as to whether or not it’s a legit online store.

What Is LightInTheBox?

When you check out LightInTheBox’s official website, you’ll see that the online retailer offers a wide variety of goods. Products are separated into different categories to make things more organized and help you navigate the website better. Some of the categories you’ll find include automotive, smart devices, apparel for women, men, and children, shoes, accessories, toys, beauty products, electronics, and more.

Thanks to its wide collection of products, many consider LightInTheBox to be a one-stop shop for your online shopping needs. There, you’ll find most of the things you could need, which is convenient because you don’t have to visit different online retailers.

Shipping Options

Many customers have been quick to label LightInTheBox as a scam because it takes quite a while for orders to arrive. LightInTheBox’s main headquarter is in Beijing, which means that most if not all the things you order from the website will have to be shipped overseas—unless you already live in China. As such, it makes sense why the shipping process can take much longer than we’d like.

Some orders can be processed as quickly as 24 hours, while others could take as long as 3 business days to 15 business days or more. If you want to insist on ordering from LightInTheBox, you have to remember that patience is key.

LightInTheBox offers multiple shipping methods, which also have different processing and shipping times. We’ll discuss some of them below:

Postal Service-Tracking

If you use this method, it’s estimated that your LightInTheBox orders will be able to reach the United States within 10 to 20 business days after it departs the warehouse. This estimated delivery time could get extended to 15 to 30 business days during the peak season.

On average, this could mean waiting for up to six weeks for your order, including the weekends.

Postal Expedited

Postal Expedited is definitely much faster than the standard shipping method, and it could reduce the delivery process down to 5 to 8 business days. Even during the peak season, this method touts that you’ll be able to receive your orders within a week (more or less).

Expedited Express Shipping

This shipping method will definitely catch the attention of consumers who are in a hurry to get their items. By choosing this method, delivery time is estimated to be around 3 to 5 business days only.

Shipping Costs

Even if the items you’ve ordered have incredibly low prices, shipping fees could significantly increase your expenses. As such, online shoppers would usually opt for retailers that offer low shipping costs. In LightInTheBox’s case, shipping costs completely depend on how much your order weighs, where it’s being sent to, as well as the shipping method. Overall, though, the shipping costs for this retailer aren’t that bad.

That being said, ordering internationally means you have to pay for customs, VAT, and other taxes. These depend on where you live, so it’s impossible to ask the company for an estimate or a quote.

Return Policy

Nobody wants to undergo a return process that’s long and tedious, fortunately, this doesn’t appear to be the case for LightInTheBox. If you want to return something to the company, simply login to your LightInTheBox account and choose the item you want to send back. From there, click the “Return and Refunds” option, where a form that you have to fill up will appear. Explain the situation in as much detail as possible; you can even attach photos to back up your concern.

The customer service team will get in touch with you after more or less 24 hours.

Eligible Items That Can Be Returned

LightInTheBox won’t accept every item for return, but fortunately, there aren’t that many ineligible products. Some of the products you can’t return to the company include:

• Customized items
• Smart robots, smartphones, tablets, laptops, 3D printers
• Lingerie, bodysuits, swimsuits, jewelry, and accessories
• Disposable items
• Clearance items

It’s understandable why custom-made items aren’t eligible items. After all, these items were made specifically for you based on what you wanted, so it would be hard to sell them to someone else. The same goes with lingerie, bodysuits, and the like—these items can’t be returned for hygiene reasons. That being said, we can’t seem to understand why electronics and technology such as cellphones and tablets can’t be returned.

The Problems With LightInTheBox

LightInTheBox may seem like a fantastic online store to shop in, but you need to know about what people’s complaints are first so that you won’t be left disappointed.

Poor Quality Products

Many consumers who have purchased from LightInTheBox were disappointed to find that the clothing items they ordered were of poor quality. Some even said that the apparel they received looked nothing like the product images displayed on the website, which is basically false advertising.

LightInTheBox is definitely a legit online retailer, but unfortunately, there are some issues with the quality of the products.

Issues Related to Refunds

Since many buyers have had issues with the products’ quality and are therefore unhappy with the items ordered, it makes sense for them to ask for a refund. However, while sending out a refund and return request is easy, actually being approved of one isn’t that easy.

Conclusion

So, is LightInTheBox safe? We’d like to say yes—it’s a legit website with decent prices. If you’re looking for an online retailer that offers a vast array of products, then LightInTheBox may be worth checking out. However, this website isn’t without its flaws, and you need to keep peoples’ complaints in mind before you order. Also, keep in mind that your order will be shipped from overseas, so you shouldn’t expect it to magically arrive after only a few days.